My July Days

It feels like July arrived and left in the blink of an eye, which is pretty much how I feel about Summer in general right now. Is it just me or is time moving extra fast at the moment? It's been another very busy month for us and I'm sure it's only a matter of time before Simon blocks chunks of our diary out for "chill time", poor man just wants a day at home with his Xbox!

Here's what didn't make the blog in July:

A Taste of the Durham Heritage Coast

I found myself exploring a part of the North East I have never seen before this month. I parked my car at Noses Point in Seaham and had a very short amble along the Durham Heritage Coast. When I say short I really do mean it, I only got a few steps from my car but really couldn't believe what I saw. I have never heard anyone talk about this stretch of the North East coast before and it's so incredibly beautiful I'm baffled as to why! As you can imagine I'm now desperate to do a proper walk along the cliff to discover more of the coastline just as soon as I can find a spare slot in my diary. If anyone has done any walks along this stretch please do let me know.

Cinnamon Breakfast Dreams at Chaia

Is it just me that always has to head out for food if they have a cheeky day off work during the week? The temptation of available tables and no queues is always too much for me to resist. My latest discovery is Chaia, the teeniest (and definitely cutest) tea bar in Gosforth.  Lose leaf tea specialists, Chaia offers a great choice of teas or if that doesn't tickle your fancy their cake counter is a thing of beauty. As I was there first thing I decided to order some Cinnamon Toast for breakfast followed by some cake to takeaway (just try leaving Chaia without cake in your hand, I tell you it's impossible!)

Katie's Last Sail Before the Veil

Being friends with someone as fabulous as Katie means that when you get invited on her hen weekend you're going to really do it in style. Ten lasses from the North East were let loose on the sun soaked streets of Puerto Banus for a sailor themed celebration to remember. It was my first ever visit to Marbella so I spent a lot of the time enjoying the most incredible people watching. It was hard not to get swept away with the whole place (I just about managed to resist the urge to buy myself a ridiculously expensive car and strut about in a bikini and heels!)

Nunnington Hall

Our National Trust adventures in Yorkshire continued this month with a visit to Nunnington Hall. Just over an hour and a half drive from Newcastle, it's close to the beautiful little town of Helmsley and just south of the North Yorkshire Moors, so a great spot for a day trip. We loved exploring the organic walled garden, the collection of miniature rooms inside the Hall and the tea room has to be the fanciest National Trust restaurant we've ever been to - it's sit down table service and the food is delicious! I think our favourite part of Nunnington however had to the peacocks that roamed around the grounds, I was desperately hoping they'd give us a full feather display and although they left us disappointed it's definitely given us a reason to go back.

Canal View Dining at Rendezvous Skipton

I love a spot of people watching while I'm enjoying my dinner and the canal views at The Renezvous Hotel in Skipton have to be some of the best. We spent ages watching a couple try and turn their narrowboat round and when they finally did it the entire restaurant cheered them! I have to say this has to be one of the prettiest dining rooms I've ever seen in a hotel and Im so glad we discovered this lovely spot thanks to a cheeky little break to Yorkshire with the myhotelbreak "Hotel Break for Two" deal - £99.00 for a bottle of wine, dinner, bed and breakfast!

KJO got Wed!

Writing this blog has been the most incredible experience but hands down the most wonderful part has been the friends that I have made along the way. When I first met "Katie Jane Online" at a blogging event four years ago I never could have predicted what great friends Katie and I would become or that all these years later I'd be a guest at her special day. It was one of the best weddings I have ever been to full of so much love and laughter - highlights included the incredible North East Singing Waiters who had everyone up on their chairs dancing, the amazing Zen dazzling us with their 80s tunes, incredible food from Ramside Hall, a Cheese Tower cake from Northumberland Cheese Company and my husband's one man mission to try and pinch a bottle of red wine from all of the other tables. I wish all Saturday nights were like this!

