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Fratello’s Italian Restaurant, Jesmond

Jesmond is rife with Italian’s. Italian restaurant that is - you can barely walk five metres without the scent of pizza and ragu wafting up your nostrils, and it was for this reason I was slightly dubious when I discovered another one had opened.

Fratello’s is part of a small chain of three across the North East, and promises authentic Italian cuisine in a relaxing and contemporary atmosphere. The restaurant is part of the newly refurbished Holiday Inn on Jesmond Road, and on arrival it was clear to see that no expense had been ensure the restaurant was finished to the highest standard.

We were warmly welcomed by the staff, who were polite and attentive throughout the meal. Our waiter had a good knowledge of the wine list, and recommended a bottle of Frascati, which turned out to be deliciously fruity and crisp.

For starters, my boyfriend and I shared a portion of tempura battered king prawns with wasabi mayonnaise, a mozzarella garlic bread and some marinated olives. The olives were delicious, and the bread crisp and garlicy. The prawns were perfectly cooked, and while the batter was a little thick for my liking, my boyfriend was very content with his share.

For the main course, I chose the lamb shank in red wine jus, served with mashed potatoes and Mediterranean vegetables, while my partner chose salmon in a beure blanc with saffron potatoes and asparagus.

My lamb was incredibly succulent, easily coming away from the bone at the slightest touch of my knife. The mash was smooth, although my promised Mediterranean vegetables disappointingly turned out to be some parsnips (which were, I must admit, perfectly cooked). Overall, it was a good plate of food, but as a self-confessed gravy fiend, I would have loved some more of the delicious jus to go with my potatoes.

The salmon was equally well received. Presentation was excellent, and the golden saffron potatoes contrasted perfectly with the pink flesh of the fish and green vegetables. The buttery sauce was rich and the salmon well cooked and the plate was polished off in no time.

For dessert, we shared a bitter chocolate truffle and a white chocolate cheesecake. The truffle was absolutely divine, though I would have been perfectly happy with a portion half the size. The cheesecake was a slightly smaller portion, but was equally delicious.

The restaurant was less bustling than your typical Jesmond Italian, so was the perfect location for a quiet meal for two. Having said that however, the food was lovely, and the service fantastic so should also be a place to consider if you are dining out with a crowd. I will definitely be back.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .