Smithy Bistro
3 Bell Villa
Ponteland
Tel: (01661) 820020
 If a 14lb hammer had been among the various blacksmith's paraphernalia which festoon the wall of the Smithy Bistro, I would have been sorely tempted to bury it in the centre of the table behind us. No sooner had we sat down in the homely surroundings of this well-respected restaurant than the witterings of the gathering behind us began to rise. You know the type: well-to-do tweed-wearers with vocal volume set to 11 and every uttering greeted with a grating "yah". The Smithy Bistro boasts a Sunday lunch menu that exceeds the expectations of most afternoon diners - but not so the unmerry band behind us. Seared fresh salmon with Cajun spice served on nicoise salad sounded great. "I'll have the salmon without the Cajun spice?" demanded one of the trio behind. The waitress explained this was not possible, but he wasn't for it. "I want salmon." Backwards and forwards the waitress went between kitchen and this table trying to placate Mr Awkward, "I'll have it with a hollandaise sauce then" being the final straw. Eventually the chef (a formidable character, looking not unlike a blacksmith himself) was forced to leave the kitchen and deal with Mr I Want My Salmon
he settled on sea bass - and it wasn't even on the menu. This unexpected entertainment didn't dampen our enthusiasm. The Smithy has built up a fine reputation for good old-fashioned traditional fare with a touch of imagination. Among the starters (all £3.95) were deep fried haggis served with mash and a whisky sauce and a chicken liver parfait with caramelised plums and crisp bread. The haggis was excellent and set me up for the main course. Two of our party went for the roasted loin of pork with chestnut stuffing, sage and redcurrant jus; I chose the simple roast leg of lamb with mint sauce, and our boy, aged three, had the beef. All the main courses cost £7.95, though the bistro does smaller portions for the kids at £3.95. The staff were very good. They all looked smart in their shirts and ties and made regular trips back to the table to ensure we were satisfied with our lot. We were. The desserts (all £3.95) were very good. Pick of the fare was the baked chocolate tart with fromage frais, though you could also have French-style apple tart served with vanilla custard; rhubarb and apple crumble with sauce anglaise; chocolate parfait in a pool of chocolate sauce; or a choice of ice creams and sorbet. If that wasn't enough, a chef's special passion fruit crème brulee was on offer at £4.95. Again the children are catered for with smaller servings of ice cream available for just £1.95. While the optics were well-stocked, the choice of beers was a little limited: John Smiths or Foster's (£2.10 a pint). As we prepared to leave, we could hear the table behind us complaining about the lack of water on their table. Again the waitresses took the moaning with good grace, though I'm sure they were tempted to return to the table with a bucket and give them a right soaking - I know I was. * The bistro changes its Sunday lunch menu every weekend and on Friday nights has live entertainment with Jazz vocalist Geraldine Colvin. | 
