PedallingSquares — Restaurant in Gateshead

So this one hurts because I'd been so excited to visit, took the day off with my partner and drove for a nice coffee and lunch here on August 30th.

I'll start with the positives, because it really isn't all bad. Firstly, it's a lovely, quirky interior with bright pink walls and interesting cycling content to look at, from photos to jerseys hanging down. Secondly, the girl who served us, who had only been there a couple of weeks, was lovely, very friendly, smiley and chatty in the best way. Thirdly, and importantly, my tea was a really nice brew and my partner got a coffee (I don't drink coffee) which she stated was the best she's ever had.

If you're going for a coffee or tea only, then fill your boots, this is a great place to go for that. Great vibe, excellent drinks.

But this is where the positives stopped for me. The food was really, really bad. We ordered the French Toast Brooklyn style and a breakfast item meal of granary toast, bacon, eggs and hash browns.

We asked for poached eggs, which they didn't do. Scrambled or fried only. That's not the end of the world, but a surprise given it's a food serving place with a good reputation and their peers we've been to have all done so. But I digress...

The bacon was awful. The rind was huge, not cooked through and had been cooked on a dirty grill, which you could immediately taste in the bacon. Anyone who has ever had one from a match day burger van knows that taste. The granary bread was brown bread, not granary and not a good brown bread, it's the type you get really cheap in a corner store. The hash browns and eggs tasted the same as everything else due to the oil. To top it off, none of it was seasoned. Bland, boring and cheap tasting is not the experience I expected.

Now, the French toast. Classically cooked using brioche this was not. It was the same cheap, thin, brown bread. Awful. The bacon was the same, huge rind, cheap tasting, cooked on a dirty grill, and skimpy, two rashers total - probably fortunate in this case given it wasn't very nice. Thankfully there was a pot of maple syrup to mask a lot of it. The maple syrup was nice. This meal was presented well (albeit with only two rashers and the wrong kind of bread for the meal).

I was shocked, the place is renowned, the reviews good, but our experience was that the food was bad (french toast) and shocking (mixed breakfast). We were never asked how the food was and as such, didn't complain. We just left a lot of the mixed breakfast.

To top it off, the taste of the oil and dirty grill was too much for my partner who ended up vomitting as a result, though did so away from the toilets in the restaurant as the restaurant is nice inside and the drinks were good, and didn't want to distract anyone inside from that).

As I say, this hurts as I was so excited and took the day off to go. All my reviews are fair and honest and I'm writing my experience here.

The drinks were brilliant, I even managed to get a Bundaberg Ginger Beer which is a personal favourite, and it is nice inside, but this was a food trip where the food was miles below average, and that's what this represents.

Going for drinks? Go, definitely. You'll really enjoy it. Going for food?...

Lovely place, great food menu, nice coffee, friendly staff. Family run, many of whom I now call friends. Good variety of street food get togethers such as Parmos, Pizzas and Gyros to name a few, keep an eye on social media for what's next. The bottleshop is always well stocked with something for everyone, some pretty niche, difficult to get hold of stuff too. A sanctuary for weather weary cyclists and dog walkers, although everyone and anyone will be made welcome. I've often taken advantage of the welcoming atmosphere to just spend a little 'me time' with a coffee and a piece of cake. For the cycling orientated visitors there's plenty to keep you interested, with memorabilia dotted about, magazines and books available. A modest kit shop with some custom/unique pieces available, as well as the now famous Pedalling Squares cycling kit. Let's not forget the Brassworks Bicycle Co, a bike shop and workshop with a retro/vintage bias but the mechanics are well versed in everything that comes through the door. They've supplied numerous components/spares, offered expert advice and carried out in-depth servicing for myself and a number of my friends. In summary, well worth a visit and I'd recommend...

Only gave 4 stars instead of 5 not because of anything to do with quality of food but purely that the meal that my daughter ordered was supposed to have avocado in it but somehow it got forgotten. When mentioned it was corrected straight away and she was given small bowl of avocado on the side.both my son and I had american pancakes and they were wonderful, maple syrup given in small jug on side and no pinching on amount was definitely enough for all the pancakes on my plate. If you are into the biking scene you will love the decor, goes for the slightly scruffy look but very clean at same time. Would definitely recommend for anyone looking for an experience that little different but with...