Big Stevie Cool turned 35 this week and we decided to have a pretty chilled out day with no real plans. The kids were at school and the weather was slightly overcast but very warm with temperatures hitting the mid twenties. We headed into Newcastle mid-morning and had a lovely day just walking around and basically doing not much.
We walked down to Newcastle Quayside first of all to take advantage of the lovely weather. There are FREE deckchairs and buckets and spades here and it is a nice spot to watch the world go by or catch 30 winks. Sometimes doing nothing is the best! We caught the Millennium Bridge opening up too.
I have visited the Redhouse on numerous occasions but Steve has never been with me so we decided to rectify this. Keen to avoid the smell and noise of the hundreds of birds around the Tyne bridge, we opted to sit inside rather than on the terrace. We managed to grab a table booth and the views were fab.
As it was a Monday, we ordered their Pie & a Pint deal for £8.99. You can choose any pie, any mash, any type of peas, any liquor plus any soft drink, house wine or a selected pint. Bargain! I always order the same as it's lush - Minted Lamb Pie, Cheddar Mash, Minted Garden Peas and Red Wine Jus. Steve went for the Gammon, Chicken & Leek Pie, Confit Garlic Mash (OMG amazing - I'm ordering this next time), Mushy Peas and Meat Liquor. The music was right up Steve's street (Creedence Clearwater Revival & David Bowie were favourites) and I think as birthdays go, he was pretty much in heaven.
I did want to head to Violets which is just around the corner to the Redhouse but silly me didn't check the website and they are closed on Mondays. So instead we climbed the Quayside hill (which seemed a lot harder than normal when it was 25 degrees!) and headed to Vicolo which had been recommended by both Katie Jane Online and New Girl in Toon. Vicolo is a little bar joined onto the side of the Tyneside cinema. It's small but perfectly formed. All of the outdoor tables were taken when we ordered but we quickly nabbed one when someone left. So if it's busy, don't be put off visiting. Tables free up quickly.
The staff are super friendly and the coffee and cakes are lovely - we went for a Double Espresso and Sicilian Lemonade with a Pistachio & Strawberry Eclair plus the most delicious Cherry & Almond Fancier. The perfect cakes to celebrate with.
We ended our day at home - the clouds disappeared and it was a gorgeous sunny evening, perfect for a spot of tapas and sangria in the garden.
That sounds like a perfect birthday! I really want to try the cake at Vicolo, the eclairs look so good!
ReplyDeleteYou must try one Chloe xx
DeleteI really need to go to the Redhouse as it's dog friendly and I'm sure Holly would love the pie even more than me!! Seaside Quayside doesn't like doggies which is sad because it means I can't go to Rileys as when I'm down there I've literally always got that beagle with me!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness - we need a doggy date there!
DeletePerfect day! It's my birthday on Saturday and I'm off to the gusto and the races with my pals. And a nice lie in as the kids are away with my parents. July birthdays rock!!
ReplyDeleteOh hope you had a lovely day Cat xx
DeleteIt sounds like Steve had a lovely Birthday. I've noticed there's been more birds than usual at the Tyne bridge recently. I wonder what's caused that? Vicolo is a fab place isn't it?
ReplyDeleteKatie x
The birds do my head in Katie!
DeleteThat sounds so wonderful, I'm glad you had such a lovely day x
ReplyDeleteThanks Katie - it was nice and chilled xx
Delete