SEAFOOD, steak and strawberries – just some of the treats in store for romantic diners at the North East’s top restaurants.
Venues from the coast to the Tyne Valley will lay their normal menus to one side on Wednesday 14 February as they compete to woo customers.
And they are turning to tradition with dishes such as steak, strawberries and chocolate once again leading the way.
The Sandpiper, Cullercoats, is keeping it simple with a set menu of two 8oz sirloin steaks, chips, watercress salad, peppercorn sauce and a bottle of house wine for £25.
While The Runhead Bar and Grill, Ryton, is offering loved-up couples the chance to enjoy a three course meal for £20 per person, with a free gin and tonic on arrival.
Diners can opt for starters such as calamari with lemon mayonnaise, chicken Caesar salad or deep-fried mozzarella, followed by either rump steak, pan-fried seabass, goat’s cheese pizza, crayfish linguine or chicken breast in Parma ham.
For dessert, they can opt for sharing portions of Eton mess, cookie dough sundae or chocolate calzone.
Chocolate also features on the Valentine’s Day menu at Scalini’s, Gosforth, Newcastle, where starters of scallops, bruschetta or ham hock terrine, mains of baked cod loin, rump steak or tabbouleh are followed a trio of chocolate desserts.
Warm chocolate fondant with salted butter caramel sauce will sit alongside white chocolate panna cotta with lemon, mint and olive oil and strawberries with chocolate macarons and cherry jam.
The venues are all owned by the Malhotra Group plc. For further information, or to make a reservation at The Runhead, call 0191 413 9517 or visitwww.therunhead.co.uk. For The Sandpiper call 0191 253 5050 or visit www.thesandpiperbar.co.uk and for Scalini’s Gosforth visitwww.scalinisrestaurant.co.uk or call 0191 226 8855.