An Alpine identity crisis!
WHO better than Michael ‘Eddie the Eagle’ Edwards, a former Winter Olympian and cult hero, to open a ski-themed restaurant?
Or to look at the decision a different way, who worse than a former alpine athlete remembered for spectacular mediocrity to open a ski-themed restaurant?
Back in June, new winter-themed spot Antler presumably – and understandably – focused more on the first question than the second when it opened in the 55 Degrees North complex, located in the middle of Newcatle’s Swan House roundabout.
What used to be the bar area of Asian restaurant Fat Buddha – probably the biggest success story food wise at the site – has been transformed inside and out. The owners have certainly invested to make Antler look the part.
Outside comes complete with stuffed reindeer, conifer trees and ski-lift gondolas while the interior also impresses, with leather chairs, a fireplace and light wood creating a warm and relaxing vibe.
As soon as we sat down, however, we got our first hint that Antler has something of an identity crisis. Right next to us, in the middle of a section seemingly for dining, was a pool table. Over our shoulders were TVs with football on.
Fair enough, ski lodges might well have pool tables and televisions but it seems like this restaurant also wants to be both a casual drinking spot and a sports bar.
WHAT DID YOU GET TO DRINK?
If you do visit Antler, you’re not going to be short of options. The bar has a very solid selection of spirits and cocktails – including a few ski-themed ones.
Two pints of Moretti were £7.50, which isn’t bad value given the fact that it’s right in the middle of Newcastle.
The bar also has a huge Krusovice beer tank on display. We were told it cost £5.50 per pint as it was after 7pm but “only” £5 before that point – though this was far from the only perplexing thing about our visit.
WHAT WAS THE FOOD LIKE?
The menu largely sticks to the Austrian, Germany and Swiss theme, with a few exceptions like pizza, pumpkin tortellini and halloumi salad.
In terms of the food itself, we opted to forgo the starter options and, as intriguing as the sharing platters served on snowboards (yes, snowboards) sounded, we each decided to get individual main courses and share sides.
Two of my colleagues plumped for currywurst (£9.50), which constituted
two grilled sausages with chips, garnish and currywurst ketchup. While they were pleasantly surprised to receive two meaty sausages each, all four of us were disappointed by the paltry amount of sauce, which slalomed over the meat as if it was in short supply.
There were also problems with the hunter-style Jagerschnitzel (£12). While the chicken was well cooked, my colleague disputed the description of the mushroom sauce – the menu called it creamy, while he called it “a grey liquid.”
I ordered a chicken schnitzel burger (yes, perhaps not the most authentic way to eat schnitzel but it was on the menu at £10.95), and while the meat was pounded thin and had a crisp crumb, the chicken was a bit on the dry side.
In any case, the biggest compliment that came out of the main courses was the chips were genuinely very good – though that’s probably not the main thing you want from a fairly pricey main.
In terms of sides, the bratkartoffeln (£4) – pan-fried potatoes with onion and bacon bits – was wonderful as the potatoes were soft inside while retaining a degree of crispness. The chicken katsu fries (£4) were a mixed bag, with all the component parts coming together nicely at first but as soon as the sauce cooled even a little, it regressed into a brown sludge.
WHAT’S FOR DESSERT?
While there was a degree of disappointment about the main courses, one thing you do have to acknowledge is that Antler puts a lot of food on the plate, so much so that between four of us, we could only manage one dessert.
The list of Germanic-inspired dessert options is tempting and as a group, we tested out the traditional Viennese apple strudel (£6), which came with a dollop of cream.
The taste of apple and cinnamon came through nicely but there was the nagging feeling you could get something of similar quality at a supermarket.
ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD?
The service was very good, with the food coming out fast and the gent who looked after our table was extremely apologetic when he had to tell one of the group the restaurant had run out of mac and cheese.
But when the bill arrived at £76.95, we were all in agreement it didn’t feel like good value for money considering the quality of the mains.
Make no mistake, the surroundings are very comfortable in Antler and if you do want to relax with a drink, it’s not a bad place to go.
If you want food, the fare is more like expensive bar snacks than a proper restaurant experience.
Just like Eddie the Eagle, Antler has tried something different and it looks pretty cool – but, judging by this visit, the food is not going to win any prizes.