For more adventures from New Girl in Toon make sure you follow me on Instagram, I post a new photo every day and you'll find videos from my favourite North East adventures on my highlights.

A Day Trip to The Holy Island of Lindisfarne

There will be a fair few people who will be shouting "I told you!" as they are reading this and in all honesty I can understand why. So many friends have been telling me for years to visit The Holy Island of Lindisfarne yet for some reason I've been ignoring them.

If I'm being brutally honest, the reason we had never made the day trip to Holy Island before was that I thought that there wouldn't be much on the island to occupy us for the day. When you ask people to explain why they love it so much you tend to get told about the castle and the priory, and I was always left thinking "and ...?" - I just wasn't sure that was enough to tempt us over.

But this year, having spent every Summer ignoring all the pleas for us to visit Lindisfarne, we decided to give it a go, and we discovered something very different to what I had imagined! Here's how to plan a day trip to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne and why, when everyone is telling you that you must visit, you probably should!

Travelling to Lindisfarne

Lindisfarne is a tidal island just off the coast of Northumberland located between Bamburgh and Berwick on Tweed, accessed by a causeway the road to the island is effected by the tide meaning that twice a day it is impossible to access the island as the access road gets completely submerged in water. The tide times vary wildly from day to day and sometimes the crossing times would make it impossible to give yourself enough time to really enjoy a proper day trip. Checking the crossing times issued by Northumberland County Council before you travel is essential, a trip is best enjoyed when you can travel over early enough in the morning to get a good start and travel back in the late afternoon or early evening before it gets dark.

Our day trip was planned with military precision with the crossing times set for 10:00 in the morning and a return by time of 18:30 and, with a sunny day on the forecast, it seemed like the perfect time to finally tick Holy Island off the North East adventure list.

The drive up to the causeway was beautiful, choosing to take the scenic route via our favourite villages in Northumberland, the car journey was a real treat and in no time at all we were on the road across to the island, giggling like children at the thought of driving on the special road. No matter your age there is something very magical about journeying over the sea to Holy Island.

The main car park of the island was easy to find and located just off the causeway, costing £5.00 for the whole day. If you are making the trip my number one tip has to be to ensure that you have cash for the car park with you, we didn't so our experience started with us frantically dashing about trying to find some change.

Pilgrims Coffee

On the whole the foodie scene on Lindisfarne isn't much to write home about. The island is screaming for a destination restaurant and the food trucks that we saw dotted around the tourist hotspots did make me feel a little sad. There is, however, one place that is well worth a visit when you day trip to Holy Island in fact it was so good we visited twice in one day.

Pilgrims Coffee hasn't been on the island that long but they have already established themselves as one of the best spots in Northumberland to get a cup of coffee. With their beans ground in a yurt next to the coffee shop, their lattes are absolutely incredible and I would happily drive over to the island just for another sip of their coffee - that's how great it is.

At peak times Pilgrims Coffee gets very busy with pretty long queues at the counter but if you happen to visit on a beautiful sunny day like we did it's worth knowing that there's a decent size outside area to sit in or, alternatively, there are a fair few tables spread across the three floors of the building.

We had told ourselves we were just going to stop for a drink but as soon as I saw the treats at the counter I couldn't resist getting some food to share and on our morning visit we wolfed down a slab of coffee cake which was followed by a delicious almond scone in the afternoon.

I'm pretty sure it's impossible to go to Holy Island and not enjoy multiple trips to Pilgrims Coffee.

Lindisfarne Priory

Lindisfarne Priory is one of the most spectacular sights on Holy Island and really is a beautiful place to explore. Owned by English Heritage and the original home to the Lindisfarne Gospels, the site has the most incredible history.  From the Monks who lived on Holy Island to the Viking invasions - there are plenty of stories to be told.

Although the Priory is in ruins, the rooms of the Priory can still easily be identified and it's so impressive how much of the building stands today. The rainbow arch is one of the most incredible features of the Priory and amazingly has survived despite the tower above it collapsing over 200 years ago.

