Ten out of Eleven.
Bawn (11 Main St, Ponteland, NE20 9NH) is a grown-up restaurant where small plates and good wines meet… pizza, of all things. Sounds good to me.
Formerly Eleven, which was broadly a tasting menu-only restaurant in Ponteland, it has since pivoted and become a little more approachable, and a little more 2024 wallet-friendly. I’d have thought any smart restaurant would have worked great in Ponteland, but I guess a combination of things including challenging industry conditions, COVID, and devalued spending power meant a change was needed.
As Eleven, it made its way into the Michelin guide not long after opening, and apart from the guide’s outdated view of what constitutes a ‘suitable’ restaurant for inclusion, I can’t see any reason why Bawn doesn’t grave the pages of the 2024 edition — tasting menu or not.
There’s a short, seasonal menu of a dozen dishes, and 6-7 pizzas, with nothing more than about £15.
It’s not ‘cheap’ by any means. It is increasingly hard to comment on cost/value proposition these days when the ongoing CoL crisis means that eating here would absolutely be a treat for most people. But you could definitely come to Bawn, ‘not go daft’ and spend a similar amount that you would on three courses of absolute shite at a chain. You choose 🤷🏻♂️
If you’re unsure what small plates and good wines means in 2024. Bawn’s riff on a Caesar salad is indicative of everything they do here. Expect little, be blown away. Easily the best Caesar I’ve had (on my ‘Best in 2023‘ list), there’s some lettuce in there somewhere and the usage of parmesan is just wonderfully heavy-handed. The dressing makes it too rich for one person, despite some lemon zest and anchovy-flecked breadcrumbs but alongside a pizza, and some other picky bits, add a few glasses of wine and you’ll be having a bloody lovely afternoon.
Same story for these croquettes, made with the charcuterie trimmings. They’re delicate wee balls, but don’t let those cheese gratings fool you into thinking this is an American Pies / Humble Crumble / EL&N type affair that’s only good for your TikTok vids. The cooking is accurate, considered and understated.
When I first saw the swivel to pizza and small plates I was a little confused, as to succeed in a busy pizza market you’ve surely gotta be knocking out a good pie. Needn’t have worried, they’re banging.
The pizzas serve double duty — both as excellent pies in their own regard, and (in the best way possible) as a filler. If you’ve been to a ‘small plates’ restaurant and had the recommended serving size, only to be still hungry and bankrupt, here’s the solution.
This was the anchovy (£15), but versions with various cured meats, or just basil and blobs of Spenwood are equally at home here. As more places opt to fail at Neapolitan style, it’s very welcome to have a consistently great NY-style pie. It’s a twist on NY style admittedly, but I’ve loved every bite.
Dipping sauces have become a snide way to add on £3 for jarred mayo in many places, but please do get the salsa verde aioli here. It’s vivid, herby, and then soothing with daffodil yellow house-made mayo. Really good.
The rest of menu speaks volumes, it’s unintimidating. Just combinations of lovely things that were meant to be together, performing at their best — from the crinkly roasted potatoes & aioli (top), to quality focaccia and almost-neon green EVOO, verdant green steamed asparagus, with onion jam and cheese foam, padrons spiked with a honey vinegar, wild garlic pesto on toast with burrata. We haven’t really had a duff plate yet.
Simple desserts made with punchy ingredients toe the line. Tiramisu was a certified Top Tier take on the classic, even if it looks unfamiliar here, it hits all the right chocolate, coffee, and cream notes. Even more ridiculous, chocolate crémeaux with olive oil blends the richest and most hedonistic chocolate cream with bitter and bright oil. It’s a plate licker 😋
Half of the attraction for me is the wine list, which does by the glass just how I like it. A relatively small list with interesting wines (not a sauvie b or merlot to be seen!), priced cannily, and loads by the glass. I’d almost be as tempted to refer you to Bawn for a few glasses and some focaccia and charcuterie as I would for a ‘proper meal’, however loose that definition might be.
And to that regard, it’s much like my favourite Saint Vincent — casual, flexible dining that manages to be more neighbourhood than its Quayside component. It’s not stuffy at all, the service is very much at home in a local bistro, but Bawn still manages to feel like a treat.
If you’re making a special trip to Bawn, also swing by Flying Gang Brewing just up the road for a couple of their beers which have absolutely no right to be as good as they are. I can’t believe this isn’t a more prevalent brewery in the North East. Strange space, but the standard of the beers is superb.
So as far as Ponteland is concerned, Bawn exists out there in a league of its own. For me, it’s up there with the Saint Vincents, and Ophelia’s as one of the rare places that every time I visit, I’ve gotten a level of satisfaction that matches the size of bill.
In the words of Logan Roy…
Contact: bawnrestaurant.co.uk
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