By The River Brew Co. has been a welcome addition to the Quayside since it's inception in 2018.
Made up of shipping containers located beneath the Tyne Bridge on the Gateshead side of the river, it is hugely popular on a sunny day for its outdoor seating and craft ales. And at weekends there is the Hawker Market - or more accurately HWKRMRKT - which hosts a line-up of street food and independent traders.
And then there is the jewel in the crown - Träkol. The restaurant was dubbed "o utrageously good" by Guardian food critic Jay Rayner and was also raved about in the Daily Mail by Tom Parker-Bowles.
Read more: We tried Sunday lunch at the historic 14th Century Lumley Castle in County Durham
At the time this caught my attention but upon looking at the menu, I decided it looked a bit sophisticated for my tastes. But after hearing rave reviews about their Sunday Lunches, I knew it was time to pay a visit. We walked into Träkol mid-afternoon and it was bustling with most tables full.
Träkol has a lovely warm ambience that you might not expect from a place made of shipping containers and it feels very homely. We were seated quickly by one of the friendly members of staff and placed by the kitchen which is something I love. I very much enjoyed nebbing on the chefs at work making the Yorkshire Puddings.
I was in the mood for a big glass of red wine so settled on an Italian Nero d'Avola for £6.95 which hit the spot. My dining partner tried out a Golden Ale from Wylam Brewery which was £4 and described to me as "flavoursome". There's a varied selection of ales, ciders, wines and cocktails so you won't be stuck for choice.
Not being one with a big appetite, I decided to forego a starter for fear I wouldn't even be able to tackle half of the main event but the options were; Oysters for £4 each, tomato soup, potted pork, toast and pickles and smoked salmon with peas, broad beans and duck egg dressing.
I decided to go for the beef dinner while my companion went for lamb. Träkol is on the pricier side with the beef being £17 and the lamb at £16 so it's not exactly somewhere to come on a budget. The other options were old spot pork and the veggie choice of mushroom hash. The menu said the dinners came with roast potatoes, buttered cabbage, root vegetables, Yorkshire pudding and gravy.
You can order extra sides of cauliflower cheese, roasted veg or roasties for between £3.50 and £4 each if you wish. We didn't bother but let me tell you I had serious cauliflower cheese envy when I saw them arrive at the table next to me.
The dinners arrived faster than I anticipated so I quickly ordered another glass of red and dug in. The dinners at Träkol are beautifully presented with everything piled together neatly and the meat placed on top.
You'd be forgiven for being disappointed at the sight of the dinner when it arrives if you're used to a big full plate but I'd argue that the portion size is just enough. Quality over quantity!
The beef was simply beautiful and melted in my mouth. It is served pink which the waitress informed me of upon ordering. There were two large cuts and it was good to the last bite. I'm told that the lamb was perfectly cooked as well.
There was not a lot of gravy which I can understand might be alarming for us northerners but it didn't cause too much of an issue. The carrots, parsnips and swede mash were also full of flavour and cooked excellently but there is not a lot of it so if you're someone who enjoys a larger portion, it might be an idea to order the extra serving (or the cauliflower cheese which I wish I had).
Not being the biggest cabbage fan I was surprised when I tried it and kept on eating. This is when I discovered it was actually kale! The Yorkshire puddings were delightfully light and fluffy.
The one let down was the roasties and unfortunately, that is one of my favourite parts of a Sunday lunch. They were a little hard and didn't have a great deal of flavour. But overall I massively enjoyed it and cleared most of my plate.
We were quickly offered the dessert menu and for all I really didn't feel capable, I knew I had to give it a go to get the full experience. So we went for the strawberry shortcake sundae and an apple and cherry crumble with custard. The third option was Baron Bigod, chutney and crackers.
The crumble was an absolute sensation. The fruit was so tangy and sweet and it was drowning in warm custard I couldn't help but to keep eating despite being very, very full. However, it was a very generous helping in quite a large bowl so it was only so long before I was defeated. The sundae was a smaller dessert but no less satisfying. It was a light, refreshing and fruity taste to balance out the indulgent crumble.
Overall the bill came to just over £67 for two mains, two desserts, two glasses of wine and one beer. It certainly won't be a regular occurrence but it is definitely somewhere to consider if you're looking to splash out for a special occasion Sunday treat.
Rating: 4/5
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