Trinity Gardens, Newcastle. Tel: (0191) 221 0761. www.cafetwentyone.co.uk WHAT is it they say? Green is the colour. Well, it is the dominant hue in the decor of Cafe 21, now located in the up-and-coming Trinity Gardens, just behind the Law courts on Newcastle’s bustling quayside. After nearly 19 years on Queen Street, this long-serving member of Newcastle’s restaurant culture relocated in May with an aim to offer its loyal legion of customers a bigger, brighter and buzzier venue. They’ve certainly succeeded. We turned up on a sunny Sunday afternoon (now there’s not been many of them recently), and the place was buzzing with the chatter of families, couples and friends enjoying the food and ambience. In the North East, Cafe 21 has an enviable, long-standing reputation as a top-class eaterie. And this place – same quality food and service in a different place – continues the trend. Our friendly waitress showed us to the table we’d booked (this is advisable if you don’t want to be disappointed), and we then took time to study the menu. There’s a special lunch menu with set prices of two courses for £16 and three courses at £18.50, which offers very good value. Starters include cauliflower and truffle soup, and sesame-crusted rare tuna with Asian salad. For children there’s plenty of choice, including roast beef, deep-fried haddock and chips, and penne pasta with fresh tomato sauce. From the main menu, starters include the mouth-watering Neil Robson’s oak-smoked salmon with wholemeal soda bread (£8.50), or warm salad of Craster kippers, ratte potatoes, endive and soft poached egg with mustard dressing. Mains include haddock, chips and peas, £15, and slow-cooked shoulder of beef in red wine with two types of celery, £16.50. There is also a fixed-price menu, which costs £14 for two courses and £16.50 for three, between noon and 2.30pm, and 5.30pm and 7pm. We decided to stick with the special menu, and for starters two of us went for the melted taleggio cheese with heritage potatoes and cured ham, while one of our party went for the Caesar Salad. All the dishes were beautifully presented and tasted delicious – especially the ham and cheese. Our waiters were friendly and attentive. I particularly liked the fact that when I went for a cigarette, the manager gave me a pink stub-it purse, so I wouldn’t drop my butt on the floor. And so to the main course. There were four courses, fish, beef, lamb or venison. Mum went for the pan-fried fillet of sea trout, with fine French beans and toasted almonds. Dad went for slow-cooked shoulder of lamb, with roasted asparagus, wild mushrooms and champ. I opted for the roast rib of Aberdeen Angus, rare, with Yorkshire puddings and young vegetables including broccoli, beans, cauliflower and carrots. They arrived separate to the plate. My meat was incredibly tender, and the Yorkshire puddings were light and crispy. The fish was white and crumbly and the lamb was also given full marks. Unfortunately, my mum and dad have enormous appetites, and both pinched vegetables from my dish. We followed this magnificent meal with two knickerbocker glories, a rhubarb sorbet and three lattes. We also spotted football legend Bobby Moncur while we were dining. If it’s good enough for a legend, it’s good enough for us. All in all, the perfect place for a lazy Sunday afternoon. High-quality food, superb surroundings and top-class service. | 