Of course some of us (and we definitely fall into this category) prefer mooching about over historical tours and we really loved wandering round beautiful old buildings, appreciating all of the intricate carvings, exquisite brickwork and admiring the spectacular scenery.

Simon and I would never claim to be history buffs and we spent the majority of our time just ambling round the Priory capturing its beauty on camera, it really is the photographers dream.

Lindisfarne Mead

You can't go to Holy Island without trying some of their famous Lindisfarne Mead! Fermented from honey, the Mead is unique to the island and apparently 200,000 visitors from around the world flock to Lindisfarne to try the Mead every year.

St Aidens Winery is the home of Lindisfarne Mead and their showroom is the perfect place to pick up a bottle or two along with souvenirs or, if you're feeling a little cheeky, there are free samples on the counter allowing you a taste without having to buy a bottle to try at home.

The Wilds of Lindisfarne

It's impossible to explore Lindisfarne without ending up with slightly dramatic "wildling" style hair. The North East is pretty well known for its strong winds and the breeze on Holy Island is no exception, a short stroll along the beaches will send your hair crazy within moments but I promise you wont actually care because when it comes to pretty views and wildlife spotting you'll struggle to find anywhere as beautiful.

When we first arrived on the island we'd been worried that there would be crowds of people everywhere that we went but somehow everyone seemed to disburse as we wandered around and there were moments when we were left completely on our own surrounded by miles and miles of incredible Northumbrian scenery. I guess that's just the magic of the island, there can be a load of visitors in a day yet it feels like it's just you there.

If wild flowers, bird watching and seal spotting are your thing then you are in for a real treat when you visit Holy Island. Although Simon can be somewhat of a reluctant adventurer once he gets out he loves nothing more than seeing wildlife and there as an abundance of creatures on Lindisfarne.

We spent ages watching the birds while we munched on our sandwiches, they are so tame on Holy Island that they sit at your feet, making the cutest little faces in the hope you'll drop a crumb or two for them.

The absolute highlight of the day though was spotting some seals just off the shore. I've never seen Simon move across the sand so fast in his mission to get a better look. They were just little heads bobbing in the distance and made us realise, yet again, that we really need to invest in some binoculars and a decent lens for the camera - we were really struggling to get a decent look.

My favourite spot of the day was St Cuthberts Island, a tiny remote island a stones throw from Lindisfarne. At low tide you can make the short walk across the beach to the island for brilliant views across the coast and a great vantage point for seal spotting.

If, like us, you appreciate a great view the short climb up to the Lookout Tower is a must - it offers a great 360 view of the island and coastline. The scenery from the hill that it sits on is also very special.

Lindisfarne Castle

The other big tourist attraction on the island is Lindisfarne Castle, a 16th century castle perched high on a hill it's a real focal point of the island and is a must visit if you are spending the day on Holy Island. Owned by National Trust the walk to the castle is alongside the pretty harbour of the island and the walk alone makes the castle worth a visit.

The Castle is currently without most of its furnishings offering visitors the opportunity to explore the empty rooms as well as the "Now You See Me" exhibition.

As National Trust members we were happy to dart in and take a quick look round but both agreed we'd much rather return and explore the Castle properly when it's full again. With admission priced at £9.00 I personally think if you don't have National Trust membership it's probably worth waiting until the castle is back to its full glory before you visit.

We both really loved our first visit to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne and haven't stopped discussing what a great day we had since our return. We were completely surprised by how easily we filled an entire day there and we're both keen to return as soon as we can to discover more of the magic on the island.

Every time I think I've seen all of the beauty that Northumberland has to offer we visit somewhere new and I lose my head all over again! How lucky we are!

What you need to know

• Lindisfarne is a tidal island so it is very important to check for the safe crossing times before going to the island. Tide times change dramatically day by day so please check here before you travel
• Opening times of attractions and shops can be dependent on tide times so please check before you visit.
• Lindisfarne Priory is run by English Heritage and costs £7.20 for adults and £4.30 for children
• Lindisfarne Castle is run by National Trust and costs £9.00 for adults and £4.50 for children

Our visit to Lindisfarne Priory was complimentary with our English Heritage Press Passes however they had no involvement with this feature. 

