In the ever-changing world of restaurants, one venture is hoping to make a success where others have already fallen by the wayside. NICK MORRISON goes looking for good food in Hide.
WHEN a restaurant has been through several different guises in a short space of time, it's generally not a good sign. It may be just that the building is giving off bad vibes, or there may be a deeper malaise, but whatever it is, it is not promising for any new venture.
The venue occupied by Hide in Durham's Saddler Street is on at least its third incarnation in recent years - not as many as Dr Who, but surely enough to have given a little pause for thought to its owners before moving in. In the centre of a city which has seen a surge in chic eateries, it would seem to have everything going for it, but there is still the tide of history to be overcome.
Certainly, the interior is giving it every chance. Chunky wooden furniture, abstract art on the walls and discreet lighting create a distinctly continental feel, not dispelled by the smartly dressed staff gliding effortlessly between the tables.
A lively buzz from the half-full restaurant was also a promising sign on the Tuesday evening we visited, just enough of a smatter to overlay the chilled-out soundtrack coming through the speakers.
Diners are offered both the all-day and the evening menus, which combine to provide an almost bewildering array of options, and the opportunity to mix and match from about a dozen starters and 30 mains.
My companion plumped for the bruschetta with goat's cheese to start, which came accompanied by juicy plum tomatoes and a rocket salad, and was pronounced delicious. As an avowed fan of goat's cheese, he may have been easy to please, but then again he should know what he is talking about and the chef had been very liberal with the cheese.
My starter of rocket salad with parmesan likewise went down very well, the rocket just peppery enough and the parmesan shavings generously scattered.
For main course, my companion chose the pork with ginger, which turned out to be surprisingly Thai, but was still reckoned to be spot on, presented with a bowl of delicately fried rice. That it wasn't completely polished off was more down to the quantity than the quality of the portion. To my mind, it did look a little drowned in the sauce, but seeing as it drew no complaints from the other side of the table, who was I to argue?
I have to confess my main course was a bit of a let down. The spinach and ricotta cannelloni seemed a good choice from a rather limited vegetarian range on the otherwise extensive menu, with the alternatives being falafel cakes, which did sound tempting, or pizza, which is not really what you want in a bistro.
But apart from being one step hotter than piping when it arrived, the sauce was on the greasy side and the pasta a little too chewy, in fact verging on the rubbery. That said, the filling itself was pretty tasty, even if there were no surprises in the combination. I couldn't help wishing I'd tried the falafel instead.
Too full for puddings, we ended with coffees, and a wine-less bill came to around £33, not bad value for dinner in a stylish venue. Service was both discreet and attentive, and the staff unfailingly courteous and eager to please. The ambience was relaxed and it was an altogether pleasant place to spend a few hours.
There were also enough diners to suggest that Hide may just about succeed in that spot where others have failed. Perhaps a couple more vegetarian dishes, and a little more attention to the pasta, might make it a more attractive choice for me, but there were certainly plenty of indications that it could be here to stay.
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