A Proper Geordie Lunch at Hinnies, Whitley Bay

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Knowing how much I love Whitley Bay I'm constantly being asked for recommendations of where to eat in my favourite seaside town. It really has become the greatest food destination in the North East over the last couple of years and now if you were ask me to choose between eating in the Toon or dining on the North Tyneside coast I would choose Whitley Bay every single time. One place I recommend time and time again is Hinnies, the home of Geordie comfort food and seaside views.

If you're a proud North Eastener like me and love locally inspired dishes prepared using really great quality ingredients there really is no better dining spot on the coast. Popping in for lunch on a beautiful sunny Saturday I was thrilled to find the restaurant completely full! If you're planning a visit I'd book a table, Hinnies is popular and there's nothing worse than having to wait for a table when you are hungry.

People who take their planning very seriously (like me!) might like to know that the table by the window is the best if you love indulging in a spot of people watching and are partial to a sea view, although in all honesty Hinnies is so beautifully decked out with recycled furniture and fittings that every table is in a beautiful setting - the whole place is just so welcoming and cosy.

If you're looking for a great quality meal at the coast but without the hefty price tag Hinnies really is quite a find. The food is beautiful without being pretentious and the setting is very relaxed - offering that very rare balance of cosy comfort and quality food without making you broke. Their set lunch menu (served Tuesday to Saturday) offers two courses for £13.00 or three for £16.00 and their set dinner (Tuesday to Friday until 7:00 pm) costs only £16.00 for 2 courses, or £19.00 for three. So the menu is only ever individually priced weekday nights after 7:00 pm or Saturday nights.

We opted for a two course lunch for £13.00 an absolute steal and a fantastic way to justify ordering dessert because, if you think about it, it's actually kind of free!

The menu at Hinnies is a great size and stuffed full of the kind of comfort food that has you going "oooooh" and then changing your mind at least four times before changing it again last minute just as you're about to give your order. I struggled to make a choice but in the end opted for a Geordie classic, Pan Haggerty.

If you're keen to fully embrace the Geordie inspired dishes at Hinnies then the Pan Haggerty is a great place to start. If you're not too familiar with food from the North East then Pan Haggerty is a traditional Northumbrian dish made up of potatoes, onion and cheese usually cooked in a dish and served up as a side or sometimes as breakfast.  Hinnies' version comes with seasonal greens, mustard cream and a poached hens egg.

If you're all about the Geordie comfort food then there are plenty of other North East inspired dishes on the Hinnies menu including a variety of North Sea fish, Northumberland ham terrine and Singin Hinnies with jam and cream.

My friend had the Fish and Chips which is pretty much a requirement if you're going to be dining at the beach (why do they taste so much better by the sea?) which came with mushy peas and tarter sauce. With plenty of places in Whitley Bay to enjoy the traditional British seaside dish you are a little spoilt for choice but Hinnies is definitely up there with the best.

After all that any sensible person would have probably said "no thanks" to dessert but with a fantastic choice on the menu we couldn't resist un-popping some buttons whilst eagerly ordering our second course.

There was a clear winner for me, Lemon and Ginger Cheesecake - one of my favourite flavour combinations and believe me when it's packed into a beautiful baked cheesecake it's quite a treat. The portion was so generous and despite feeling very full I polished the whole lot off, it was just too lovely to resist.

My dining buddy opted for Pear Frangipane Tart which came with vanilla ice cream and dark chocolate sauce. It had been my second choice dessert so I was happy that I got to see how it looked - I couldn't quite bring myself to be rude enough to swipe a bit but let's just say I'll definitely be ordering this one on my next visit, it looked incredible.

As you can imagine, by the time we had finished dessert we were well and truly stuffed and when we were offered coffees to finish our meal we both agreed we couldn't eat another bite and that it would probably be quite sensible to head outside for a nice refreshing walk in the sea air. The beauty of Hinnies is that not only is the food incredible but you have miles of stunning seaside to walk along afterwards and there's nothing quite like a brisk walk in the fresh sea air after lunch.

Hinnies is easily one of my favourite restaurants in the North East and I can't wait to return to try some more of the menu soon!

Find Hinnies at:

10 East Parade
Whitley Bay
NE26 1AP

We were treated to a complimentary meal in exchange for this honest review.