The Best Street Food in Newcastle! Sunday Afternoon at HWKRMRKT, By the River Brew Co

This is an Advertisement feature with Lola Jeans and HWKRMRKT

Nothing screams the arrival of Summer more than a long hot afternoon spent sitting by the Tyne at the HWKRMRKT, Newcastle's biggest and best street food market at By The River Brew Co. Ask me what my perfect Sunday afternoon looks like and this is it - scranning my way round my favourite vendors, enjoying time with my friends and appreciating those stunning city views. There really is no better place to be.

Last Summer we found ourselves more than a little obsessed with By The River Brew Co - indulging in too much food (street food markets are the best kind of excuse if you want to eat ridiculous amounts of food in one sitting), taking endless photographs of the the beautiful containers and river views and beating the crowds to bag a table in the sunshine.

So when Lola Jeans, one of my favourite places in Newcastle to grab a burger, invited me down to HWKRMRKT for a catch up and delicious street food I was hardly going to say no was I? So here we are, a few lbs heavier but very excited to bring you a look at a couple of my new discoveries from the current food scene at By The River Brew Co - Summer has never looked so good!

Cheese Sir

You'll need to be quick if you want to visit Cheese Sir at HWKRMRKT, they are one of this month's guests so wont be at By The River Brew Co for long. Serving up raclette cheese from their container, you can expect thick gooey cheese smothered on to a variety of delicious dishes - perfect for an indulgent feast in the sunshine.

I am an absolute cheese fiend, so you may be surprised to learn that I've never actually tried raclette cheese before (I know, where on earth have I been?!)  If, like me, you're a bit new to the whole thing let me introduce you to something that will blow your mind. Raclette is a Swiss creation and involves a huge round block of cheese that is melted and then scraped off the block onto your plate.  It is absolutely genius.

I went for the Slice Sir - a Toasted Bloomer with Chutney, Rocket and Serrano Ham drowned in thick melted cheese with a little side helping of corn chips. Part of the fun of Cheese Sir is watching your dish being created in front of you, I've never known food to tease and taunt me so much before my lunch. It's beautiful to watch and most definitely worth the wait.

Cakes Contour

If there's one vendor on the block that I've heard people talk about above all others it has to be Cakes Contour. Everywhere I go I hear tales of their incredible sweet treats and elaborate cakes. Self-taught cake decorators, these guys serve up brownies, blondies, cupcakes and tray bakes from their ridiculously cute container at HWKRMRKT and as permanent residents you'll be able to visit them every weekend during the Summer for your cake fix.

Their counter is filled every weekend with the most incredible looking cakes that change regularly (you're best following them on Instagram if you want to see what they have on counter) and if you have a sweet tooth like me they are definitely worth a visit next time you're at By The River Brew Co.

I went for one of their famous Rocky Roads, unique because they fill them with some of my favourite chocolate bars. The Twix, Rolo and Milk Chocolate Rocky Road is heavenly and the perfect end to your street food experience.  As a huge dessert fan I am so glad that Cakes Contour are at HWKRMRKT, as the other vendors offer predominantly savoury food and, I don't know about you, but I have to have a sugar hit after any meal.

With so many great street food vendors at HWKRMRKT I have barely scratched the surface. I'm still yet to try my first ever Dabbalwal (I know, where have I been?), need to experience a proper Parmo at Parmorama and I have seen some amazing looking food being served by Acropolis that has my name on it.

So the diary is out, I've worked out how many weekends are left in the Summer and I think with a bit of work and dedication I can make my way round to see everyone before the dark nights arrive! Challenge accepted!

I'd love to know who your favourite food vendors are at HWKRMRKT, what should I be trying next?

