My favourite thing about Christmas is how everyone has their own way of enjoying the festive buildup. I love hearing about other people's traditions! My favourite part of December has to be getting all dressed up to go out for a nice meal with my other half or friends, treating ourselves to three courses and a good range of drinks.
Finding somewhere which is affordable but special to dine at during the Christmas period can be tricky. Miller and Carter Newcastle have a fantastic 3 course festive menu for £29.99 including a glass of fizz and we had such a nice meal there last year, we chose to dine there for the second year in a row. It's safe to say we will be back next year as it was epic, yet again!
Miller and Carter Newcastle: the atmosphere
I love the building which houses Miller and Carter on Collingwood Street. It has two floors and I would recommend sitting upstairs on the mezanine level for lovely views over the rest of the restaurant. The windows are so nice and it actually started snowing whilst we were dining so we had such lovely, festive views whilst feeling nice and cosy inside.
There is a nice bar on the right as you enter and we were invited to have a drink here as we were early. The cocktail menu is good and there are a number on offer for £4.95 daily before 7pm. This includes the mojito and french martini (one of my faves)!
We were given a buzzer to let us know when our table was available and the wait was no more than ten minutes. It was lovely and festive with a tree and pretty fairy lights. It was slightly cold in the restaurant, or maybe it's because I was being a typical Northener with my bare legs in December...
The Miller and Carter Festive Menu
The menu has so many nice choices, so it was really hard to decide. I usually pick what I am having before I even get to the restaurant but this time I decided to wait as I knew it would all be good! I think everyone gets a bit bored of the usual prawn cocktail and turkey dinner at this time of year and this menu is a welcome change from that, but still has some classics like soup and turkey if you prefer to stick with tradition.
The Starters
It was easy for me to choose my starter as my partner doesn't like mushrooms so I will take them whenever I can get them! This starter was as delicious as it sounds: plenty of bread, cheesy garlicky sauce and loads of fresh mushrooms. I had to really concentrate to stop gobbling this up to fast in an attempt to be ladylike... it was perfectly moreish so this was a challenge.
My other half had the 'Cluck and Duck' starter and it looked so amazing I couldn't help sneaking a couple of tasters. Wow! I think if this is on the menu again next time I might just have to go for it. The BBQ sauce was just perfect. They aren't as messy as you might expect wings to be so don't be put off, all you need is your lippie in your bag and you're sorted.
The Miller and Carter Steak Experience
Although I toyed with the turkey as it sounded so beautifully presented, I had to get one of Miller and Carter's famous steaks. I was not disappointed. It was just SO good as you can tell from the picture below! I love how you get so many different sides with it to keep it interesting and unique. Restaurants can be hit and miss at Christmas but the food is absolutely top notch here even when it's really busy.
We both paid £4 to upgrade to sirloin, which I would recommend. The fries were plentiful and delicious and the onion loaf makes a lovely accompaniment. Don't worry about getting any extra sides, you will struggle to finish it all!
Desserts
This was the only part of the meal which was slightly disappointing, but I am being picky as the desserts were still nice. We got the chocolate torte and caramel biscuit cheesecake to share as pictured below.
The cheesecake was nice and light but it didn't taste freshly made so I'd perhaps skip this dessert next time. The torte was better so I'd probably pick this next time. To be fair by this point I was a few glasses of 'secco down as our waitress was so good at asking us for more drinks orders. I even thought we'd already ordered dessert when we hadn't so I was definitely getting into the festivities!
After dinner Cocktails
We were so pleased to see the gorgeous cocktail we had last year was back on the menu. The 'after eight thirty' is a delicious blend of creme de menthe and Baileys and the result is a creamy, minty, festive treat. I absolutely love this and will definitely call into the bar for one of these at some point again over the festive season. It is on the main cocktail menu so can be ordered all year round.
We also tried the festive special espresso martini with orange oil and it was very nice. It had such a strong coffee taste and there was plenty of it: sometimes I find an espresso martini is too small. I could easily have stayed here all night having more cocktails. Not once were we made to feel rushed or that they needed the table back even though we dined at 4.30 and didn't leave until after 6.30.
The Miller and Carter Service
Our waitress was lovely and really explained the menu to us when we asked for help. All the staff seemed happy, friendly and helpful despite being so busy.
Hopefully this gives you a taster of how lovely Miller and Carter is. I cannot wait to go back and I think it is seriously my top restaurant in Newcastle at the moment. It seems to get that balance between affordable and luxury just right which isn't always easy.
Highly recommended if you are in the city, you can click here to check availability and book.
Cheers to Christmas traditions, I will definitely be dining here every year!
 |
