Tasty tapas at El Coto Newcastle
For the second NE1 Newcastle Restaurant Week of 2018 I decided it was time for some tasty tapas at El Coto with the hubby.
Avid readers will remember I had my first taste of NE1 Newcastle Restaurant Week back in January (I actually dined out twice that week).
WHAT IS NE1 NEWCASTLE RESTAURANT WEEK?
NE1 Newcastle Restaurant Week launched in 2011 and was inspired by New York and its original Restaurant Week concept. More than 100 restaurants take part with a bespoke menu for either £10pp or £15pp.
I think it’s the perfect way to discover a new restaurant in Newcastle or enjoy an old favourite at a great price.
Newcastle hosts two restaurant weeks a year – one in January and one in August.
Anyway back to tasty tapas at El Coto
You’re actually spoilt for choice with where to eat for Restaurant Week. After a good peruse of the getintonewcastle website Steve and I decided we wanted some tasty tapas.
It’s been a good while since I last dined at El Coto and this was Steve’s first taste of Restaurant Week as well as his first visit here too.
El Coto’s offer for Restaurant Week was three tapas for £10 and was available all day Monday to Thursday and Sunday, and 12pm-5pm Friday and not available Saturday.
Knowing how popular Restaurant Week is I booked us a table for Thursday evening for a little date night post-work.
My Mam kindly dropped us off just round the corner from the restaurant with a few minutes to spare.
When you go into El Coto it’s a bit like a rabbit’s warren. We were warmly welcomed shortly after we walked in and swiftly shown to a table. The restaurant was really busy and buzzing.
We perused the menu and our drinks order was taken – coke for me and an Appletiser for Steve as we would both be driving home.
There’s quite a lot of choice for the set Restaurant Week menu and our food quickly arrived.
What did we order?
We chose a basket of fresh bread and a garlic dip which was the first item to arrive at our table.
I was pleasantly surprised with just how much bread came to the table – we polished the lot though!
Fresh bread and the very garlic dip
The rest of our dishes were not far behind the bread.
Tasty tapas dishes
The chorizo was really good – I mopped up the sauce!
Chorizo
I feel like you can’t have tapas without patatas bravas! This serving was the largest we’ve ever had but I was disappointed the sauce wasn’t mixed in more with the potatoes.
The homemade lamb meatballs in a Spanish sauce were particularly lovely.
Spanish meatballs
We decided to try something new – the deep fried salmon.
The breadcrumbs were light and the salmon very flaky – very nice.
We also can’t resist prawns and they were juicy and very garlicky – just how I like them!
Deep fried salmon
Yummy prawns
Our verdict
The food was really delicious, staff were warm and friendly and we were served very quickly.
It was very busy and it was a bit difficult to have a proper conversation as it was quite loud.
The highlight for me had to be the meatballs – full of flavour and really hit the spot.
We were in and out, bill paid all within 45 minutes.
As it was such a lovely night we decided to walk back to my parents house and work off some of the calories and also make sure I got my 10,000 steps for the day!
Where is El Coto?
El Coto
21 Leazes Park Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 4PF
It’s right next to St James’ Park and Eldon Square shopping centre.
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This food looks delicious … and its such a simple thing but that bread looks amazing! xx
It was really nice – good crunch and that garlic dip was sooo good.
Oooh this looks amazing, I love tapas and that’s such a great price for it! I usually go for meatballs and prawns too but I’d happily eat any of this!
Soph – https://sophhearts.com x
It was all so so good!
Hay Mate, I thought it was all about chocolate and being addicted to fine chocolate. So then I click the Lady’s Link and she leads me astray, and I am there and its all about Wedding Dresses. Well, I, post me chocolate comment anyway, and then runs boot heel out of the dress shop for the Pub to warn the others.
‘I know 🙂 I am learning french from VALRHONA: I declare myself addicted to fine dark Chocolate to the very point that I may need to check into rehab for it. 🙂 I have been doing a heaping teaspoon of fine VALRHONA Poudre De Cacao 100! Percent! Cocoa… Powder dropped into a large cup filled with heated cows milk and 25 percent heavy organic cream, an over flowing heaping teaspoon of raw natural sugar grain, and finely mini ‘Whisk’ hand rubbed to blend then a fine flash of my ice coffee. 🙂
Oh, and to add here, the VALRHONA dark chocolate bars at 71 percent cocoa are over the top and delightfully sinful as well. but in innocent so that makes it all OK.
Thanks Rachael –
Sorry if I misled you haha.
Question here: Well are you? 🙂
Not at all 😊
Rachael? don’t worry it’s not a loaded question it is a fun one, I promise… Come on trust me… I am across the Pond.
….and besides this is about food not weddings.
Ooh yes I remember reading about how fabulous NE1 is in one of your recent posts, my partner and I absolutely ADORE tapas and the starter of fresh bread with aioli is always one of the best!! The lamb meatballs sound incredible and I definitely would’ve devoured the chorizo. Flaky salmon sounds bloody lovely, too! What a lovely date night.
Alice Xx
http://www.blacktulipbeauty.co.uk
It was really lovely would definitely recommend 😊
I’ve never heard of this place before, but the food looks so good! Sounds like a great atmosphere too xx
Hannah | luxuryblush
It’s really lovely I used to go a lot with the girls. Sangria is very nice too!
I love restaurant week! Here in Las Vegas, ours was in June! Tapas is so fun with being able to try so many things – it all looks wonderful! 😍
Me too! It was really good 😊
Oh that potato dish looks absolutely delicious! Sounds like you had a really nice day! xx
https://beaulife.org
Oh that all looks so tasty! What a cool idea, they should bring restaurant week here too, it’s too easy to get into the habit of going to the same places, and something like that is sure to make you think about where to eat! Exploring is always fun! 🙂
That’s what I like about it – you can eat somewhere you’ve not been to for years (like I did with El Coto) or discover somewhere new!
I love the concept of ‘restaurant week,’ as you said it’s a great way of being able to find new restaurants that you like! Your food looked delicious
Thank you – I love it and it’s great to see the restaurants buzzing when it’s a little bit quieter!
Ooh I love tapas! The deep fried salmon sounds so nice, I’ve never tried that before but I’d definitely give it a go, salmon is so tasty! It’s such good value for money, shame it was noisy but the food looks delicious! Thanks for sharing Rachael 💖 xx
Bexa | http://www.hellobexa.com
I love tapas too! I’d never tried salmon like that but it was really tasty I would have it again! xx
I think that is a great idea Restaurant Week – yes to trying new places. All your picks would have worked for me! I enjoy going out but like you a little quieter for a conversation while I’m there. Always enjoy a visit
We work full-time so it’s nice to catch up over good food not just about your day but wider things going on in our lives so yes when it’s a bit quieter I enjoy it more! We had a good half an hour walk back to my parents house afterward though so we had a good chat then!
Great article. Couldn’t be write much better!
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