Find Out What We Thought of Iconic North East Restaurant, Six
We head to this renowned restaurant to try their six-course tasting menu
The cocktails we’ve ordered arrive promptly and set the tone for things to come – well-made, with balanced but interesting flavours, and making use of local produce (in this case, my Yorkshire Lady includes Dutch Barn vodka from Yorkshire as well as Aperol, honey syrup, lemon juice and Prosecco, while my partner’s Negroni is made with Thirlings gin from Wooler’s Ad Gefrin).
The main restaurant here is a large, glass-walled space dotted with greenery, where every table is angled to make the most of the incredible views. We’re here to try the restaurant’s tasting menu, for which there are both six- and nine-course options. Not to overface ourselves, we’ve gone for six, and it starts with a selection of artfully-presented canapés. There’s a light and airy chicken liver parfait, which for some reason has been made to look convincingly like a cherry; a gorgeously gooey mini cheese tart; and (our highlight) a little pastry cup filled with trout which has been cured in Tacnbora from Ad Gefrin and topped with trout roe. It’s an outstanding way to start.
We’ve chosen a bottle of crisp Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, and with a generous glass each, we take a moment to take in the view in front of us, watching people below us strolling up and down the quayside, ducking in and out of bars and restaurants – at the other end of the scale, a large running club plodding past along the wide riverside path.
Rather them than us: it’s time for our bread course, and following the canapés we’re expecting big things. A delicious Japanese milk loaf has been made with an ancient Emmer grain which is now grown in Northumberland, and it’s served with a seriously more-ish chicken skin butter with chicken salt and herbs.
Our final starter (if it is a starter) is a fresh-tasting dish of baked beetroot with a raw nut cream, dotted with pine oil, pine nuts and pine vinegar, and then we’re onto the mains course. Both my partner and I love venison, and Six’s is served perfectly pink and juicy, packed with flavour. Alongside the Scottish meat, we’ve got a mini suet pudding (stuffed with more venison), parsnip purée and brambles.
Dessert is (as all the best desserts are) a take on a sticky toffee pudding: a deliciously rich spiced cake which comes with pear, cream, butterscotch glaze and a buttermilk ice cream to cut through the sugar. After that, the petit fours are an unnecessary addition – but they’re rather special, even for those of us who prefer sweet to savoury. A blood orange and apricot pebble really does look like you could break your teeth on the stone, but is soft and delicious, and a pineapple jelly reminds us both of a giant fruit pastille. To finish, there’s a smooth chocolate bon bon made with Flýte whisky cream (again from Ad Gefrin).
It may have been some time since our last visit, but with clever and accomplished cooking, great service and an unbeatable location, we certainly won’t leave it as long before we’re back at Six again.
