On the hunt for Sunderland's best Sunday lunch: What we thought of D'Acqua

Too little meat, over-boiled veg or watery gravy can ruin what is arguably one of the most important meals of the week.

After Bonded Warehouse stopped doing Sunday lunches to focus on events, I lost my go-to place in the city for this most classic of British dishes. But there’s plenty of other places in Sunderland devoting Sundays to a proper roast.

Some pubs and restaurants can be a bit limiting if you’re after more than meat and veg, but D’Acqua in John Street offers more variety than most on Sundays, with the bonus of free daytime street parking in nearby Frederick Street on this day of the week.

Like other restaurants and cafes in this area, it’s housed in the basement of one of the listed townhouses – in this case the former Sunderland and South Tyneside water board building, hence the name. Due to the nature of the building, it’s accessed via concrete steps, which is worth noting for those with mobility issues.

The cellar setting, however, makes for a great atmosphere, with different dining areas, including a private dining room, oak flooring and brick arches all adding to the character of the place. Since my last visit, there’s also been feature floor tiling installed which brightens up the reception area where you can choose your dishes over a glass of wine.

D’Acqua is often seen as an occasion place in Sunderland – I’d chosen it as we were dining out for my mam’s birthday - but it manages to strike the right balance between feeling special, yet welcoming, with its friendly, knowledgeable servers.

Down to the Sunday lunch menu, we picked over a choice of starters including cod arancini, black pudding and sticky wings and mains such us three different choices of meat, as well as other hearty classics including fish and chips, steak frites and bubble and squeak.

I chose the salmon to start, which arrived beautifully presented: three thick slices of Oban 14-year whisky cured salmon with blobs of a smooth horseradish cream, linseed crackers and capers. The oak of the whisky really complemented the saltiness of the silky salmon, with the horseradish and capers adding an extra kick. The crackers too added some crunch to the proceedings and were a great alternative to the more obvious bread accompaniment.

I had every intention of a roast for mains but was swayed by Panackelty. It’s not often you see this Mackem signature dish on a restaurant menu, but this most local of home comfort foods is a guilty pleasure of mine.

This version was a real winter warmer: a casserole of sausage, bacon, black pudding and corned beef in a rich gravy topped with slices of roast potato. If that wasn’t enough of a belly buster it comes with a side of sourdough and a brown sauce. I’m not usually a fan of the latter, but couldn’t get enough of this homemade version, less tart than the shop bought stuff, which worked a treat with the meat.

I really enjoyed my meal but couldn’t help eyeing up my mam’s roast dinner which featured beautifully tender, melt-in-the-mouth beef and a huge Yorkshire pudding which loomed over the plate like a giant fluffy cloud. One forkful and I was sold, definitely one to order next time.

Price-wise, it’s very reasonable for the quality at one course for a tenner, two for £15 and three for £18, bringing our bill for two courses each and three glasses of wine to £47 for what proved to be a real winner of a roast dinner.

*For a guide to other places for Sunday dinners in Sunderland see here.