Restaurant Week is back! And it's kicking off in Sunderland from the 16th -24th March. If you're not sure what Restaurant Week is all about, it's a fantastic way to showcase local business, and give you the opportunity to try out some yummy restaurants at affordable prices. During the nine day event, diners can eat out for as little as £10/£15 for either a two, or three course meal. I was kindly invited alongside other local bloggers, to three different restaurants to sample what their menus had to offer.
So, to start the night off, we first headed to P's & Q's for a couple of cocktails before each making our way to the first restaurant. This quirky, yet cosy bar has some of the most well presented, and delicious cocktails I've ever come across! I opted for the Watermelon & Strawberry Cooler which gets a solid 10/10 from me! Next up, for our starters we made out way to Amore Italia.
Starters at Amore Italia
Situated above the Dunn Cow, Amore Italia is a cosy little restaurant which is right next to the Sunderland Empire. I have to say I absolutely loved the atmosphere in here. The whole ambience and feel of the place was fantastic, and actually made you forget you were in Sunderland! Not only that, but the staff were so lovely, and welcoming that it really made our whole experience great from start to finish.
As previously mentioned, we would be tucking into a selection of starters here, and we definitely were spoilt for choice! We samples dishes such as Bruschetta, Fresh Mussels and Belly Pork. I have to give a special mention to my two favourite starters of the night which were the Calamari and Tempura Asparagus. Both were items I was very pleasantly surprised by as they're not something I would normally choose from the menu.
Mains at 2 Church Lane
After thoroughly enjoying our starters, our next stop was 2 Church Lane for burgers, which was conveniently just over the road. We sat in a cute little booth by the window and looked through the menu. I have to applaud whoever came up with the punny names for their menu. With so many different burgers to pick from, including some great vegan options, it was hard to decide what to order! I opted for the Pizza Burger (yes, you heard me right) with regular fries.
Now this was the place I was probably the most nervous about, as I'm not a HUGE meat lover, however I was so impressed with my food! The meal was really well presented, and the portion sizes are very generous. My burger consisted of beef, mozzarella, pizza sauce and pepperoni, and was absolutely delicious. The burger was cooked to perfection and the fries were also super yummy! They do offer a large range of topped chips if you want to upgrade from the regular with your meal.
Desert at 808 Bar & Kitchen
And finally, it was time for deserts at 808 Bar & Kitchen, which I had heard fantastic reviews from various people. Upon walking in, I was immediately wowed by their gorgeous decor! Full of flowers, plants and fairy lights, it was such a gorgeous atmosphere to end the night on. If you're looking for that real 'Instagramable' place to dine, this is the one.. even the bathroom was gorgeous!
We were brought out a large selection of different pancakes to try out with all the toppings I could possibly think of. From Nutella & Strawberries, to Maple Syrup and Bacon, we were well and truly spoilt for choice. My favourite of the night definitely had to be the Kinder Bueno pancakes, soooo yummy! They also had some vegan options such as Chocolate Fudge Cake and Ice cream which was great. We also enjoyed one last cocktail of the night from their very impressive drinks list, I opted for the Hippy Juice which was delicious!
You can find all the information regarding Sunderland Restaurant Week including a list of restaurants taking part over at Sunderland Experience.
Which restaurant would you most like to try?
*AD - This post includes gifted meals as part of Sunderland Restaurant Week. All words and opinions are my own. Please refer to my Disclaimer page for more info.