Branches Restaurant — Restaurant in Newcastle upon Tyne

A beautiful setting does little to redeem an ultimately disappointing meal. I traveled 200 miles to visit an old friend who lives nearby, and based on high recommendations, I was excited to dine at this restaurant. Although the atmosphere was pleasant, the tables were scuffed, with marks showing through the white coating, which gave the space a scruffy appearance. A tablecloth might help remedy this.

Regarding the food, I was dissatisfied. To begin, when asked if we wanted water, the server did not clarify that a £5 charge applied to bottled water rather than tap water, which was off-putting.

We both selected the fixed-price menu. The soup, described as carrot and sweet potato, was enjoyable, although it appeared to contain butternut squash instead of sweet potato. This minor discrepancy was slightly disappointing but not a major issue. For the main course, I had the sea bass. The fish itself was well-prepared, although the fillet was small. In contrast, the accompanying vegetables were slimy, lacked flavour, and were scant, merely four thin slices, while the linguine portion was a bit much for me and unremarkable. I found myself eating only half of the linguine, feeling that the extra calories were wasted.

For dessert, we ordered the brownie, which looked promising with its attractive presentation alongside honeycomb and maraschino cherries. However, the brownie itself was underwhelming. It lacked a rich chocolate flavor, had a cake-like texture instead of the expected gooey, soft consistency, and was notably dry.

After the main course, when asked for feedback, I honestly expressed my disappointment with the meal. It appeared that further feedback was not desired, as no follow-up was offered after dessert.

Overall, I was left disappointed and a little upset. Despite the high expectations set by my friend’s glowing reviews, the food did not justify the cost. On the positive side, the venue was clean with a nice atmosphere and the staff were polite. However, based on my experience, I would not...

We came for the Prix Fixe lunch menu for 2. The bread was very warm, fluffy and fresh, served with a creamy butter and flavourful tarragon salt. For starters, we ordered a fishcake, and a tomato and mozzarella salad. The fishcake was pretty good, soft and flaky, and I particularly enjoyed the charred green vegetable that came with it. The salad was probably my favourite dish, with fresh tomato slices, soft mozzarella, crunchy croutons, tangy balsamic glaze and a very nice pesto too. There was a lot going on, but it was immaculately presented and the components worked very well together. The intermediate course was mushroom arancini with truffle mayonnaise, and I thoroughly enjoyed the crunchy, bite sized dish with the discernible flavour of truffle. For mains we ordered a spring green risotto and sea bass. The risotto was nice, but had a very large portion and was very creamy and filling. I though the cheese crisp and veggies added a nice touch. The sea bass was also pretty good, with a creamy sauce and mussels. For dessert we ordered the sticky toffee pudding and passionfruit gateau. The pudding was simple yet tasty: warming and of high quality, with the crunchy toffee and ice cream adding a nice touch. The gateau was very unique with exotic fruity flavours, consisting of an outer chocolate layer encasing a white chocolate mouse as well as a jelly and crumble. It was the most unique course of the day.

Overall, I was very impressed by the welcoming ambience, kind staff, and tasty dishes. For just under £30 pp, I felt like I got the full fine dining experience at a very reasonable price. Will be visiting again for...

This restaurant is absolutely stunning inside and out. They have taken pride in the appearance of the restaurant and the staff representing them.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by such a lovely team who showed us to our table. Our jaws dropped when we saw how beautifully decorated the restaurant was and all we could say was “wow!”. We were then greeted by our waitress Sophie. Sophie is by far the nicest, friendliest, most enthusiastic waitress I’ve ever met in my life! She’s SO happy all the time and always made us giggle! She’s a valuable asset to your restaurant and a representation of your business in every aspect. What a bundle of joy! Thank you for your amazing hospitality Sophie and your fantastic menu recommendations (especially those fries!).

The drinks were absolutely delicious, the food was so beautifully presented and tasted exquisite. The flavours were so aromatic and tasteful, the chefs are very talented and the menu choices are amazing!! The food came in a timely manner and did not disappoint. We were given some freebies as tasters in between our meals which were SO DELICIOUS and very much appreciated (lovely added touch of service). Sadly we filled up so much we couldn’t try dessert.

Overall, I couldn’t recommend this restaurant enough and I will definitely be going back when I’m next...