Sunday Lunch at The Bottle Shop Bar and Kitchen

Is there a better way to end the weekend than with a roast?  Especially if it involves heading into Newcastle to try somewhere new.  Last weekend we were invited to try Sunday lunch at the recently opened Bottle Shop Bar and Kitchen.

The Bottle Shop is somewhere we've been wanting to visit for a while, the craft beer hotspot has been high on my list ever since its opening last year.  The bar offers beers from around the world with 12 draft lines and more than 40 bottled beers.  If you prefer beer from somewhere a little closer to home local favourite Wylam Brewery is also served on tap.

If that wasn't enough to tempt you, the food at Bottle Shop Bar is also something to shout about.  Head Chef, Matthew Stephenson, sources local, seasonal produce to create a mouth watering menu that changes daily.  Hot roast sandwiches, pies, crumbles and treacle tart are just some of the treats that you can expect if you visit.

Stepping into the busy Bottle Shop on Sunday, we were glad to escape the pretty horrible Wintery conditions outside and were more than ready to make our way straight to the bar.  The blackboards showed off an extensive range of beers, the largest we've ever seen in Newcastle, and slightly overwhelming at first glance. 

Simon realised pretty quickly he'd never be able to reach a decision easily so asked the barman for help who recommended a bottle of Cloudwater, a modern Hopfen Weisse, based on Simon's love of Belgian Beer.

I'll admit I'm not a big fan of beer, but was happy to try a little sample of Omnipollo Raspberry Gose that the Bottle Shop currently have on tap.  I have to say it was deliciously fruity and went down a treat, the perfect beer for people like me who aren't too sure about beer.  We were really impressed with how friendly the bar staff were and how they offer little samples if you're not sure about your choices.  Brilliant!

Grabbing our drinks I was keen to have a little nose round.  The Bottle Shop has a great industrial feel to it with lots of wood and metal and an amazing graffiti quote from JRR Tolkien created by Sunderland based artist Frank Syles, spread across the back wall.

A range of events including pop up food, markets and live music are all being planned and next month a comedy night is set to take place.  On 2 March the Bottleshop's first comedy gig will see an impressive lineup of award-winning comedians.  Steve Bygeha will be headlining and bringing his Edinburgh Festival show to Newcastle.   The show starts at 7:30 pm and tickets cost £5 per person from here.

I particularly loved the little comfy area of Chesterfield sofa and armchairs perfect for chilling out with some beers.  Simon is already planning to take a few of his mates from Manchester out for some Bottleshop beers pre-wedding. 

We loved what we'd seen so far and were keen to get feasting on a roast.  The Sunday Lunch menu at Bottleshop is a great bargain with one course for £9, two for £14 or three for £17.  Keen to get to the main event we decided to skip starters and headed straight for the roast.

I chose the Rosemary Chicken Breast and Simon opted for the Roasted Sirloin of Beef.  Both lunches were served with all the trimmings - giant Yorkshire puddings, honey roasted parsnips, beetroot (an unexpected extra that we both loved!), beautifully crispy roast potatoes and plenty of veg.

I don't know about you but I like my roast completely covered in gravy and at the Bottle Shop they really do understand how important gravy is, serving it in a massive jug with the promise of more if we needed it.

I completely swamped my lunch in gravy and there was more than enough left for Simon.

Now, I hope you're all sitting down for this.  We couldn't manage dessert!  Crazy I know!  Our roast lunches were so filling we were completely stuffed and more than ready for a nap.  Ah well, a great excuse to return another time!

We both really enjoyed our lazy Sunday lunch at Bottle Shop Bar and have added it to our little list of special places to show off to visiting mates. 

So make sure you try the Bottle Shop next time you're heading into Toon for a roast.  I'd love to know any places you've enjoyed a roast lunch - where should we try next?