What you need to know

• The HWKRMRKT is open weekends from Spring to Late Autumn
• The market is open on Fridays from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm, Saturdays 12:00 pm to 11:00 pm and Sundays 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm
• Payment is made in tokens which are available to buy at the market. Any unused tokens can be changed back to cash when you leave, or save them for your next visit!

Find HWKRMRKT at:

By The River Brew Co
Hillgate Quay
Gateshead
NE8 2BH

bytheriverbrew.co/

This post was written in collaboration with Lola Jeans who organised an event for local bloggers to experience an afternoon at the HWKRMRKT.  All food and drinks were complimentary in exchange for an honest review.

Bike Riding and Cycle Hire at National Trust Wallington, Northumberland

As we're all friends here I'm not afraid to tell you that as I write this I'm nursing a bit of a sore bottom that's making sitting at my desk a little uncomfortable! This morning we decided to try out the cycle hire scheme at National Trust Wallington and after a couple of hours of bike riding, we're both feeling a little saddle sore.

I've been wanting to try the cycle hire at Wallington ever since I first saw it advertised last Summer. As we don't have bikes of our own and definitely wouldn't have the confidence to peddle out on the roads we thought it would be a great way to reintroduce ourselves to cycling in a safe environment. What I didn't realise was what hard work it would be and what fun we would have. I decided I just had to share our experience with you - if you want to get back into cycling or just fancy going on an adventure by bike you really must give this a go.

The cycle hire at Wallington is part of a National Trust partnership with British Cycling and HSBC UK, offering great value, affordable bike hire to visitors wanting to get out on two wheels.  There are currently only three National Trust properties that offer the cycle scheme so we are incredibly lucky that Wallington is one of them.

You'll find the Cycle Hire Hut at Wallington along a path just off the carpark on the left hand side as you drive in. Easy to miss, especially if like us you never usually access the site that way. If you're unsure just ask where to find the bike hire as you drive into the carpark and you'll be pointed in the right direction. Make sure you leave yourself plenty of time as pre-booking isn't available and the cycle hut can get busy.

We turned up around 30 minutes after opening and it was already fairly busy with a small queue of families forming wanting to hire bikes. When it was our turn we had to fill in a short form and we were then matched to our bikes. The first one I was given was a little too big for me so it was easily swapped out for a smaller frame and once I'd given it a quick test drive I was confident I'd be able to handle it around the Estate. Next we were fitted with our helmets and once we were ready we were off on our great adventure.

The Dragon Cycle Trail at Wallington begins at the far end of the main carpark and is around 3 miles, the blue trail is the main trail, however there is also a shorter green trail which is ideal for families with smaller children.  The two hour bike hire time is more than enough to complete the entire trail and still have more than enough time to stop to admire the scenery and have a picnic.  We're pretty unfit and still managed to finish the trail with 30 minutes to spare despite stopping regularly to rest and take photographs.

The majority of the Dragon Cycle Trail is only accessible by bike, making it a pretty special way to explore Wallington and experience a side of the estate that you won't have seen before. The terrain and scenery changes pretty frequently so one moment you can be cycling on a nice flat path and then next you'll be racing down hill through the delicious smells of the pine woods. It's a real treat for the senses.

The route is definitely not without its challenges as Simon and I discovered when we reached the Broomhouse Farm part of the trail and suddenly found ourselves cycling up what felt like a never ending hill in the middle of a sheep field.  We were surrounded by the cutest lambs on either side of the path so it was a beautiful route but wow did it work out our legs. Being a complete kid I absolutely loved cycling straight through all the sheep poo on the path, but be warned it does get a little messy.

Unfortunately as hard as I peddled I couldn't quite make it to the top of the hill in one go, if you're not a super fit cyclist you probably will need to walk your bike up a few hills. Don't worry though, we saw plenty of others doing it, in fact there was only one guy that I saw that managed to do the whole of that hill in one go.

