The Herb Garden

If you have a little look at the weather forecast in Newcastle at the moment it's pretty nasty.  I'm talking heavy rain, dark clouds and chilly temperatures.   However this week we simply just don't care, chuck what you like at us Mother Nature because it's Restaurant Week in Geordie town which means we are all skipping off to work in the morning with the promise of lovely food at bargain prices to follow.

NE1's Restaurant Week takes place twice a year and this week sees its 7th run.  Starting today and running through to the end of the week many of the best restaurants in Toon are offering fixed price menus for only £10 or £15 per person.  Encouraging people to try new restaurants and get out and about for some January fun.  Shockingly  I STILL haven't been paid since before Christmas but I knew I had to find some money for Restaurant Week, it's one of my favourite weeks of the year.

We decided to kick off the week by visiting a new restaurant that opened in Newcastle a short while ago, The Herb Garden.  The pizza kitchen first came to my attention when a colleague informed me she'd seen a roller skating horse on Westgate Road on her drive into work.   I was a little worried she was seeing things to start with but a week or so later saw it for myself, yes the Herb Garden really does have a roller skating horse!

The horse isn't the only amazing thing about the Herb Garden.  Step inside the restaurant and it's a feast for the eyes.   The ceiling is covered in beautiful lanterns that make the restaurant very bright (perfect if you love taking photos of your food), the eating area is built in a railway arch (you can even hear the trains rattling above you) and one wall of the restaurant is full of glass hydroponics growing the restaurant's herbs on the premises without soil .. amazing!

 




The Restaurant Week offer was two courses for £10.  I had the spinach and egg pizza whilst Simon went for the happy ham and wild mushroom.  The pizzas were huge and served on gorgeous wooden slabs.  The food was very well presented although unfortunately the wooden slabs weren't too practical as they were slightly wobbly to eat off.  The base was perfectly cooked and the toppings were delicious, I was particularly impressed with my egg which was runny, just as I like it.

The desserts were something very special, they were fun to look at and tasted so good.   Simon's tiramisu (which I admit I more than helped him out with) was served in a flower pot!  I'm sure soil never tasted that good when I used to eat it as a kid.  I opted for the chocolate pot which was a thick rich moose served with fresh fruit.

 
 
 
We've added the Herb Garden to our list of favourites and can't wait to re-visit the new kid in Toon again to sample some more delicious pizzas.

To read more about Restaurant Week please visit NE1 here or to read about last Summer's Restaurant Week please see my review here.