The Woodmans Arms has long been a popular haunt in Gateshead.
Tucked away in Whickham, many may not even know it exists but come Sunday Lunchtime it is packed with happy customers. Having only been once for post-lockdown outdoor drinks, I decided it was definitely time to try out the raved-about food.
We arrived early at just after 12pm so it was fairly quiet when we walked in. We had quickly booked online through the OpenTable app not long before arriving and I'm glad we did as it filled up quickly!
Read more: We tried the 'best Sunday lunch in Newcastle' at the Tanners Arms
At the risk of sounding like my mother, The Woodmans Arms is a very "trendy" venue with neon signs, quirky décor and a flower wall. There's also a large selection of gins, cocktails and even the offer of a "cocktail tree" so it's easy to see why it's very popular with a younger crowd.
There's a very warm and homely atmosphere at the pub which is only helped by the very friendly staff (and the lovely big fireplace). We were seated by the window so had a great view too. The menu differed slightly from the one I had looked at online so that's something to bear in mind if you like to plan ahead and set your heart on something before you're even there!
Despite it being early in the day, I knew I couldn't have a Sunday dinner without a glass of red wine and the couple on the table next to me drinking pints gave me the confidence to go ahead. I ordered a medium glass of the Nero D'Avola which was £6.95. There was a large drinks menu with a varied selection of wines so you'd not be spoiled for choice. My dining partner ordered a Caffrey's which was £4.25.
We decided to forego a starter but there were many options including a Curried Root Vegetable Soup, Prawn Cocktail and Bruschetta and Goats Cheese Salad with Toasted Pecans. All were priced between £6.50 and £8.
Onto the main event, the choices for the Sunday Roast were Roast Chicken, Beef Brisket, Lamb Shoulder, Roast Pork Loin, Gammon or Nut Roast at £12.95 or you could opt for the Beef Sirloin for £14.95. The menu states that the roasts come with Yorkshire Pudding, Seasonal Vegetables, Roast Potatoes and Carrot Swede Mash.
I was slightly disappointed that regular mash was not included and spotted it on the extra sides menu for £3.95 which I ended up panic ordering when the waitress came to serve us. Other sides included Mushy Peas, Creamed Cabbage and Pancetta and Cauliflower Cheese. All sounding quite mouth-watering.
Unlike many places, there are other things on offer on a Sunday including pizzas and fish and chips so it's an ideal place to go if someone in your party isn't the biggest fan of Sunday dinners. Having spied a big pizza oven on the way in and then seeing one being delivered to another table, I made a mental note to come back and try one another time.
There was also a children's Sunday lunch on the menu or kids can go for Chicken Goujons or fish and chips. In the end I ordered the roast chicken while my companion went for the beef sirloin.
The dinners arrived quickly and the root veg and greens came in separate bowls as well as the side of mash. The mash was huge and I knew straight away that most of it would go to waste with just two of us. A regrettable panic order. However, if there's a few people in your party it is probably worth getting an extra side.
The portions were generous and an extra gravy boat was delivered to the table to add to the gravy already on the plate - ideal! The chicken comes with the skin and a bone on (easily cut off and set aside if you aren't a fan) and the beef dinner boasted two large thick cuts with a little bit of fat on the edges.
The chicken was deliciously seasoned and bursting with flavour. It was also thankfully quite juicy - nothing worse than dry chicken. I pinched a little taste of the beef and that was cooked almost to perfection - we both would have prefered it a little bit pinker. However it still melted in the mouth.
The puddings were light and fluffy but also had a nice crisp to them in some places which was perfect for me. They were also massive! The roast potatoes were also light and had a lot of flavour to them which was great news as I am passionate about roasties. There was a little helping of stuffing on each plate too which was a nice welcome surprise as you don't always get that.
The parsnips and carrots were cooked to perfection. I'm not a huge lover of carrots so I know they're done well if even I enjoy them. I then spotted leeks in the portion of greens which excited me and they were delicious too. The kale was also a nice treat as it seemed to be flavoured with a hint of garlic.
Having tried my best with the mash, around half of it was left which was a shame. In my opinion it would be ideal if the dinners came with a helping of regular mash as standard. That however was my only critique. We finished our dinners very full and satisfied.
After having a little rest, we told one of the very attentive staff members that we would take a look at desserts. The choices were Sticky Toffee Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream, Chocolate and Pecan Brownie with Salted Caramel Ice Cream, Apple Crumble with Ice Cream or Custard, Ice Cream Sorbet or Ice Cream Sundae. These were all priced at £6 or £7.
Feeling pretty full we decided to just share a Sticky Toffee Pudding which was absolutely divine - especially when washed down with another glass of red.
All in all we were very impressed with The Woodmans Arms and would definitely go back. It's only a few miles away from Newcastle and also rather close to the Metrocentre and Ikea so ideal if you're on a shopping day out and fancy a bite.
Rating 4/5.
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