A Mini Break to…Newcastle! Jesmond Dene House Hotel

 

Newcastle has always been close to my heart. It’s a good Northern city and quite apart from its evidently crackin’ nightlife, it has a huge amount of awesome sights to see. Be it pottering around Newcastle Castle, boating along the Tyne or even tunnelling underground in the Victoria Tunnel museum, Newcastle has all the makings of a top notch mini break city. 

I was staying at the Jesmond Dene House, just outside of Newcastle city centre, a grade II listed house just voted one of the best city boutique hotels in the UK by the Good Hotel Guide 2015. The Jesmond Dene is a tranquil stretch of woodland valley, filled with lush greenery and a dear little river winding through it. It’s hard to believe how close this is to the bustling city (literally a 5 minute drive); you feel like you’re out in the middle of the countryside. It makes for the most perfect walk (and if you keep your eyes open apparently you can even spot kingfishers and red squirrels) and Jesmond Dene House crowns it, looking out over the valley.

The hotel itself is beautiful; architecturally grand, filled with original wood carvings and decorated with quirky art and sculptures. When we arrived afternoon teas were just being served in the lounges and there was an atmosphere of calm bustle in the air. Surrounding the hotel are moderately sized gardens which lead down into the valley itself. The bedrooms are plush and contemporary with great attention to detail – tinkling classical music was left playing to welcome you in and both the Jing tea/ fresh ground coffee selection and bathroom products were of a great quality. I felt utterly calm here. I don’t know if it was the walk through Jesmond Dene that did it or the long bubble bath in our room’s huge tub but within 4 hours of arriving here I was one relaxed girl. 

The highlight though of my stay has to be the food and drink offerings. This apparently is a huge focus for Jesmond House. Their modern British restaurant has had 3 AA Rosettes since September 2009 and is overseen by Head Chef Michael Penaluna. In the evening they offer an a la carte or tasting menu option, complete with wine pairings. There’s a big emphasis on locality; all the suppliers are listed in the menu and most are from the immediate area.

 

After sprucing myself up with a pair of heels and a dress, I headed down to their dining room excited and ready to eat. The room itself is elegant and contemporary, with an adjoining lounge and bar area with antique fireplace and comfy sofas for pre and post dinner drinks. After a quick glass of champagne in the lounge, we headed through and chose the 10 course tasting menu (£75) with accompanying wine flight (£45). 

 

The menu proper opened with a tasting plate of succulent Lindisfarne Bloody Mary oysters, truffled egg with duck fat soldiers and oak smoked bacon, maple mayonnaise and apple sticks. The truffled egg was one of my favourite dishes of the evening – but then again, I’m a real sucker for truffle. Other highlights included an achingly fresh chilled broth of heritage carrots over Northumberland goat’s cheese. I also adored a dish of pork, langoustine, smoked bacon, blood sausage and apple. Both the langoustine and the pork were juicy to an extreme and tasted utterly and deliciously of themselves. The menu wasn’t flawless – I found the hot and sour ‘gel’ on the side of crab wontons and shitake overly sharp and their toffee popcorn panna cotta was overset – but it was undeniably good and incredibly enjoyable. The staff were a credit to the food too; just the right blend of attentive, friendly and efficient. They even treated me to a visit to the kitchens where I met the chefs and toured the various sections!

Originally we had been planning to sample the famous Newcastle nightlife after dinner but after so much food, all that I wanted was to sink into the depths of Jesmond’s cosy double bed. And so, it was immensely satisfied and with more than a slight wobble that we retired and enjoyed one of the most peaceful sleeps I’ve had in a while. Waking up and spreading the curtains to look over the Jesmond Dene sure beats my London view over a building site too.  

Whenever I plan mini-breaks, the breakfast is incredibly important. Nothing puts me in a worse mood than a disappointing one, and nothing in a better one than a great one. Luckily, Jesmond Dene House’s offering proved as pleasing as dinner. They have a continental spread and a hot menu. Normally I find the prospect of continental tremendously dull – what sane person would choose muesli over a fry up! – but this was something else; a whole side of home smoked salmon and gravlax, as well as an entire honey comb. The latter was especially poignant for me – I haven’t had real honeycomb since I was a child back in Yorkshire! The hot menu was similarly exciting, featuring a number of dishes that go well beyond your standard fry up. Examples include Neil Robson’s Craster smoked kipper with seaweed butter, shallot and parsley salad, porridge with whisky and stewed fruits and the full spread of poached egg and hollandaise dishes: Benedict, Florentine and Montreal! I tried their haggis and poached duck egg dish with salsa verde. Simply put, this was just delicious. Rich from the meaty haggis and duck egg yolk, sharp with caper and lemon and fresh with herbs – I adored it. 

 

Staying at Jesmond Dene House Hotel: Rooms cost from £120 per night and various packages are available, e.g. the Foodie Special (3 course dinner & breakfast included) for £200, the Shop Until You Drop (breakfast plus shopping vouchers in the room!) for £180 or the Romantic Retreat (12 red roses and Pol Roger champagne in the room, dinner and breakfast) for £310.

 

http://www.jesmonddenehouse.co.uk/
 Jesmond Dene Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 2EY
0191 212 3000