Friends, Fairylights and Fine Dining

Much to my boyfriend's dismay, one of my favourite things to do is go out for food. It doesn't have to be expensive, just somewhere with a nice atmosphere and good food. 

Luckily for him, best friend Lisa makes an excellent culinary companion; having been friends for just about forever, I'm pleased to say we've built up quite a repertoire of go-to dinner destinations across the North East. 

Oddly enough, there's a restaurant just a stones throw away from our houses called The New Exchange Brasserie we've always wanted to try but never got round to doing so. So when I spotted an offer for The New Exchange for a meal for two with wine on NEoffers.co.uk, I told wor lass to dress to impress and be ready for our date. 

From what I gather, The New Exchange in North Shields has changed hands over the years, but its secluded courtyard location has remained one of its biggest assets. The patio/courtyard terrace is magical thanks to the stylish rattan tables and chairs and strings of twinkly fairy lights festooned and wrapped around every available surface. Sadly we would not be dining alfresco tonight thanks to the wild North Sea wind that threatened to blow our hair from our heads but it was a pretty sight all the same. 

Walking into the restaurant, I instantly liked its laidback atmosphere and effortlessly cool interior. Exposed red brick walls contrast with soft leather chairs, while the inky night sky hangs above you, seeping into the room from the glass walls and lean-to roof. 

After presenting our voucher, we were shown to our table, where we popped open the cork of our bottle of house white and spilled the contents of our lives to each other until prompted to make a decision from the menu. 

It's probably worth noting that the £19.99 deal from NEoffers.co.uk will get you a bottle of house wine and a main course for two - any additional drinks, starters or desserts are extra. 

We decided to sample the black pudding and chorizo 'bombe' with redcurrant jus and micro greens to start and share apple crumble and custard for dessert. The black pudding and chorizo starter came encased in flaky puff pastry which was a surprise (who can refuse extra carbs?) and we both thought the portion size was generous. 

I'd like to say we were wildly adventurous with our mains (the menu did tempt us with pan-friend sea bass, Barbary duck breast and wild mushroom risotto), but the trouble with dining out with your best friend is that inevitably you'll both like the same thing - so pan friend pork loin with peppercorn sauce, glazed carrots and handcut chips it was! 

Both the pork and the peppercorn sauce was delicious and I thought the sticky sweetness of the carrots was a nice touch too. Unfortunately, our chips had to be sent back to the kitchen as they were still quite hard and threatened to spoil the dish. 

Dessert arrived shortly after our mains and we happily tucked into warm, gooey apple pie and custard served with a side of cinder toffee. Being an avid dessert fan, I have to say I was a little disappointed that the crumble was more of an oaty granola rather than the good old stick-to-the-ribs flour and butter crumble topping you would make at home, but I would still give it 4/5 as we managed to clean the plate. 

VERDICT: The New Exchange was just the right kind of busy for midweek and we're glad we finally got the chance to try it. I'm sure we'll be back, if not just to sip something delicious on that twinkly outdoor terrace! 

The restaurant is a true hidden gem and what better excuse to uncover it than with a voucher on NEoffers.co.uk?

Pssst, quote PROSECCOANDPIE when buying your voucher online 

and enjoy an extra 10% off on me - cheers!