On our recent trip to the north of England we went out to dinner with friends who have been living in South Shields for a while. Just up the road from them is Wyvestow's.
I have to say I was taken a little aback as we walked in. It had the look of a nightclub with lots of velvet and chandeliers. Someone said it looked like a place where ladies would go for a glass of fizz. We were seated in a large booth. The staff were of mixed nationalities and smartly dressed in white shirts with the restaurant name embroidered on them. They were all friendly and helpful. One of our friends does tend to ask lots of questions and was asking where they came from.
I went for wild mushrooms on toast for my starter. It was substantial and came on a black plate to contrast with the gold cutlery. It was rather nice. I was drinking cranberry juice as I had to drive later.
Others had the mixed platter with bread, olives and things to dip them in. That was also a lot of food.
My main was steamed sea bass. This was a couple of large pieces of fish with lots of potatoes hidden underneath. No complaints about the portion sizes and the good was great. My friend said his steak was one of the best he had had. They also do burgers, pizzas and pasta.
We did not have desserts as we had bought some amazing cheesecakes at Tynemouth market. We managed to eat that despite being fairly full.
The meal was reasonably priced. Eating out can be an expensive experience, but this was not too bad at all. There is a chance we could go there again if we are up that way.
I might have been put off this place by the decor if I had just been passing, but our friends had been before and said it was good. First impressions can be wrong.