I tried Sunderland's newest fine dining restaurant - and it's not where you'd expect

“I don’t think there’s anywhere else in Sunderland doing food like this,” said one of our fellow diners after we got chatting post meal at the new Beacon.

Living up to its name, Beacon is indeed a shining example of fine dining.

But rather than being in one of the city’s new developments like Sheepfolds, where it could hold its own against the likes of Ember and Vito’s, Beacon is in fact in Sunderland College.

There’s long been a commercial restaurant called City Bistro at the Park Lane campus, with arguably one of the best kitted out kitchens in the city, a place where catering and hospitality students can train in their field under the guidance of expert tutors.

Yet, every time I write about this excellent eatery, many people say they didn’t even realise it was there - and open to the public.

Beacon is its newest concept and it leans more to fine dining than its previous guises under City Bistro.

Running on Thursday nights until June 11 for this term, it gives you the chance to experience a seasonal five course menu inspired by local produce, grown by the college’s students or even foraged locally.

For the Beacon nights, the large City Bistro, which is also used for many business lunches and events in the city, is sectioned off to create a more intimate dining experience of just 20 tables overlooking the large window into the kitchen where you can see the young chefs hard at work, which all adds to the theatre of the evening.

It’s a more refined experience than my last time dining here with pristine crisp white tablecloths, fresh cut flowers, candles and cutlery so well polished you could do your makeup in them.

I’ve always enjoyed my previous meals at City Bistro, but this Beacon version proved top of the class for me.

From the fresh aroma to the presentation and the all important taste, it was a real masterclass in dining.

Our meal started with classic English ingredients used to great effect: charred and pickled English asparagus, Jersey royal potatoes and wild garlic.

It was a really vibrant dish, well balanced with the smokiness of the asparagus, the zing of pickling, creamy Jersey Royals and the fresh, mild flavour of the foraged garlic, its aroma swirling around us as it was placed on the table.

Next up, a ridiculously moreish nduja sausage ragu with Yorkshire pecorino and aged vinegar, which was super comforting and jam-packed with flavour. I could have eaten it by the ladle full.

Special mention too to the accompanying in house focaccia with a spring herb butter, a huge portion no less, which we devoured. That butter was something else.

We may have gone too heavy on all that bread, but had to make room for the next course of a tender and juicy BBQ pork loin, a really great quality pork belly sausage, glazed beetroot and another vibrant sauce of coriander and jalapeno verde.

In keeping with the highly seasonal and English theme of the menu, we finished with British strawberry, yoghurt parfait, elderflower and wood sorrel, an elegant dish that served as a perfect palate cleanser.

Drinks also keep it local with beers including Sunderland-brewed Wear Beer, priced £4. Wines are also available, priced from £5 a glass, but for something really worthy of photographing - and tasting - check out the cocktails, all priced £9.

The Green Garden is like spring in a glass - another aromatic offering with Northumberland-made Hepple gin, elderflower liquor and cucumber water, presented beautifully.

We kept admiring the tableware too, which complemented the food so well, with the dishes made by a potter in Ouseburn.

Service-wise, the students are still honing their craft but are keen and eager for feedback and seemed to really enjoy having the chance to get stuck in at a working restaurant.

In the days of social media, food reviews are all too often laced with hyperbole, but the Beacon is a restaurant that really deserves it. More established restaurants could really learn a thing or two about cooking here.

At £35 a person, Beacon is more than I’ve paid previously at City Bistro but at five courses of such quality, so worth the price tag.

*Remaining dates for Beacon at Sunderland College’s city campus this term are Thursday, June 4 and June 11. Pre-booking is required at [email protected]

*The campus also has a deli, which is open every Tuesday from 12pm until sell out, selling freshly-made focaccia sandwiches, hot food, desserts and Rington’s coffee.