Pitcher and Piano, 108 The Quayside

Nov 29 2009 by Zoe Burn, Sunday Sun

Telephone: 0191 2324110

MRS Eats insisted we get out of the house and do something other than our normal stroll before a meal.

It was so unlike her routine Sunday that at first I thought she was pulling my leg and it was only when she put on her coat and prised the TV remote from my grasp that I realised she was serious.

A trip in the Eatsmobile to Newcastle was what she had in mind, to get the Christmas shopping started.

I groaned inwardly as I envisaged hours traipsing through packed stores searching for presents for the extended Eats family.

Luckily within less than half an hour she was complaining her feet were sore and her belly rumbling. I breathed a sigh of relief, realising a hearty bit of Sunday scran was now on the cards.

Since it was a sunny day we strolled off in search of a table from which to survey the stunning scenery of the Toon.

And so we found ourselves at the Pitcher and Piano, looking out over the Tyne and its bridges.

With two cordoned-off dining sections in the bar there were plenty of tables to choose from and we were shown to our seats by a helpful waitress.

A smooth pint of bitter for me and a white wine for She Who Must Be Fed and we were ready to peruse the generous menu. I chose the smoked haddock fishcakes with chunky tartar sauce (£4.95), while Mrs Eats went for crispy potato skins with sour cream (£3.95). Fortunately service was quick so we could tuck right in.

The fishcakes were well-seasoned with a nice texture, accompanied by tasty tartar sauce and a fresh salad.

Mrs Eats said the potato skins were more like wedges, but they were crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, just the way she likes them, and the sour cream was an ample accompaniment.

For main course a Sunday roast was on the cards, and there was beef, chicken or lamb to choose from (£8.95). My portion of roast chicken was enormous – so huge I almost couldn’t finish it all. But even with a helping of tender roast carrots, parsnips and potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower, a fluffy Yorkshire and tasty gravy to polish off as well, I gave it my best shot.

Mrs Eats, meanwhile, plumped for the sun-dried tomato risotto with goat’s cheese (£7.95), which she said was well-cooked and flavoursome, with the tangy cheese and tomatoes working well with the creamy rice.

On to pudding. There were plenty of classic puds to tempt us so I decided on the blackberry and vanilla sponge with custard (£3.95). It wasn’t as light as I had hoped for after my roast, but it was good hearty winter fayre, with tart blackberry sauce surrounding a creamy sponge and swimming in delicious custard.

Mrs Eats’ banoffee cheesecake (£3.95) was a lighter dessert option, a perfect combination of sticky, sweet toffee and crunchy biscuit base which went down very well.

As the light faded over the river we waddled back to the Eatsmobile and reminisced on a top-notch bit of Sunday scran, with a great view to boot.