Of course, what goes up must also come down and to give your legs a lovely rest there are some really fun big hills down that are brilliant if you want to feel the wind in your hair and forget all your troubles.  Luckily there's plenty of warning before they come up because a couple of them are very big hills (I did worry I might end up in a bush at the bottom at one point!)

As we're not regular cyclists (it had actually been a good couple of years since we'd last been on a bike) we definitely found it tough on the ol' legs and sore on the privates but there are plenty of places you can stop and rest if you fancy a break. There are some absolutely beautiful views across Northumberland at various points along the trail which are ideal for stopping or if you want to cool off the pine woods would be a great place to take a breather. There are also plenty of gates that have to be opened and closed throughout the trail which although a little bit of a pain at times, definitely acts as a welcome rest after some of the more strenuous parts of the route.

As with any great adventure that we both love Simon has completely run off with the idea now and has decided that we should buy our own bikes and take up cycling. I absolutely love that our little trip to Wallington has left him so passionate about wanting to start a new hobby and I think the cycle hire probably leaves a lasting impression on most people that partake.

We had the most incredible morning and it was one of the most enjoyable experiences we've ever had in Northumberland - if you're wanting a great adventure in the outdoors with the family I highly recommend giving it a go .. just be prepared to not be able to walk the following day!

 What you need to know:

• Cycle hire at Wallington is available every day during Spring and Summer between 10:00 - 16:00 (last hire is available at 15:00)
• Bikes are hired out for 2 hours with the first bike costing £4.00 and any additional bikes £3.00 each
• Trailers or Tagalongs are also available and cost £1.00 to hire
• Balance Bikes and Helmet Hire are both free
• For more details about the cycle route check see here

Find Wallington at:

Cambo
Near Morpeth
Northumberland
NE61 4AR

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wallington

Steak and Seafood at Spanish City, Whitley Bay - A Review of 1910 Restaurant

This is an advertisement feature with Spanish City

Although Spanish City has only been open for a year, it's hard to imagine the seafront of Whitley Bay without it. The beautiful dome has become one of our favourite places to visit and we have spent the last twelve months slowly working our way round all of the restaurants. We've had afternoon tea, enjoyed fish suppers and indulged in a few gins at the bar, but there was just one place we had left to visit - 1910, the Steak and Seafood restaurant that we have been saving for a special occasion.

We've always seen 1910 as the fanciest restaurant in Spanish City and, despite having spent far too long carefully studying the menu over the last year and planning what we'd order, we still hadn't made a plan. I think we all know that often when you leave something for a special occasion, that occasion never actually arrives, so this month we decided enough was enough! Why not celebrate the new look Spanish City's first birthday with an indulgent evening of steak and seafood - it was the perfect excuse to finally book ourselves a table at 1910.

You'll find 1910 on the top floor of Spanish City with the best sea views in Whitley Bay, the perfect spot for a romantic date, Simon and I settled ourselves down on a table for two. We had managed to bag ourselves the best seats in the house (top tip, ask for the table by the window at the far end, it has the best sea views). After discovering that dolphins had been spotted close to the shore earlier in the week we spent a while just gazing out the window looking for wildlife. Trying to get Simon's attention back on me, I got the response "I look at you every day, when do I ever get to see a dolphin" - romance eh?

1910 promises creative steak and seafood dishes created using the best ingredients with outstanding service and with the menu prices on the higher end we were definitely expecting a pretty special evening. If there's one thing I really dislike it's menu prices not accurately reflecting the quality of food or service.

Our experience began with one of the best bread baskets I have ever had. Three homemade rolls including the most incredible Caramelised Onion (it was so delicious I noticed a bloke on the table next to us having a good smell of it before he tucked in!), served with a big wedge of butter and a heavenly beef dripping that I will be dreaming about for many days to come.

