SERIOUS ABOUT SOUND

'.......being branded Newcastle's trendiest bar'

Much is being made of Apartment which has only just opened it's doors on the site of the former Hooties in Collingwood Street.  And from what I could make of it in one visit, it's living up to its billing.

It is modern, upbeat, lively and laid back but, most importantly, the food is very good.  The venue is called Apartment because it is split up much like a flat (calling it Flat was not really an option I would imagine).  There's the living room, the bedroom, the dining room etc... each with it's own particular ambience.  You can lie down in the bedroom, eat in the dining room, and chill out in the chill out room (what do you mean you don't have a chill out room at home? Get with it, erm, man).

Apartment is all very modern, but it has also been well thought out.  Taking his inspiration from various clubs, bars and restaurants around the country, owner Duncan Fisher has cherry picked the things he liked and put them all under one roof.  And they certainly come together well and appear to be attracting the upwardly mobile and clubby 20 to thrtysomething style-conscious crowd.  In fact, the night we were in it was as if they had bussed in the beautiful people from St Tropez- which made me look like the deckchair attendant.

Despite being open plan, the different rooms don't clash and courtesy of some impressive sound dampening, fitted by an enigmatic character known as Dr D from Pelaw, the loud music was reduced to a pleasant background sound in the restaurant, sorry dining room.

The soup, chorizo and bean, was a winner which is pretty good going considering 'Er Indoors is suffering with morning sickness.  She has vowed to try and make some herself when she's feeling better - sometime in December 2020 I presume.  Former 21 Queen Street chef David Kennedy heads up the kitchen and the food is excellent.  For mains I went for duck (£15) while Michelle opted for steak and chips (£16).  Each was unpretentious and unfussy food, ably supported by quality fresh vegetables.  For drinks a Mexican beer was recommended by the waiter and the offer taken up.  Futurewife was tempted by a Cosmopolitan, which was prepared at the table in some style, with bottles being lipped and fruit burned over a lighter.  It was all rather extravagant but better entertainment than just having a glass plonked on the table.

The staff on the whole are young, attractive and very good at their jobs.  For dessert we shared a chocolate tort though we declined to take up the drinks on the champagne menu.  Much has been made of the Dom Perignon 1959 vintage Champagne that is on sale at £980 a bottle in Apartment.  If you want to impress a guest ask for two bottles of it.  They've only got one.  When they inform you of that you can reply: "You've only got one!!" In that case we'll have lagers all round."  Just check first that they haven't got another bottle of the bubbly in after reading this.  There was live music on the night and the place was jumping.  The Apartment may not be the place to take your granny for a quiet evening but for the trendy young things it's the current place to be.  For those of us who fall between those two stools, you'll not be disappointed.

RICHARD ORD