Ego on a plate

THE most striking thing as you enter Marco Pierre White’s restaurant, within Hotel Indigo in the heart of Newcastle, is the man himself. Giant images of the celebrity chef adorn practically every wall, so any doubts you may have had of being in the wrong place are quickly dispelled.

Part of a franchise, the venue joins a long line of ventures to which the chef has put his name. Dubbed the “enfant terrible” for his notorious temper, he is perhaps as famous for his exploits outside the kitchen as those within it, although he is both the first British chef to be awarded three Michelin stars and one of the youngest overall to receive them.

The presence of the photographs speaks volumes – this is a chef who seems especially fond of his own image – and it does feel a little odd to be eating his food under his piercing gaze. That said, the decor of the dining area is elegant and understated, which seems worthy of a chef of Pierre White’s calibre.

When we arrived at the restaurant, at 6pm, it was fairly empty, and we were courteously greeted and shown to our table. It seemed to take an inordinate amount of time to receive our drinks and the children’s menu we had requested, and, with two small, hungry girls with us, this didn’t get things off to the best of starts.

Matters improved with the arrival of an activity sheet apiece and colouring pencils – always a winner in the girls’ eyes, and they were delighted to have grown-up orange slices in their glasses of cordial.

Marco Pierre White’s is not really a family- friendly restaurant, but pitched more at an adult, fine dining clientele. We did, however, find the children’s menu perfectly adequate, comprising foods that most children would eat. A minor problem was that there were no prices, so we had to ask one of the waiters.

My husband, Paul, and I chose from a special, discounted menu, which seemed good value at £30 for two courses each and two glasses of sparkling wine. It was limited but varied, and side orders included creamed cabbage and bacon; and real chips in beef dripping (both £3.50). The only drawback was that there wasn’t a vegetarian main course, which wasn’t a problem for us, but certainly could be for other diners.

Celebrity chef Marco Pierre White

For starters, Paul and I both chose the tian of blue swimming crab and prawns with fennel and avocado, and, while it was attractively presented in a neat disc, we were both a little disappointed. There was just too much mayonnaise, so that it overpowered the delicate fish and gave a hint of sandwich spread. The crab and prawns would have been much nicer had they been simply – and more sparingly – dressed.

Paul’s main course was Moroccan-style lamb tagine and couscous with warm pitta salad which, again, looked inviting with a miniature tagine pot and copper container for the couscous. He found it tasty and wellexecuted, but lacking in quantity, and felt that, had it not been for the girls’ leftovers, he would still have been hungry.

My main course, of seared mackerel fillet, lightly curried mussel fricassee and crushed new potatoes was, for me, the highlight.

The fish was nicely-cooked with crispy skin and the delicate, creamy sauce was delicious.

When the girls’ meals arrived, it was clear that the children’s menu was designed for older offspring or those with very large appetites – at six and four, they could quite easily have shared. While they only made a dent in it, the food was delicious. The deep fried haddock was a chunky white steak in light batter and the home-made chicken nuggets were also very good. Both came with huge, satisfying chips.

The sort of food you can expect at the Steakhouse

Overall, we enjoyed the experience of Marco Pierre White’s. The food was better than average, but in keeping with what you might expect from a hotel, rather than a celebrity chef. With starters on the a la carte menu ranging from £6-10, and main courses from £15-20, the restaurant seemed a little overpriced for what it delivered. Perhaps on this occasion, Pierre White’s ego outstripped his food.