Newcastle Restaurant Review: Breeze, Crowne Plaza
It’s Easter Saturday night & it seems every restaurant in Newcastle is closed for the holidays. After calling a number of local candidates, I find myself calling the one place I know that never closes its doors, the Crowne Plaza Hotel Newcastle and its signature restaurant Breeze.
After eating far too many ‘same old, same old’ meals out I made the decision to try something new every time it is offered, and hopefully break my “food rut”. This is a must because this pattern has resulted in me getting bored of food in general, my palate is no longer excited by the courses offered in many local restaurants. Staying true to my new outlook, every course I ordered at Breeze was chosen to break this pattern.
Breeze showcases the classy tones of the Crowne Plaza Hotel; an intimate dining room overlooking views of Newcastle harbour, gently lit by tea light candles casting a soft glow over each individual table. The warm and friendly staff only adds to the comfort you feel when you dine here.
Within minutes of placing our orders, we are given a complimentary cup of creamy cauliflower soup as we wait for our entrees. My entrée arrives; the smoked bacon consommé with cream froth and caviar excites the senses. Now this choice was definitely ordering outside of the box. This dish mimicked the layered appearance of a cappuccino, a bacon flavoured cappuccino. While the entrée wasn’t my style, perhaps a little too smoky, it was still an enjoyable course. It allowed an exploration of interesting and unique flavours and textures, and made for a memorable dining experience.
My main course was the tenderloin of beef, with a Yorkshire pudding, potato puree and jus. While a cut of beef seems to be a common choice, the Yorkshire pudding and other accompaniments are not. The combination of these elements made a typical ‘steak and vege’ course something exciting, which I’m sure I would order again.
Dessert is usually the best part of dining out for me, and ordering the passionfruit soufflé with white chocolate certainly did not change this favouritism. Light, fluffy, and full of that beautiful passionfruit flavour, the soufflé left me satisfied and was the perfect end to the perfect restaurant experience.
I’ve been lucky with the restaurants I’ve reviewed so far, and Breeze is no exception. The location, service, food and atmosphere could perhaps knock my ‘try new things’ attitude, as it has become my new favourite Newcastle restaurant which I am sure I will visit again very soon… and perhaps even order the exact same menu.
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