Family Dining at Fratello's, Jesmond - A review

It's Heidi's birthday this week so when we were invited along to Fratello's in Jesmond to celebrate of course we said yes. Italian food is Heidi's absolute favourite and she was really looking forward to a special trip out after school. I will start by saying that I normally avoid Jesmond like the plague as I am scared of parking there - I can never seem to find a parking space!! Luckily, customers of Fratello's can use the complimentary parking at the Holiday Inn which is set back just off to coast road and joined onto the restaurant. Phew! You just need to inform reception that you're there and it's all good.

Fratello's is warm and inviting with some of the friendliest staff we have met. They couldn't do enough for us and we were looked after very well. They started with the essentials - colouring sheets and crayons for the kids. 

As much as I would have loved to order a three course extraveganza, it's pretty well documented now that I am counting my calories. I was momentarily tempted by shallow fried mozzarella to start (yum!) but stayed strong. I even declined the complimentary home-baked bread for our table. We headed straight for mains and I was pleased to see you could order a half portion of stonebaked pizza (the dough is made in house) with a side salad and opted for that where as Steve ordered a portion of Arrabiatta Pasta and he couldn't resist some sweet potato fries too. 

Our food was delicious - Steve's pasta sauce deserves a special mention. You can definitely tell the pasta sauce is homemade and he immediately regretted declining the bread to mop up the extra sauce. Although my pizza was a half portion it was still very satisfying, especially when paired with a side salad which was nicely dressed. I am slowly learning that you can choose lighter options when dining out and still have a very nice evening.

The Children's Menu

The children's menu is £6.50 for two courses and I am pleased to see they offered more than the usual chicken nuggets/sausages and chips. Jack went for his own pizza, Heidi decided on Penne Napoli and Harry ordered his favourite Pasta and Meatballs. The portions were huge, flavoursome and the same care had gone into preparing these dishes as the adult dishes which I am always pleased to see.

Child's pasta and meatballs

Heidi couldn't wait to devour her pasta dish

Steve and I resisted dessert (well, I ordered coffee but that's allowed) but the kids ordered ice cream which was included in their meal deal. The scoops were huge and Heidi was delighted there were a few hidden raspberries in hers too. 

We were highly impressed with Fratello's. I can see it as the sort of place I would visit on the way to/from Newcastle or as a lovely venue for a nice family get together or special meal where you don't want the hassle of driving into the city centre. Our food was fresh, flavoursome and authentic and as a family we were made to feel very welcome. 

Make sure you follow Fratello's on Facebook to keep up to date with offers and events. 

We were provided with a complimentary meal in return for an honest review.  Thank you to the staff who looked after us - we will be back soon.