I tried out the fun and inventive menu from the new executive chef at Fern at Jesmond Dene House in Newcastle

While outside is a shining example of Mother Nature in all her glory, Jesmond Dene House is a man-made architectural gem harking back to the opulence of the Arts and Crafts movement.

The history of the Grade II-listed building is as colourful as the artworks it regularly changes on its walls, and stretches back to the early nineteenth century.

Since then, it’s been everything from a grand Georgian home to a school before, in 2005, becoming a 40-bed hotel.

But you don’t need to be a hotel resident to enjoy the culinary offering here.

Fern, so called after its dene setting, aims to shift away from the stuffiness that can oft be associated with hotel restaurants of this ilk.

And they do a pretty good job of it with a relaxed bar area, which is welcoming with its panelled walls, low lighting and retro ‘70s and ‘80s playlist from the likes of Dr Hook - while still feeling a bit special.

We were invited along to try out the new menu, thanks to new executive chef, Gareth Rayner.

Originally from Hartlepool, Gareth has a background in fine dining, working at prestigious establishments such as The Gin Trap in Norfolk, earning three AA Rosettes as Chef Patron.

He also played a key role in opening Forge at Middleton Lodge and served as Executive Chef at Wynyard Hall.

I’ve eaten Gareth’s food at other venues over the years and always enjoyed his fun approach to food while paying tribute to local produce and the seasons.

Nature’s larder is used to great effect here with, on our visit, starter options such as: glazed pig cheek with baked potato, wild garlic, onion ketchup and old Winchester cheese / Wye valley asparagus, soft hens eggs, 30-month parmesan and sorrel and more.

I had the fried duck leg croquette with fruit pig black pudding, pineapple pickle and duck egg to start.

It was a fun and inventive dish, the egg balanced on a really succulent slab of black pudding, made using fresh blood that puts the soggy versions that so often get plonked on breakfast plates to shame. Meanwhile, the subtle tang of the pickle complemented the meatier disc of duck and worked with its richness.

It was a good-sized dish for a restaurant on the fine dining end of the scale - no measly, tweezered portions here.

Mains choices included a grill section, as well as options like Yorkshire lamb, black & wild garlic, swede, green onion, lamb fat crumpet and Wild garlic & spring vegetable risotto, aged parmesan.

After a meaty start to the meal, I went with one of the seafood options for mains - wild black bream, with celeriac, monks’ beard, Cafe de Paris butter and mussels.

The mild flavour of the British fish was elevated with an incredibly rich sauce made, as the French do, with no shortage of butter. Extra texture came from the velvety mussels and their slight chew as well as the sprigs of Monk’s beard.

It was such a good-size portion I couldn’t shoehorn in a dessert but those being served around us looked a colourful display.

People with dietary requirements seem well catered for here and, on our visit, the menu had a great many gluten-free choices, as well as dairy-free, vegan and vegetarian. Make sure to check ahead though as, like any restaurant worth its salt, the menus change according to produce and the seasons.

Fern aims to be a ‘neighbourhood’ restaurant -a de rigueur phrase in hospitality these days - and although it isn’t as formal as other hotel fine dining options, it does still feel more like a special occasion restaurant than a day to day one.

That’s also in part due to the price, with starters coming in around the £12 - £18 mark and mains on our visit priced from £22-£33. Although, granted, you couldn’t pay for a dinner in finer surroundings.

It’s also worth noting, however, that you get little extras included, such as a pre-meal snack at the bar, a parmesan croquette that packed a punch on the first bite and a really moreish sourdough once we were at our table, that came with lashings of the kind of butter that’s so good you could eat by the spoonful.

Drinks-wise, wines are a particular speciality here, with around 50 from which to choose. Make sure to check out the wine cellar downstairs, one example of the charm that’s round every corner here.

Opening times

Fern Dining Room is open Wednesday – Thursday, 12:30pm - 8:30pm, Friday & Saturday 12:30pm - 9pm.

Lunch is available Wednesday - Saturday between 12.30pm - 2pm. A la Carte Menu is not available at lunchtime.

Dinner is available Wednesday - Saturday from 6pm.