Sunday soufflé scranning at Spanish City.
For those blissfully unaware, Spanish City underwent a huge refurb over the past few years which includes Trenchers, as well as an excellent fish and chip takeaway. There’s also Valerie’s Tearoom, a Betty’s-like affair for afternoon tea, and the top-floor flagship 1910 Steak & Seafood (Spanish City, Whitley Bay, NE26 1BG). Thank god they revitalised the old coastal treasure, also home to The Split Chimp and Hazy Daze, as Whitley is looking great these days!
As per the name, would have been keen to try something North Sea-based, but we were specifically to have the Sunday lunch offering. It is 3c for £31 which is just how much a decent Sunday lunch is now, and having reflected on a few hours spent there last week, I wouldn’t mind paying that again, at all.
I’m admittedly North Tyneside born & bred, and they’re not over-egging it here, but how evocative is that view? 👆🏻 I’m not one to be suckered in by anything other than the quality of the food, but the panoramic floor to ceiling windows are reminiscent of Colmans Seafood Temple. But better, obvs because it’s Whitley Bay. Does it add to the dining experience? Perhaps it is my postcode loyalty here, but I reckon so. Blue sky, sea air, beach watching, lapping waves.
The menu is pleasantly seafood heavy but there’s some diversions. As tempted as I was by the classically-done fish soup, I’d previously seen the soufflé which looked fit because well, it is:
With presumably fistfuls of Barber’s cheddar, and a hint of token spinach, it’s as good as a soufflé as I’ve had. Rich and obviously double-baked but light as owt inside. Particular love for the side salad of pear, caramelised walnut and endive, which cuts through the richness of the whole thing. Really strong start.
Not often seen with a Sunday roast, but always welcome is bread for the table, especially for mopping up that cheesy puddle. I suppose when there’s a handful of dedicated pastry chefs in the kitchen, it costs them nowt and makes the whole thing that bit more civilised. Fresh and warm in white and wholemeal.
Always hard not to feel like a recipient of special treatment, but watching the general operation, the team seems to be very well trained with a level of service generally of a higher quality that it has any right to be. It makes the difference here. The young and friendly team is an asset to the operation.
A little hesitant of the prawn cocktail after we had it at Trenchers, but Bloody Mary gel and a hunker of a tempura prawn topper save it from being ‘just another prawn cocktail’. A step up in so many ways, which is really the story for Trenchers vs. 1910. Perhaps the ‘serious’ chefs are kept here? Not a note was missed through the three courses. All ‘stuff you’d want to eat again’. Even our unmemorable but still serviceable house wine (£24).
Roasts dominate Sundays but there are other dishes as well which is always a win — steak seemed popular, and it took real restraint to pass up the lobster risotto.
But this sirloin was an easy choice. An absolutely walloping bit of cow with big red meat flavour, cooked accurately pink, with thick yellow fat the sign of a happy cow. Mash + beef dripping roasties is anything but a potato crime in my book, and a 6″ tall pudding made an inviting looking plate.
Even better — additional gravy by default 🥹, cauli cheese on the side, and these boiled greens as well as roast carrots, peas and bacon 🙌🏻 I much prefer the format of veg for the table and an elegantly plated roast rather than ‘ram everything on one plate’ which is still the norm. No complaints about any of the side veg other than — come hungry as it is a lot.
Kate’s confit lamb shoulder was as soft as blancmange in the very best ways that slow-cooked meat can be, and really I don’t see how as a roast, these could be much better.
A dedicated pastry team places more pressure on making dessert more than an afterthought, and crème brûlée comes with a honey & lemon madeleine which is a good test of any baker.
I never normally like ‘half-eaten’ pics but had to show the texture of it which for me was perfect. Thick and sunflower yellow like a body butter speckled with vanilla seed, but surprisingly delicate and a textbook example of the crunchy-topped classic. Yoghurt Eton mess with strawberries a little more playful but similarly light and fresh enough to round out a great meal.
We couldn’t face it but there is an actual wheel-it-out cheese trolley as well. Honestly, it all adds up to make 1910 feel like a pricier restaurant than it is. And hey it’s not ‘cheap’ but is easily sophisticated enough to justify charging more than your local pub.
Not just ideal for a treat Sunday lunch out with the fam, but one of the better Sunday lunches I’ve had in recent memory. Worthy of your time, your calories, the hit to your wallet, and certainly not all just about that view. Fab 🌊
Contact: spanishcity.co.uk
Food hygiene rating: 5/5
*Full disclaimer: I was invited to try the Sunday Lunch menu specifically and our bill would have been ~£85 (which we didn’t pay) + service (which we did). See my policy on this.
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