Dinner At The Salt Water Cafe In Beadnell, Northumberland
Published On Wednesday 30 Oct 2024 by Sticky Beak
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Tucked opposite the church, at one end of Beadnell Village, is an absolute gem called Salt Water Cafe. During the day, both indoors and in its beautiful outdoor seating area, it serves all manner of scrumminess, becoming a bistro in the evenings that serves about 24 covers inside. We’d strolled past it on previous days, admiring the colourful planters stuffed full of flowers and the faux box Privet between the outside tables, and were impressed by the dinner menu that stands just to one side of the entrance.
His Nibs duly contacted the team, booking us a table for the Wednesday evening at 6.30pm. We’d had a pretty full-on day - and had got a busy one scheduled for the following one - so I suggested to Mummy that we use the wheelchair to give her some respite. To be fair, Mummy Bird could’ve managed the walk but her limbs were aching and I didn’t want the meal to be marred by niggling pain.
Given the bijoux size of the Cafe, there wasn’t an awful lot of room to store the folded chair, but the lovely young man found a spot near the bar to pop it. A couple of the dogs that were quietly sat with their pawrents, lifted their heads to see what the metal beast was, before lying down again. To maximise the appearance of space, the decor is kept neutral and echoes the coastal tones of greys and greens; vast amounts of natural light flood in from the large windows and the central, peaked skylight.
A very pleasant lady came to take our drinks orders and pointed out the two boards behind us on the wall that proclaimed what the specials were. Sipping our wine and lager, we pored over the regular menu as well as the multitude of other dishes, mulling over what to have.
For her starter, Mummy went for Cod Tail Goujons with Homemade Tartare Sauce (£9), followed by Chicken Fillet with Creamed Potato and a Brandy, Tarragon and Mushroom Sauce (£25). I opted to have the Black Tiger Prawns with fresh Asian Dip (£12) then the Seafood Linguine (£29), and The Man had Seared Scallops with a taste of Spanish Chorizo, Cider and Apple (£11.50), then Slow-Braised Beef Cheeks, Horseradish Mash and Crispy Onions as his main (£28).
Whilst Chef was preparing our food, the lovely gent came over with fresh bread for the table and we watched as the butter we spread upon its seeded surface melted with the warmth of the morsel. You can’t beat fresh, warm bread, and this was a lovely little titbit to nibble on; soon, our initial pangs of hunger were silenced and our attention turned to what was to come.
All the starters came out looking exquisite; nothing was out of place and colours captivated the eye, especially on The Man’s starter plate. Every bit as tasty as it looked, the sweet, fragrant Scallops parried with smoky Chorizo and tart Apple and the mix of textures was wonderful in the mouth, too. His Nibs does love Scallops and, in light of his recent bravery, decided to continue his quest by devouring the still-attached Coral... discovering that he actually liked it.
My Tiger Prawns were blooming huge! I love seafood and my taste buds were like a cheer-leading squad as the tender, perfumed flesh washed over them but they then went into over-drive as the realisation of just how stupendous the cloud-light, crispy batter that surrounded the Prawns was. The richness of the batter was tempered by the soy and Sesame dip that I regularly dunked it into, bringing a superb balance to this starter.
In all truth, Mummy’s Goujons were more akin to mini fillets of fish, such was their size! The Cod was nicely firm and meaty in texture, flaking apart with the merest pressure from the knife. Sweetness and a mild creamy note wound its way over Mummy’s palate, contrasted very nicely by the chunky, piquant Tartare sauce. As with my starter, the batter on this dish was absolutely sublime; not at all greasy, and so light it bubbled on the tongue.
The Salt Water Cafe team were working smoothly in tandem to ensure all their diners were enjoying their food and that glasses didn’t run empty. Clearly, this place has a wonderful local reputation as several people were turned away, informed that no tables were available this evening – good job we’d booked, then! Clearing our empty starter plates away with a smile, we were told that there would be a little wait for mains as Chef cooks to order: absolutely fine by us.
The table behind us had come in a short time after us and they had the most adorable little Spaniel pup with them; needless to say, we were all entranced by her antics and marvelled at how well she responded to her basic training commands. I have to say, all the pooches were being superstars; unless you really looked for them, you wouldn’t have known any were there!
