Can you still have a romantic dinner with a toddler? We put Sachins Newcastle to the test

Before Cyrus arrived, H and I enjoyed going out for dinner. We’d book a table for eight, dress up, order whatever took our fancy and then linger over dessert. There was no rush to get home, and nobody threatening to throw a poppadom across the restaurant.

Having a baby at 40 changed our dining out habits. By the time Cyrus was a toddler, our evenings out had moved to what I can only describe as the pensioners’ sitting. We’d arrive before the dinner rush, eat at pace and be home before bedtime.

I used to wonder why parents took their children to restaurants at five in the afternoon. Now I understood. There’s a narrow window between a toddler being hungry enough to eat and tired enough to make everyone regret leaving the house. Miss it, and even the finest restaurant in Newcastle can become an expensive endurance test.

So, when we were invited to try Sachins, a Punjabi restaurant tucked away near Newcastle Central Station, I was keen to see whether we could enjoy something resembling our old dining life, albeit with a small person occupying the third seat.

And there was parking nearby. Anyone who has wrestled a toddler, changing bag and buggy out of a car will appreciate why this deserved a mention.

Sachins sits on Forth Banks in Newcastle’s Stephenson Quarter, occupying a former corner pub. From the outside, it doesn’t immediately announce itself as somewhere you’d take a toddler for dinner. Inside, the low lighting and intimate dining areas suggest a restaurant better suited to couples enjoying an evening away from their children.

We arrived with the usual parental apprehension, wondering whether Cyrus would behave himself or decide that the evening needed some audience participation.

Fortunately, the staff were untroubled by the arrival of our youngest diner. Owner Bob Arora and his team gave us a really warm welcome, and a booster seat was brought over without fuss. Our waiter was great with Cyrus, chatting to him and making him feel as though he was just as important as the adults at the table.

It’s a little thing, but I’ve eaten in restaurants where children are tolerated rather than welcomed. There’s a big difference, and parents notice it straight away.

Before I had time to investigate the contents of my bag for something to keep Cyrus occupied, a basket of poppadoms arrived. He was delighted. The waiter had already won him over, and I was beginning to think we might get through a meal without having to take turns walking around the restaurant.

One of the things I liked about Sachins was the building itself. It has character, with low ceilings, subdued lighting and dining areas arranged across three levels. It’s quite appealing about finding a Punjabi restaurant inside an old Newcastle pub, especially one that’s been part of the city’s dining scene for decades.

The atmosphere was relaxed without feeling casual. You could easily imagine coming here for a birthday, an anniversary or evening out with friends. Equally, we didn’t feel out of place arriving with Cyrus.

The layout does come with a practical consideration. With dining areas on different levels, anyone bringing a buggy or needing step-free access would be wise to contact the restaurant before visiting. There were also no baby-changing facilities when we visited, which is worth knowing if you’re bringing a younger child. But the staff made a genuine effort to accommodate us, and that went a long way.

Of course, being made welcome is one thing, but the food still has to justify getting everyone dressed, organised and out of the front door.

Sachins specialises in Punjabi and Indian cooking, and the menu offered plenty to tempt us. H and I have always enjoyed food with a bit of heat, although our tastes don’t always agree on how much chilli constitutes a reasonable amount.

I chose the Tandoori Mushroom (£5.95), which arrived with that lovely smoky flavour you hope for from food cooked in a tandoor. The mushrooms were well seasoned with enough spice to make them interesting without overwhelming everything else.

H went for the Seekh Kebab (£5.95), served with salad and onions. It was a good choice for someone who appreciates a little more heat than I do, and he made suitably appreciative noises while I concentrated on my mushrooms.

For our main course, we shared the Chingri Makhani (£12.95), a prawn dish in a creamy tomato and yoghurt sauce. I enjoyed the richness of the sauce, which had enough flavour to stand up to the accompaniments without being too heavy.

We ordered Mushroom Pulao rice (£3.50), Peshawari Nan (£2.95) for me and Garlic Nan (£2.95) for H. I have a bit of a weakness for Peshawari nan, and it’s usually the first thing I look for when we’re ordering Indian food.

The combination worked beautifully. There was plenty of sauce for the bread, and the rice made a good accompaniment to the prawns. It was the sort of meal that encouraged us to slow down and enjoy what was in front of us.

For once, I wasn’t eating with one eye on the clock.

The prices above are from our original visit and may have changed.

While H and I were enjoying our meal, Cyrus was conducting his own investigation into Indian cuisine.

The poppadoms had already made a favourable impression, but the pickle tray was where things became interesting. He happily dipped pieces into the accompaniments, unconcerned that some were more strongly flavoured than the food he usually ate at home. I watched with interest, half expecting a dramatic reaction, but instead, he just carried on eating.

Eventually, he settled down with a bowl of basmati rice, which kept him occupied long enough for us to finish our main courses. There were crumbs, of course, and a collection of things that somehow find their way onto the floor when a toddler is involved. But there was no desperate walk around the block and no abandoned dinner going cold while one of us attempted to restore order. It was almost civilised.

By the time we’d finished, Cyrus was beginning to look sleepy, and H and I were feeling full. We considered dessert, but experience had taught us not to push our luck. We wiped down the booster seat, got our belongings and made our exit while everyone was still in a good mood. I’d call that a successful family evening out.

Absolutely. Sachins reminded me how much I missed those evenings when H and I would go out for a meal because we fancied it. Parenthood hadn’t taken away our enjoyment of restaurants, but it had made us more cautious about where and when we went.

What made Sachins enjoyable wasn’t just the food, although the Chingri Makhani and Tandoori Mushroom were both worth ordering. It was the way the staff treated Cyrus. Nobody made us feel awkward about bringing a small child into a restaurant that might otherwise have been considered somewhere for a grown-up evening.

That’s not to say Sachins is designed specifically for families. But for parents with toddlers who can sit at the table and enjoy a meal, the welcome we received made a real difference. We left feeling as though we’d had a proper evening out rather than just managed to feed ourselves somewhere other than home.

Good Punjabi food, a warm welcome and a peaceful dinner with a toddler.

Sachins Newcastle
Forth Banks, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3SG
Telephone: 0191 232 4660
Visit the Sachins website

This review reflects our experience at the time of visiting. Menus, prices and facilities may have changed, so check with the restaurant before booking.

Occasional stories, experiments, discoveries and questions from Saffron & Cyrus.