Giraffe Restaurant, Kingston Park, Newcastle Review
Giraffe Restaurant
Kingston Park, Newcastle
Reviewed by Anna Barker
Giraffe is a restaurant chain that is now owned by supermarket giant Tesco. The majority of their restaurants are in the South but they have been gradually introducing more in the North. The most recent restaurant opened in Newcastle upon Tyne last week (9th July 2014). We were keen to try it and delighted when we were asked to review a 3-course meal for 2, with drinks and coffee.
The restaurant is in a rather unpromising setting, being in a corner of the large Tesco store at Kingston Park. As it’s in the supermarket, there is plentiful parking. The Metro is also very nearby and there is a local bus service.
I must admit that I had doubts about the location but the restaurant has had a fantastic makeover and once inside, it was very difficult to tell that we were anywhere other than in a restaurant. The décor is well thought out and attractive, with a range of tables and booths.
We were met by our very friendly and helpful waiter (Samuel) and shown to a table straight away. He pointed out the drinks menu, suggested a few cocktails and left us to our choice. The Manager and other staff said a friendly hello as they passed but were not intrusive.
We had been offered either a bottle of house wine or a cocktail each. We decided on cocktails and were both delighted with our choice – a Berry Bellini for me and a Pina Colada for hubby. Both were excellent and I am looking forward to returning to try another.
We continued to peruse the menu whilst enjoying our cocktails and felt under no pressure to move on. The background music was relaxing, the sun was filtering in through the blinds and we were definitely not in a Tesco!
After the usual long wait for hubby to finally make up his mind, we decided on individual starters (rather than a shared plate) and a main course each. I’m a vegetarian and was pleasantly surprised to find a good variety of interesting vegetarian choices. In addition to the main menu, there were also some offers available and these choices looked equally good.
For starters, I went for the Mini Mezze (described as “falafels, tabbouleh, tzatziki, smoky roasted red pepper & currant relish”), whilst hubby (an omnivore) chose “Firecracker” Chicken Tenders (which are chicken pieces with “sesame crunch coating, Asian slaw, fresh lime & wasabi aioli”). My Mezze was great with a good variety of complimentary flavours. Hubby described his chicken as one of the best starters he’s ever had. I must admit that I tried his ‘slaw’ and it was very good.
For the main course, I chose the Farmers’ Market Burrito (soft tortilla filled with roast veggies, black beans, feta & herby rice topped with smoked cheddar, adobe sauce & tomato salsa with iceberg wedge & jalapenos salad in tequila-lime dressing). Hubby ordered a medium rare steak with salad. We also shared a side order of sweet potato fries. Both meals were delicious.
It is fair to say that at this point we were full. In fact, we should have walked away but, purely because we knew you were relying on us to review the puddings, we went the extra mile! I chose a Tiramisu Sundae and Hubby chose Banana Waffle Split. I wanted the cheesecake but sadly it isn’t vegetarian. We also chose an espresso and an Americano. I would have expected the coffee to arrive after the desserts but they actually came first. This is probably my only gripe with the service the entire night.
The staff were all lovely. They were clearly committed to making it a good dining experience and worked hard to make customers feel welcome. They knew their stuff and made helpful menu recommendations.
The restaurant, being new, is spotlessly clean but I was given the impression that it would be even after a few years. The toilets are also faultless.
We had a chat with the very helpful manager at the end of the meal and she was able to give us more information on the Giraffe ethos. The restaurants aim to be family friendly and have a specific children’s menu for children aged upto 12. This also includes an activity pack. The restaurant was well-equipped with highchairs and the flexible seating made it comfortable for families. The restaurant is fully accessible and would also be a good choice for those with limited mobility.
The meal would have cost £77 (including the optional service charge). This is a lot for a meal for 2. We calculated that if we had taken our 2 children (age 13 and 19) we could have easily spent £150. It was lovely food and a good atmosphere but it wasn’t a £77 meal. With these prices in mind, I’m not sure how ‘family friendly’ this restaurant chain really is.
We would be interested in going back however and would probably choose to do so using an offer. As loyal Tesco customers we have often used clubcard points towards eating out but were surprised to find that Giraffe are not part of the clubcard offer. Surely this is something that Tesco should be doing as a matter of urgency.
The other thing Tesco need to do is to consider their parking policy. As the restaurant is located at Tesco, we took the opportunity to do our weekly shopping first. I suspect many others will do the same. We shop quickly and didn’t take that long over our meal. Nevertheless, we were in the car park for 2 hours, 55 minutes. Tesco have a 3 hour limit for car parking and penalty charge notices are sent to those who overstay. We were anxious about this for the last part of our meal. Many families will take longer to shop and eat than us.
If you would like to see the location of Giraffe restaurants and the full menu, you can find it on their website at www.giraffe.net/classic Not every restaurant has all the choices but you can see the menu for the specific restaurant you wish to visit.
Conclusion: The Giraffe restaurant at Kingston Park is a well-designed welcoming restaurant. The staff are great and the food is lovely. We would recommend it but with concerns about the prices and the parking. For these 2 reasons, we would give it 4/5 stars.
Rating: 4/5
For more information, to view menus or to book a table visit www.giraffe.net/classic/location/newcastle.
Giraffe, Tesco Extra, Brunton Lane, Kingston Park, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE3 2FP