With one hand still being a nuisance, I helped Mummy out by cutting up her Chicken breast...well, the two of them, actually, and both were of such a size that one would’ve sufficed as a meal with its accompaniments. Beautifully tender and moist, the flesh cut easily and Mummy Bird eagerly got stuck in. Where the poultry was mild in taste, the Brandy, Tarragon and Mushroom sauce was rich and complex; this was an excellent pairing, bound together perfectly by silky, creamy-textured Mash. I don’t know how she did it - Mummy Bird is only a wee slip of a lady - but she wolfed the lot down.
I have to say that my Seafood Linguine portion wasn’t too shabby, and certainly more generous than some places would serve. It wasn’t just pasta heavy, either; nestled on top, and amongst, the strands of perfectly al-dente Linguine were large pieces of Monkfish, fat, plump King Prawns and loads of in-shell Mussels. All the seafood and fish was super-fresh, bursting with sweetness and the seas’ Ozonic tang, and such wondrous items need an equally spell-binding partner, wouldn’t you agree? Enter the confident swagger of a rather splendid Garlic, Chilli and Tomato sauce, within whose rosy hue could be seen opaque pieces of chopped Garlic; invisible, but definitely there, was the signature heat of Chilli. Soon, that delicious tingle of fire spread over my tongue and, shortly after, a tingle on my lips.
If any of the dishes were smaller in portion size, it would be The Man Birds’ Beef Cheeks...but...this was a seriously rich tasting cut of meat: the epitome of the phrase ‘small but mighty’. Chef had braised the Beef Cheeks gently to preserve their depth of flavour, whilst releasing the softness of the muscle fibres. A zingy Horseradish Mash was just as stated: soft Mash (still with the gentlest whisper of texture to it) zhuzhed with the heat and spice of Horseradish, elevating this humble accompaniment into something that could partner a stronger meat cut.
A trio of empty plates bore evidence of our satisfaction with our food and, when the lady came to clear them away, we asked that compliments be passed to Chef. Although we couldn’t manage pudding, we still had dishes on the menu we wanted to try; to that end, we are returning to Salt Water Cafe on our final evening in Beadnell!
On our return visit, Mummy Bird had the Beef Cheeks that His Nibs had had two nights’ earlier, and they were every bit as good as before. You could tell a different Chef was in the kitchen because the Mash was smoother and there were halved, roasted Carrots as well as Broccoli to savour.
I had a completely different meal to my previous one: Mussels in a Cream, Leek and Garlic sauce to start (£12.50, or £25 as a main course), and the half-Lobster with Salad (£26, or £52 for a whole one) for main. The Mussels were huge!! Still in their shells, the portion I got would easily have done for a main course – no complaints here, as they were so beautifully meaty in texture and sweet-tasting I could’ve eaten them all evening. Equally splendid was the half Lobster; this was incredibly sweet and juicy and there was plenty of meat to go at, especially when the claw crackers and meat pick got involved! When you have something as joyous as this morsel, a simple accompaniment is all that’s needed, and the cool, crisp salad was just the ticket.
His Maj had Monkfish Scampi with Chips and Pea Purée (£26). The batter on each piece of fish was incredibly light, and completely devoid of any oiliness that would detract from the delicate flavour of the meaty Monkfish inside. Partnering the ‘Scampi’ were delicious, handcut chips whose golden, crisp outers hid impossibly fluffy inners that had a gorgeous earthy-yet-nutty taste to them. Sweet tasting Pea purée completed this meal, that hit the spot perfectly in His Nibs’ opinion.
The Man and I managed dessert this time, both opting to go for the White Chocolate and Lemon Pavlova (£8.50). This dessert had it. all.going.on! Smooth, soft bottom layer that was topped with crunchy, chewy Meringue; and you could discern the zingy Lemon and the creamy, luxuriousness of White Chocolate clearly. I loved the balance between the super-sweet Meringue and the Citrus, it stopped the dessert being overly sweet and cloying and made sure that this was a multi-layered treat.
One of Salt Water Cafe’s owners, Chico (the other is Gill), came over at the end of our meal to garner our feedback and very generously treated us to a post-prandial drink: Bailey’s for Mummy and I, a pint of Estrella for His Nibs. A couple at an adjacent table also received a complimentary drink – apparently returning guests get this lovely little perk. How fab to be surprised like that!
Hot Wings well deserved by this gem, I would say it’s a DeLorean venue. Booking for dinner is essential as seating is inside only; to book a table ring 01665 720333 and visit the website www.saltwater-cafe.co.uk for more information. Closed on Mondays, Salt Water Cafe opens Tues-Sat 8.30am-9pm, and Sunday 8.30am-4pm.
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