It was 8pm on a cold and rainy Thursday evening; Autumn had truly made itself known. But the little joy I took from the day - other than not getting washed away by a sudden flood - was that I was about to try a restaurant chain I’d wanted to sink my teeth into for years. 

Now synonymous with steak, Miller and Carter has become a staple for serving up the best British & Irish cuts with all the trimmings. But, if I’m being honest, I haven’t tried steak in years. 

Some may find what I’m about to say as controversial - including steak aficionado turned journalist colleague Daniel Hordon - but I found that steak meals often proved more disappointing than to die for. 

I got sick of ordering steak at a restaurant, only to be disappointed by the way it was cooked or, even worse, a chewy and fatty piece of meat. 

That’s why, with the highly-anticipated opening of Miller and Carter in Nunthorpe - the first on Teesside - I wanted to put an end to my dreary steak streak once and for all. 

I’ve been reporting on the Miller and Carter opening for years now, so I did have a genuine excitement to go visit - plus it’s not far from where I or my wider family live (shoutout to Granny and Grandad O’Leary). 

So, last month (September), the time finally came. 

Miller and Carter Nunthorpe has been built from the ground up, and is located on the new Grey Towers housing estate, just off Poole roundabout. 

The stunning new Miller and Carter restaurantThe stunning new Miller and Carter restaurant (Image: Martin Avery)

Instantly walking through the doors, you didn’t feel like you were in a chain restaurant; a surprising twist, as I expected it too feel more commercialised. 

Plush red booths, smart hanging lighting fixtures, and a luxury wine cellar were the first things I noticed as I entered the packed-out luxury restaurant. 

There was a genuine buzz about the place - and I was shocked to see it was so busy on a Thursday evening. 

The restaurant had a real buzz about itThe restaurant had a real buzz about it (Image: Martin Avery)

I was joined by colleagues Nick and Daniel for the visit - with Daniel noting how the restaurant had a very similar look and feel to its Gosforth, Newcastle, counterpart. Did I mention that Daniel loves Miller and Carter? 

I immediately lost myself in the menu - specifically the ‘steak experience’ - where you can really personalise your main meal with different sauces, sides, and a wedge (more on that later). 

Our lovely waitress Amy was kind enough to run through the menu, and offer her advice on what to go for - perfect for someone like me who didn’t have a clue what they were ordering. 

Outside the new restaurantOutside the new restaurant (Image: PremiumP UAV)

I opted to go for the dates and steaks deal, which is a three course set menu for £33.95 and is available every Thursday from 3pm. 

It had a decent selection for each course and was genuinely a good deal - if I ordered the exact same meal on the a la carte menu, it would have cost £40.20. 

For starters, I tucked into some delicious sweet chipotle-glazed chicken bites with a chilli jam dipping sauce.

The sticky chipotle chickenThe sticky chipotle chicken (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

I really liked the chicken, which was tender and covered in a generous amount of sauce, but didn’t have a lot of time for the chilli jam, which didn’t really add anything to the dish. 

Once that had been polished off, I sat awaiting the pièce de résistance.

But first, time for a wedge of lettuce. We were told this would come a few minutes before our meal, and I had ordered it with a garlic dressing. 

I understand that it is meant to be a palate cleanser, but I didn’t really understand the need for it. Plus, the garlic sauce tasted more like a Caesar dressing… and as a Teessider, I take garlic sauce extremely seriously.

That said, I’m not going to get hung up on a piece of lettuce. 

Now time for the steak. It arrived perfectly cooked - medium rare - and came drizzled in parsley butter along with a balsamic-glazed tomato, onion loaf, beef dripping sauce, and chips. 

The steak was deliciousThe steak was delicious (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

Everything on the plate was delicious - and couldn’t be faulted. The steak was tender and not at all chewy, the onion loaf was crispy and tasty, and the generous helping of chips on the side topped everything off. 

The highlight was actually the beef dripping sauce, which when combined with a succulent slither of steak… wow. Anyone suddenly feel a bit hungry? 

I was almost ready to call time on the meal - my stomach couldn’t handle much more - but not before a double Belgian chocolate brownie with ice cream and chocolate shard finished me off. 

The brownie was equally warm and delicious, and the shard a nice touch. I wouldn’t say it was anything ground breaking, but as far as a restaurant brownie goes, a solid effort. 

The melt-in-the-mouth brownie topped the meal offThe melt-in-the-mouth brownie topped the meal off (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

Afterwards, I sat slumped in my chair ready to enter a food coma. To be honest, I was still full when I woke up, and didn’t feel hungry again until much later the following day. 

While our waitress and all the staff were lovely at Miller and Carter, constantly checking in to see if everything was ok with the food, the service itself was quite slow throughout the evening.

In its defence, this was likely due to being only in its first week, and the first time it had hosted the Thursday evening deal.  

However, the restaurant very kindly took our drinks from the bill as an apology, without us even mentioning it to them, which was a very nice gesture. 

So, a few days on, what’s the verdict? 

I loved everything about the visit to Miller and Carter. I loved the restaurant, I loved the variety of the menu, and most importantly the taste and luxuriousness of the food. 

Throughout the meal it did not feel as though you were in a chain and more of a country steakhouse, which again added to the experience. 

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It goes without saying that £33.95 for three courses - or £40.20 if ordered separately - is an expensive price to pay for a meal. 

However, for special occasions, this is most definitely a place I’ll be returning to. Plus, the quality of the food makes the dine deal genuinely worth the money. 

I’ll be back. 

Details

  • Miller and Carter, Cotcliffe Way, Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough TS7 0RS 
  • Phone: 01642 915221
  • Facebook: Miller & Carter Nunthorpe 

Ratings (out of ten): Food quality 9 Service 8 Ambience 8 Value for money 8