‘My last supper would be a charcuterie smorgasbord with every kind of meat, and sauces to dip them in’ – Kelis
*we were invited to the press launch of El Nido kitchen. Our food and drinks were complimentary*
As you’ll know I have a long and successful obsession relationship with No28 on Nelson Street. It being one of my favourite bars for FNDs (Friday Night Drinks) and more recently their bottomless prosecco brunches.
One of the good things about this quirky little sanctuary above the Grainger market is that they like to switch things up so it’s never boring! Back when they first launched bottomless prosecco it came accompanied with Thai Tapas. Then they paired up with Meat Stack in the Grainger market and offered gourmet burgers. Now they’ve introduced El Nido Latin kitchen (partnered with Mediterranean restaurant Kaltur) which includes Charcuterie Boards, small hot plates and tacos.
I took Emma along with me to the launch night having both been there only 48 hours previously tucking into their bottomless prosecco and charcuterie board so already knew we were in for a treat. Highlight of the menu for me had to be the calamari which for something so simple, so many places seem to still manage to get wrong. The batter was perfectly crispy (greasy batter is a pet hate of mine) and the squid nice a tender, I mean, there’s nothing more infuriating than biting into a piece of calamari and the whole squid slides out from between the batter. Literally, nothing worse.
The charcuterie boards are packed to the rafters with smoked meats, cheese (including Manchego which is one of my faves) along with other tit bits like gherkins, crusty bread and pickled onions. Oh and did I mention they have churros for dessert? Where’s the drool emoji when you need one?!
One the the things I love about No28 is that they always seem to get the balance right between keeping certain things the same so that the vibe of the place is ever constant but know what to change and when to keep things fresh and attract new custom. I think the new menu will be perfect for fueling up and quenching your thirst in a quiet chilled out environment on an afternoon shopping trip, or catching up with friends on a Friday after work.
After all, what could be better than prosecco, cheese and churros?!
No28, 27-29 Nelson St, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 5AN
