I wish I had had the fish and chips
WHEN it comes to food at the coast, fish and chips is a usually the sensible choice.
However, for me it is getting a bit nippy for a stroll along the seafront and al fresco chips, so on this windswept November Sunday we headed indoors.
We had gone to South Shields to get some sea air and headed up the hill to the Harbour Lights.
It is worth the drive or walk up for the a terrific view out to sea. If you bagged a seat by the window it would make a splendid place to while away an afternoon. Unfortunately the dining area is at the back of the pub so no such luck. The view of the back yard did not quite match up. The pub had quite a few drinkers in but when we arrived we were the o n l y Car park..................... Kids allowed...................... Real ale..................................... Wine by the bottle........................ Credit cards..................................... Vegetarian food............................. Disabled toilets............................. ones in the dining area. I hoped this was not a bad sign. Three others groups did come in while we were there but it was notexactly doing a roaring trade. For a starter I ordered the cod strips with tartar sauce. Mrs E skipped a starter with dessert in mind. The fish tasted rubbery while the tartar dip was so thick the strips could not really be dipped effectively. Not a great start. For mains there was were seven options, with sausage, quorn sausage and mince and dumplings on offer as well as the traditional roast meats. I had the chicken breast while Mrs E went for the beef. After a disappointing starter I am afraid to say I had some issues with the main too. The chicken breast seemed and tasted like it was processed while some of the vegetables were not the most appetising.
The broccoli and parsnip were hard and it lacked freshness.
The huge Yorkshire pudding, on the other hand, was good while Mrs E had no complaints about the beef.
Hoping for better we ploughed on and ordered a raspberry pavlova and apple and blackberry crumble with custard. Finally, we had a successful course.
The pavlova was great with gooey meringue on top of ice cream and cream. The fruity crumble was a hit too.
This was not a pub catering for droves of hungry diners - and unless something changes I doubt it will be soon.
The staff were pleasant, the views were nice but I am afraid the food just was not up to it.
Going out for a meal should be an upgrade, or at least on a par, on what could be cooked at home - and this was no better than a home-cooked meal.
Next time I think I will brave the cold and get fish and chips.