Rebel
Newcastle upon Tyne , Tyne & Wear
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'Hospitality is done superbly well' at this ambitious but easy-going spot, incongruous on a student street in suburban Heaton. The biggest act of rebellion here is in making old-fashioned standards of service and technique feel so contemporary. That's helped along by the full complement of experimental pickles, British wines and edible flowers growing under lamps – as much a part of the calming aesthetic as the North Sea art, tree-trunk tables and sit-up kitchen counter. Tasting menus run to 10 courses as standard, with a shorter five-course option earlier in the week or at Saturday lunch. Dishes starring local produce are neatly seasonal and texturally effective, from the crackle 'n' crunch of a cod tartare and roe tart to a charred, meaty slice of hen of the woods mushroom in a creamy but bright mushroom broth. Often, the kitchen plays tricks with the familiar, as in a charred Jersey Royal with onion jam, whipped cod's roe and a generous blanket of pecorino, which is, in spirit, a single, magnificent cheese and onion crisp. Elsewhere, it nudges the boundaries – witness the stridently salty-hot wild garlic kimchi added to pork loin with charred hispi cabbage and parsley yoghurt. To finish, macerated rhubarb with sorrel sorbet is a gentler prospect. For those who've made Rebel their 'regular treat', a young team delivers every time. 'The vibes,' it is said, 'are exceptional.'
