Review: Raising the steaks at Miller and Carter, Newcastle Road, Sunderland

The excesses of Christmas usually leave me bloated in the stomach and low on cash in the wallet.

But in an attempt to put a bit of a spring in our step, we decided to go to Miller and Carter Steakhouse for the evening.

This Newcastle Road eatery isn’t somewhere I’ve been before, but after seeing a special January offer of a two-course meal at the restaurant for just under £17, my girlfriend and I decided now was the time to make our first visit.

The venue itself is very impressive in design, a sleek but welcoming setting to enjoy an evening in with no loud music and plenty of space between tables.

We were quickly seated at a table at the back of the room.

Initially, we weren’t given the menu with the £17 deal on, so had to ask for it from our waitress.

Once it arrived we both opted for the garlic bread with cheese and pulled beef, although the nachos had caught our eye.

Often garlic bread can arrive a bit too crisp due to overcooking, but this dish was perfect, the beef acting as an ideal compliment to the cheese and garlic.

I could probably have eaten another portion of that starter, but knowing I had a sirloin steak set to arrive for my main meal, I knew I’d have to leave plenty of room in order to finish it.

The 8oz portion I opted for was accompanied by a rich and spicy peppercorn sauce, a large wedge of lettuce with garlic and cheese dressing as well as a generous portion of fries.

It’s probably the best steak I’ve had.

The meat was tender, succulent and contained plenty of flavour, while I couldn’t get enough of the peppercorn sauce.

My girlfriend went for the 8oz rump steak, priced slightly less than mine, and she was of a similar opinion.

Other options for mains include a bacon and smoked cheddar burger, grass fed ribeye, barbecue glazed chicken, seabass and grilled chicken breast.

Despite wolfing down both of our first two courses fairly quickly, we were suitably tempted by the dessert menu after being asked by our waitress and went for the chocolate brownie with ice cream.

If there was one minor quibble with the whole night it’s that the brownie itself was perhaps a tad on the dry side, although the ice cream was rich and full of flavour.

Including drinks, a bottle of Peroni Nastro for me and a strawberry sling cocktail for her, the bill came to just over £57.

Not the cheapest meal on offer in Sunderland, but the quality of each course certainly could not be faulted, neither could the service.

We’ll be sure to make another visit in future.

For those looking to book up for Valentine’s Day, the restaurant is offering three courses from £26.95 each from February 11 to 15.

DAVID ALLISON