Flippin' Nora I have sooooo many reviews to read!!! Kate x
Flippin' Nora I have sooooo many reviews to read!!! Kate x
Member since:17.07.2006
Reviews:148
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PANIS CAFÉ
One of Newcastle’s Best Kept Secrets So Don’t be Telling Everyone you Meet!!!!
Down an old cobbled back lane in Newcastle, halfway down the hill to the Tyne, in spitting distance of the famous Theatre Royal, and overlooked by Lord Grey Himself, is a tiny piece of Sardinia, in the shape of Panis Café.
It is a bit of a secret, and people who go there don’t usually talk too much about it, for fear of the place being overrun. I’ve been a regular there since it opened 10 years ago and if I take you there, it’s because you’re special, and I trust you will love it as much as I do. Panis Café is run by an Italian family, and it is THE Italian place to eat in Newcastle. They serve real Italian food, made with character and style, presented beautifully by real Italians in a place that brims with multi-lingual chatter and talk.
Walking through the doors and down the steps to the bar, where you wait to be seated, and it’s just like being in Italy, and you feel sunny, and cheery, almost as though you have just stepped through a space portal, and really are in sunny Italy, smelling the thick, rich scent of coffee, and pancetta and sweet tomato and basilpasta sauce. You breathe it
in, and it fills your senses like nothing else on earth.
The décor here is unusual, with pale blue and turquoise swirls adowning curved, almost carved walls. It’s like being underground in a beautiful sculptural cave, but well lit, light, and airy, and always full of smiling faces. There is a laid back feeling here, where it is not unusual for the party sitting at the table next to you to lean over and inquire about the dish you’ve just been served, making mental notes to remember to try that next time they come.
The tables are small, usually sitting four, but any number of people can be accommodated, and I have been at birthday or Christmas parties where there have been 20 of us, and it has seemed to be no trouble to Panis to seat us. It is wise, however, if you are in a large party, to call ahead to book, as it is a place which is always incredibly busy, and standing watching other people eat fabulous food can be a bit of a drag if you’re starving and have to wait!
I go regularly to Panis and almost every time I’m there I have something different so I am well versed with their menu. That said, it never gets boring. The food is just so divine I would gladly camp out there just to be able to eat there every day! Last Saturday, my partner and I went out for lunch after a very eventful morning with banks and such. We were greeted warmly in Italian and seated immediately, despite the fact that the busy dinner time rush was only just waning, and within 3 minutes we had drinks and a daytime menu. Panis offers a daytime and an evening menu, as well as a specials board, a wine board and a sweet menu.
For our starter, we decided to share a garlic bread with cheese. This came quickly and we were glad as we were both quite hungary. The dish is made with ciabatta, quite thin and crispy, with garlic butter and mozzarella cheese. The flavours are wonderful, and there is not so much garlic as would burn your tongue, just enough to enjoy the flavour. Our main courses arrived about 5 minutes after we had finished, which gave us a little time to rest before the next course! I decided on Casereccie al salmone, which was a wonderful concoction of pasta with smoked salmon, prawns, garlic and fresh tomato, in a tarragon and white wine sauce. It was simply amazing, with such delicate flavouring, nothing overpowering anything else so that you could taste everything you ate individually, as well as enjoying the combination of garlic and tarragon, salmon and prawns. Derek decided on Panis classic Bolognese, which I tasted, and which was lovely too. A really rich tomato and garlic base to the beefBolognese sauce, very meaty, full of flavour, and served with penne pasta, not spaghetti (for the messier amongst us that is surely a blessing!) When your meal is served, you are offered fresh black pepper and parmesan cheese on your meal, and I always say yes to both as I love black pepper!
It didn’t take us long to demolish our meal, and while I went to the loo to freshen up, Derek ordered coffee and pudding for us both.
My coffee was a cappuccino, and gloriously rich, with a soft foamy top. I also really like the espresso, but not after a heavy meal – more for when I need a coffee rush and I’m in a hurry! Our puddings came, and we oohed and aahed before devouring them! I had my long time favourite, Torta Della Nonna (Grannie’s Tart!), which is shortcrust pastry filled with lemony flavoured cream and pine nuts and is gloriously heavenly! I had it with ice cream, and they decorate the plate with chocolate sauce in little whirls which looks lovely! Derek had Scioppino al Sorbet, which is a lemon sorbet made with fresh cream and vodka. It come in a long glass with a straw and is very alcoholic!
With our meal over and our plates cleared, we sat for at least half an hour finishing our drinks (and my coffee) and talking. There is never a sense that you must hurry up in this place, you take as much or as little time as you have to enjoy the food and the atmosphere and the talk, and no-one hovers over you or asks if you want the bill. It is so laid back it’s almost horizontal, and yet it manages to produce scuh amazing food every single time you go there. I have never had a bad food experience there and I’ve been going for 10 years. I think that really says it all!
So now you’re wondering how expenisive it is, after all, such good food, such good service must be got at a price? Well, no. Not really. Panis is really rather cheap, which kind of goes towards proving that the people who run Panis are there for the passion of the food, and not for the dollars. And that has to be good.
Let me give you a run down of our bill:
1 starter – garlic bread with cheese - £2.35 2 main courses – casereccie al salmon - £5.95 panis Bolognese - £4.95
2 puddings - torta della nonna - £2.95 (with ice cream – 95p) scioppino al Sorbet - £3.05
1 grande cappuchino - £1.75 1 dietcoke - £1.05 1 Italian lager - £2.35
Total spend: £23.60
Now I don’t think that’s too bad, for the amount of food we had, the quality and the service!
If you are thinking of visiting Panis, please enjoy yourself, and don’t tell too many people!!! Panis Café can be found at 61-65 High Bridge, Newcastle. Telephone: 0191 2324366 Visit their website at: www.paniscafe.com
Thank you for reading, happy visiting! Ciao, Kate x
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