Newcastle has never felt so good, with a new found love for outdoor cosmopolitan dining and drinking, the feel of the city awakening from the pandemic slumber is almost re-energised. With the arrival of the iconic Hard Rock Cafe to the city and outdoor venues such as Beach Box in Jesmond creating alternative dining and entertainment solutions, the city is on the up. This also includes the arrival of the INNSiDE by Melia with accompanying Gino D’acampo restaurant.
We headed for an evening of Italian food and to enjoy a night R&R at the new Quayside hotel. Arriving we were greeted by a huge Newcastle specific mural on the wall created by Lines Behind, which was a great touch, pulling out all of the city’s iconic places and events.
Innside by Melia Hotel in Newcastle
Check-in was swift and simple and we headed up to our room which was spacious and clean. The vibe of the hotel is modern and minimal. The robes and slippers, of course, were a nice touch.
The bathroom was open plan to the bedroom, so if you’re visiting with somebody you’re not too comfortable with then please be aware of this set-up. For us, it was fine, however appreciate it isn’t for anybody.
The bed was super comfy and after over a year and a half of sleeping in the same bed, it was refreshing to sleep in a bed somebody else had made.
Breakfast the following morning after our stay was fantastic, the buffet-style was a full continental selection which included fried breakfasts, pastries and fruits.
Gino D’acampo Restaurant
We have heard mixed reviews about the restaurant attached to the hotel, however didn’t let this cloud our judgement, given how much we thoroughly enjoy MPW inside Hotel Indigo.
The menu is expansive and contains everything you’d expect from a traditional Italian restaurant and then some. Including a speciality section, steak and grills too.
We started the evening with an aperitif and then for starters selected the Parma Ham Bruschetta with spicy ‘nduja, honey and pistachio nuts (£7.95) and the Arancini which were stuffed with creamy taleggio cheese and peas, tomato and red pepper sauce (£8.50). Our starters were flavoursome, however, we weren’t blown away with them so were really hoping that our mains would impress.
For our main course, we selected the King Prawn Risotto with asparagus, pea, leek and pecorino cheese (£14.50) and the Marinated & Grilled Chicken pizza (£13.95). The risotto was tasty, however slightly disappointing that there were only 3 prawns. The pizza was supposed to be served with fresh basil, however, it was extremely wilted from cooking which took away some of the flavour.
To be totally honest, the meal thus far had been totally average and not the celebrity dining experience we were expecting, we had high hopes like Hai Cenato, the (now closed) Jason Atherton pizza restaurant in London.
Surely dessert could save the meal? We opted for traditional Tiramisu, the ultimate Italian dessert (£6.95) and the Chocolate Fondant stuffed with chocolate truffles and vanilla ice cream (£6.95), again the desserts were enjoyable, however, the entire meal seemed to lack the spark that we truly hoped it would have.
All in all our stay at the INNSiDE by Melia was comfortable and in a great central location, however, if you’re looking for a really great Italian for a special meal in the city, I’m afraid this wouldn’t be our top recommendation.
Have you stayed at INNSiDE by Melia or dined at the Gina D’acampo restaurant? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below. As always, if you have found this article of any value we would love for you to ‘Pin It’ on Pinterest and share with your friends and family across social media and beyond!
