Customs House Newcastle | Dining Review

Sitting on the verandah on a summer’s evening is a lovely experience. The fountain gently splashes while your gaze takes in the vast plaza that extends towards the harbour.

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You can request a table outside or head inside to the old-school dark wood dining room. It’s sleek and intimate and connects with the building’s heritage. There is also an open courtyard underneath the terrace, perfect for lazy afternoon drinks, post-work wind-downs and easy nibbles. 

For a quick or lighter bite, the snacks menu has all the usual suspects: cheese plates, dips with sourdough, olives, duck and brandy pate, fried calamari and wedges.

A bowl of spicy fried chicken wings would go perfectly with an ice-cold beer or wine; its super crunchy batter encasing the moist chicken underneath and a drizzle of fiery sriracha gives it a kick. There are plenty of wings and drumettes in the bowl for sharing, or to devour yourself. 

For a larger hunger try a steak sandwich, chicken burger or chargrilled wagyu burger, all delicious choices to attack with gusto. 

The a la carte menu is the same for both inside and outdoor seating and it has a distinct bistro-esque feel. Begin with something elegant: oysters; roasted beetroot salad with goat’s curd; field mushrooms with crispy polenta and gorgonzola or seared yellow fin tuna with a fennel salad.

The fish is fresh and seared ever-so-lightly with continental parsley blanketing the rim. The fennel salad with a citrus and soy dressing is refreshing but not overwhelming. It’s a great starter – light and flavoursome albeit, not particularly flash to look at. 

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Select from the pasta, grill or general selection for mains. I’ll return to try a pasta option once the seasons turn – tucking into a bowl of lamb ragu gnocchi or king prawn linguine will be heavenly on a cooler evening. Tonight it’s slow-cooked Black Angus brisket with a mound of crunchy coleslaw and pureed carrot. 

The brisket is so, so very soft (as it should be) and just falls apart when your fork comes close. The helping is hearty, although once I cut off the fat cap (you can eat it if you want) the portion becomes conquerable.

It sits in a pool of juices – a little on the salty side – made up of the pan juices, coleslaw dressing and carrot puree. The puree is very sweet and smooth, and I would have liked more. The fennel, apple and red cabbage coleslaw is the perfect accompaniment to the rich meat and adds some lightness. 

Pan-fried snapper is nice and crispy on the skin side and moist and flakey on the other. It’s dressed with segmented lemon, capers and parsley but also a burnt butter sauce. Creamy, creamy potato puree helps to absorb the buttery sauce and keeps the flakes of fish on your fork.

It’s fancy fish and chips, without the oil. If you prefer the real thing, there’s a beer battered blue eye trevalla with chips and tartare, or another variation popular among diners is the roasted salmon fillet with crushed kipflers and pesto.

Once you take out the fish and potatoes from the mains, you’re left with veal osso bucco and chargrilled chicken salad. But the lean towards seafood is understandable – we are waterside and this building was the gateway for ocean trading. 

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For a sweet finish, an Eton mess is perfect – smashed meringue, strawberry coulis and cream. Chocolate lovers can experience a rich chocolate tart with honeycomb, creme fraiche and an orange caramel sauce. 

Drinks are brought to the table if you are dining in with a selection of draught and bottled beer, cocktails and wine. Service is consistent, even on a busy Friday night. 

While Customs House has seen many changes over the years, it seems to be lasting the distance courtesy of decent food and a fantastic location.