A short 40-minute drive from Luxe HQ, myself and my dinner date pull up at Whitley Bay’s seafront. A little early for our reservation, we take a stroll along the beach, taking in the coastal views and admiring the bravery of the wild sea swimmers heading into the ocean on a cold winter evening.
A short while later, we head into the iconic Spanish City building where we are greeted by the ever-so-friendly waitress who sits us down with a selection of menus to choose from.
The elegant ambience of the room is made up of large windows, high ceilings, traditional features and a modern, contemporary decor, all of which is complemented by the talented pianist, adding a hint of class and sophistication to the dining experience.
When it comes to drinks, the menu is packed with fine wines, beers, spirits and a selection of soft drinks to choose from. There’s something for everyone when it comes to sipping in style at Trenchers this winter.
Our pre-dinner drinks arrive in the form of an Earl Grey Tea (£2.20) and a cold refreshing glass of water – nothing too flashy, but perfect for those thirst quenching moments.
As our starters are served, we move onto wine, and it’s a bottle of the Pulpo Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand (£27.95) that seals the deal for us – light, zippy and a wonderful sip to accompany with any seafood dish.
I kick things off with the Calamari (£8.50), a delicious portion of crispy soy and chilli squid served with a red onion and coriander salad on a bed of tangy chilli jam. A beautiful dish packed with a variety of textures and flavours.
My dinner date opts for the wholetail Whitby scampi (£6.95) served with a generous portion of tartare sauce, baby leaf salad and a perfectly placed lemon wedge. So simple – yet so tasty.
I admire my other half’s starter option so much that I choose it for my main event. The big plate of Whitby scampi (£12.95) comes with chips, lemon and tartare sauce. The melt-in-the-mouth scampi is succulent, juicy and coated in a perfectly crunchy breadcrumb batter.
The chips? We both agree they’re some of the best around. Chunky, fluffy and oh-so Northern, we can’t get enough.
My seafood-loving companion goes for the traditional large Cod (£15.25) perfectly coated in a golden bubbly batter, no excess oil in sight. Expertly cooked and packed full of flavour, the fork glides through the fish – one bite and you’re in heaven. Served with a helping of the chips we’ve fallen in love with and a delicious tartare sauce. We add to the flavours with an extra side order of curry – ideal for dunking.
We sweeten the deal with our fair share of chocolate. My sweet tooth makes an appearance and I go for the huge portion of chocolate fudge cake (£5.95) served with vanilla ice cream and it’s the warm chocolate brownie (£5.95) also served with vanilla ice cream for my other half.
The chocolate fudge cake is rich in flavour, perfectly sweetened when paired with a spoonful of vanilla ice cream, while the warm chocolate brownie is gooey in texture and sweet in taste – just as it should be.
We finish the evening working off our spectacular three courses with yet another stroll along the seafront, agreeing we’ll be back to visit again soon.