As a huge fan of bread it took all of my willpower to say "no thanks" when our waiter asked us if we'd like any more, I desperately wanted another of those beautiful rolls but as we'd decided to have a full three course meal it would have been a bit stupid to stuff ourselves silly on the bread.  I loved the added touch of being offered more, when you're treating yourself to a fancy meal it's nice to feel well looked after and we were off to a great start.

As 1910 is a Steak and Seafood restaurant I decided I wanted to try out both so went for a fish starter - the Grilled Queenie Scallops (£12.50) were served in Almond and Garlic Butter with Gruyere Cheese and a Fine Herb Crumb.

Can you believe that I had never tried scallops before? I guess for your first time a seafood restaurant with incredible coastal views is the very best place to try them. Served on a beautiful platter in shells they looked so good and tasted even better. I will definitely be ordering some more fish courses on our next visit.

For the main event I had to go for a steak, you can't truly judge a steak restaurant without ordering one and believe me I'm very critical when it comes to how my steak is served, this was going to be the greatest test.  1910 have three different cuts available on the menu - Sirloin 250g, Ribeye 300g and Fillet 200g, all aged for a minimum of 36 days.

I opted for the Fillet (£34.00) which came served with Bernaise alongside French Fries, Slow Roasted Tomato, Portobello Mushroom, Onion and Pancetta Compote and Water Cress.  There was an option to opt for a different sauce for an additional £3.00 and there were a variety of sides available at £3.50 each including Mixed House Salad, Steamed Greens and Maple Glazed Root Vegetables. I was a little disappointed there wasn't a Mac n Cheese option because it is my absolute favourite side when I'm enjoying steak.

I've recently introduced Simon to ordering his steak rare (he used to always be a "medium" kinda guy) so he decided to order exactly the same as me which is a good job because he would have been gutted if he'd missed out on this. Our steaks were superb - perfectly cooked, they were pink, so tender and packed with flavour. We were also particularly smitten with the french fries which were thinly cut, perfectly seasoned and not at all oily.

Hands down one of the very best steaks we have ever had, we both cleared our plates and I noticed that we weren't the only people in the restaurant praising our meals, the table next to ours were commenting how great their food had been. Nothing beats a restaurant of very happy diners.

We were full, very full! But when the dessert menu appeared, we couldn't say no. Simon went for the Fresh Cherry and Vanilla Meringue (£8.00) served with Cherry Sorbet. I have to admit that usually a meringue dish wouldn't get me very excited but when Simon's beautiful presented meringue sphere appeared I did feel a little jealous - how incredible does it look!

As he cut into it I couldn't help but stare, it was filled with zingy colourful fruit and ice-cream and wow did it look good!

I had my eye on a dessert that wasn't in the ala carte menu, I had spotted the Cherry and Almond Tart on the early evening menu when we first arrived and had my heart set on trying it. Deciding that "shy bairns get nowt' I asked if I could order that instead and was over the moon when I was told it was no problem.  When a restaurant goes above and beyond to give you a great experience I immediately add it to my little list of very special places, I was so happy that they were so accommodating.  The tart was delicious - a very generous portion and the perfect sweet treat, it was a great way to end our meal.

We were completely blown away by our first experience of 1910 at Spanish City. The setting was stunning, the service was first class and the food was spot on. As we waddled our way back to the car we actually discussed if we had any criticisms at all that we could share on my review and neither of us could think of a single thing.

It was one of the best dining experiences we have had, I wouldn't hesitate to go back and even though it is a little on the pricey side I honestly feel like our incredible evening justified the price tag.

What you need to know:

• 1910 is open for dinner Thursday - Saturday 6:00 pm to late (last tables at 9:00 pm) and Sunday Lunch between 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm.
• If you're after a bargain, the early evening menu is available between 5:30 pm and 7:00 pm serving a set menu of 2 courses for £28.00 or three courses for £32.00
• If you're a dedicated foodie try out the 1910 Dining Club for amazing collaborations and experiences. Find out more here.

Find 1910 at:

Spanish City
Whitley Bay
NE26 1BG

0191 691 7090

spanishcity.co.uk/

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