Restaurant week is back in Sunderland! This year it will be kicking off from the 21st - 29th of March. If you're new to restaurant week, here's a quick rundown: Restaurant Week is a nine day event that gives foodies the chance to try out some new and best local eateries. The best part? Each restaurant holds lots of fantastic deals and offers at this time of year, giving you the chance to dine out at affordable prices! Myself and some other lovely local bloggers were invited along to three different restaurants to sample what their menu has to offer.
To start the night off we began with some cocktail tasting at Ttonic. They actually have a couple of new cocktails on their menu that have some interesting ingredients. The whole idea is each cocktail centres around a 'superfood', so something that comes with health benefits. The first being the 'Cucumber Gimlet', which as we all know Cucumber has lots of beneficial qualities for your skin. And the second being the 'I Can't Bee-lieve It' (the cutest name), which is centred around Mankua Honey which is good for the immune system. After we enjoyed our drinks it was time to head off to our first restaurant of the night..
Starters at Grosvenor Casino
First up we headed to the Grosvenor Casino! I actually think the Grosvenor Casino is a little hidden gem as not many people seem to know you can eat out there. I have actually tried the mains here before, but this time we headed inside to sample their starters which I was super excited about! For restaurant week they have a fantastic deal on too: For only £5 you can get yourself a Drink, Two Starts and a free £10 Roulette Voucher - what a bargain!
I'm going to be honest, I'm not much of a starter person but wow I was pleasantly surprised at what Grosvenor Casino had to offer. We were well and truly spoilt for choice as the staff brought out a large selection of starters to choose from. There were some classics such as Chicken Satay and Nachos which we really enjoyed. As well as dishes such as Feta Cheese Salad, Crispy Pork Bites, and Avocado Prawns. My personal favourites from the selection were the Fried Calamari and the Chorizo & Halloumi Skewers!
Mains at Victors
Next up it was time to head to Victors for some Main Courses. Prior to the night, I hadn't actually heard of Victors so I wasn't too sure what to expect. The atmosphere is very relaxed and chilled, somewhere you'd go for a catch up after work, or to watch the sports. Saying that however, the food was very high quality and exceeded my expectations. For restaurant week Victors have an offer on which will get you 3 Courses for only £15.
At Victors it's all about comfort food with some added extras. Think pizza, pasta and burgers! We tucked into some delicious mains such as the Steak Salad, Tofu Fingers and the Victors Pizza (which had a fiery kick to it!). The lovely staff also brought out a few of their side dishes too such as the Spiced Potato Skin and Vegan Meatballs which I couldn't get enough of! As a huge pasta lover, my favourite of the night had to be the Beef Lasagne, it was cooked to perfection and soooo yummy!
Desserts at Paticake Patisserie
After being well and truly spoilt in the previous two restaurants, we ended out night at Paticake Patisserie which is an up and coming local business that makes the most amazing cakes and desserts you've ever seen! I have to say, the staff were so lovely and helpful here and you can tell straight away how passionate they are about their business. When we first walked in and saw the display full of cakes, I think we were all so taken aback by how incredible they looked we all took a while to make our choices! Ultimately I went for the Kinder Bueno Cheesecake and my god it didn't disappoint! You can also tuck into some other choices such as Rainbow Cake, Oreo Cake and Marzipan Cake. Or if you're not a cake person, you can enjoy some freshly baked Cookies, Croissants and Brownies with a cup of coffee!
You can find all the information regarding Sunderland Restaurant Week, including a list of restaurants taking part over on the Sunderland BID website.
Which restaurant would you most like to try?