On Monday I visited Saltwater Fish Company as part of Newcastle’s Restaurant Week (you can read all about it here) so when it came to celebrating my best friend’s birthday we thought we’d try somewhere we’d not been before. As it was her birthday I left the decision in her hands. So we decided upon Turtle Bay. I booked the table for 18:30 online which was simple and efficient and she came to collect me.
I might not have mentioned but I’ve been extremely poorly this week. I never get sick but I’ve had a constant headache, fever, sickness and the rest, stomach ache, kidney ache and a gravelly throat to make even the deepest of singers envious, this coupled with coughing and a runny nose.
If I was back in my school days l I would have certainly not being going out so I could have stayed off for the rest of the week. Here I am working from home – well actually I’m writing this on the train as I’m heading to Liverpool for three weeks.
Why we don’t recommend Turtle Bay for Newcastle Restaurant Week
Turtle Bay
Back to Turtle Bay, I spent the afternoon relaxing and getting ready – getting ready I mean playing with my Urban Decay goodies on my eyes. I had already looked at the menu and was really not excited. I mean I’m well travelled and I love trying all different foods but curried goat wasn’t rocking it with me. Anyways we were celebrating her birthday so I was in the anything goes mood.
I was picked up and we headed to The Gate in the city centre. If you’re not from Newcastle and heading here for a weekend the Gate is a great place for the likes of the big chains such as your Nando’s, TGI Fridays, Pizza Hut, it is even home to a casino and cinema. Turtle Bay is situated right next door to The Gate so we quick walked to avoid the rain.
Cantina Vibes
We entered and taken to our table passing through the hoards of people at the bar, I was pleasantly surprised, the decor was very Jamaican and it reminded me of a cantina, the lights were low and the fairy lights around posts twinkled. The music was very fiesta and we certainly did feel like we were at a party.
As Katie opened her birthday presents and we chatted as I uploaded an Instagram Story (eventually after having to buy more phone memory!) the waitress headed over to take our drinks orders. The 2-4-1 cocktail menu was still in full swing so I opted for a Zombie…or two.
Restaurant Week Blunder
I asked the waitress about the Restaurant Week menu, to which her response was ‘we’re not advertising it so don’t have print outs but I can show you what’s on the menu’ – I did find this bizarre as for years the restaurants of Newcastle really market and monopolise on Restaurant Week. Never the less we selected our starter and main course from the menu – I didn’t go with the goat. I have a goat phobia but we can save that story for a rainy day when I’ve got writer’s block!
I chose the sweetcorn fritters followed by the curried fish. Katie opted for the flatbread then the 1/2 jerk chicken. As we sipped our drinks, laughed and joked we noticed that the large restaurant was particularly busy for a Wednesday evening. We waited about 15 minutes for our starter which we totally didn’t mind as we chatted away and talked scandal.
Our starters arrived, mine in a white metal dish, Katie’s on a wooden board. As we tucked in we both looked up at each other and reached for our drinks. Our mouthes were on fire. Both of our starters were on fire, we never even put the spicy dip on! My sweetcorn fritters were average at best, the texture was like pakoras but the spice was unbearable and let me tell you I’m a HOT kind of spice girl at Nando’s. Katie throughly enjoyed her starter although she did think it was super spicy.
After our starters were cleared I requested another Zombie to which the waitress took my drink, walked into a huddle of 3 or 4 other staff members as they whispered between them before a completely different staff member came to ask me what the drink actually was.
Poor Service
My drink arrived and Katie looked at me in disbelief, she had totally been ignored for another drink, however she did spot a limeade on another table which she decided she wanted and once it arrived she said it was extremely refreshing especially considering her mouth was on fire.
25 minutes passed and eventually our main courses arrived. Mine came in a fantastic clear glass pot on a wooden serving plank and Katie’s jerk chicken came with spicy chips. It looked quite tasty.
Turtle Bay Dishes
As I began tucking into my fish curry the coconut was soothing on my tongue and it was extremely tasty for the first half a dozen mouthfuls and then it became pretty sickly. Katie’s chicken was so spicy she couldn’t eat the skin however she did comment that the meat was tasty and moist and she thoroughly enjoyed her chicken. At no point did anybody come across to check our food was satisfactory at all.
We didn’t fancy the puddings on the three course set menu for £15 so once we had finished we asked for the bill, which was swiftly presented to us (although there was some confusion over this) we paid and left. Upon leaving I instantly felt incredibly sick and dizzy, I’m not saying this was my food at all, I have been horrendously poorly but I 100% know I shan’t be returning for another meal at Turtle Bay again.
I really had wanted to enjoy it, and I really had wanted to write a fantastic review about how amazing it was however the food and the service were really not up to standard and the most enjoyable part of my night was the company.
