There was an air of calm in the kitchen before the official launch of South Gosforth restaurant Ophelia - but the team were actually working flat out on preparations for the big day.
Come Thursday and that laid-back atmosphere was replaced by the buzzy vibe of a French brasserie, which is what has inspired this latest venture by Nick Grieves who founded The Patricia in Jesmond in December 2016. The self-taught chef named that now highly-acclaimed restaurant after his gran and the name Ophelia is one he has in mind for a time he might have a daughter.
Besides it being known as Hamlet's 'love' interest in Shakespeare's tragedy, the name means 'hope', he says - and he points out the female names suit their style of working in the kitchen, being more relaxed than macho and aggressive, he laughs.
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Earlier, Ophelia had a couple of 'soft' openings, giving family, pals and invited guests - which included friends and renowned chefs Si King of The Hairy Bikers and Newcastle 21 restaurateur Terry Laybourne - a first chance to try dishes on the menu which is inspired by classic French cookery. Where The Patricia is about modern Mediterranean-style cuisine, Ophelia boasts the likes of a la carte treats steak au poivre and chicken fricassee. And a sample menu's immediate success boosted the team's confidence still further.
The staff - five front-of-house and five in the kitchen - are mostly new but are headed up by head chef Nick Peskin, who was Nick's sous chef at The Patricia, and Chris Mason who is currently transferred over from there as restaurant manager. The promoted Nick, on a brief break from his work in the open kitchen, said that rather than seeing a challenge ahead, he was more excited than anything about the official launch.
The restaurant's opening days are Thursday until Sunday and already Ophelia is pretty much booked out for the next month, although there are still just a few available spaces for this first weekend. Word is already spreading and diners are keen to see the result of the tranformation of what was the previous M Steel Cycles shop in Bowsden Terrace which closed in 2017 after more than 120 years of business.
Having been left vacant since then, the building - two minutes' walk from South Gosforth Metro Station - was in need of major work and Ophelia is the result of a new collaboration between Nick Grieves and local businessman, tech entrepreneur Dan Smyth and has been a long time in the planning.
There's far more space inside than at first appears. The restaurant has a bar on the right which offers a quality cocktail list and it's here that Saturday afternoon customers will also eat, while Ophelia sees how its initial operations go, explains Chris, as it learns how to navigate the flow of people to and from the adjoining dining area where tables are beautifully laid with linen and glasses in readiness for guests in a chic setting of deep blue walls and French-theme art.
Owner Nick does not want to describe the menu on offer as fine dining. It boasts simple ingredients and classic combinations but it is certainly a cut above. And for true foodies there is caviar, oysters and foie gras too.
It's an exciting time for the owner-chef who made such a name for himself at The Patricia - not without challenging times and business ups and downs, of course, and Covid wasn't even one of them as the small restaurant was one of just two in the country, says Nick, to first start offering a popular 'at home' food service during lockdown.
It's the kind of fast-reacting and innovative approach that has stood him in good stead since the former construction worker - who did a construction degree, and business, at Newcastle University - began trying his hand in the food trade following a crash in the building industry in 2008. He always had a passion for cooking but got to the age of 27 before developing his skills during a spell working with families at a pub. Then he moved to London where - despite only gaining his cooking knowledge by watching Jamie Oliver series and YouTube videos - he went on to gain a job at such prestigious restaurants as The River Cafe.
When Nick, now 37, moved back home and opened The Patricia, it meant a big financial outlay and a real risk, he admits, but he was so enthusiastic and so loved what he was doing that he never considered the possibility of failure. That enthusiasm and passion, despite the long hours in the catering trade, is evident in Chris too who says the team here is like a family.
"We've had a great start so we're super happy with that," said Nick of the trial runs. "This is our take on a brasserie, with bold flavours." Food is more classic, simple and traditional whereas The Patricia is "modern and progressive", experimental even.
They've left behind a full staff at The Patricia in Jesmond Road which is currently closed while they run another new concept, Vinny's, at the premises. This classic Italian eatery, which launched in September, occupies the original restaurant's opening days but there are new plans for The Patricia to come, which Nick has yet to announce.
His new partnership with Dan Smyth, himself a true foodie, has more ambitions, the next of which will be realised as early as March. That's when Cafeteria - a totally different venture - is due to launch. Already taking shape in two upstairs rooms above Ophelia, this is to be a take on a retro 'greasy spoon' all-day cafe and it already has a fun, school-stye layout of fixed plastic chairs and tables plus a second flexible space where, from Thursday to Sunday, customers soon will be able to enjoy the likes of fried breakfast and bacon and sausage butties.
The location could turn out even better than had the restaurant been in the centre of South Gosforth, suggests Chris, with being so close to the Metro station linking it to the city centre and beyond. Passers-by can pop in for a drink at the bar too.
The new partnership is set to futher develop in all kinds of exciting ways, with hopes to work with other up-and-coming chefs and support the likes of food pop-ups. For now, however, the full focus is upon Ophelia's first opening days.
It's an exciting time for head chef Nick. It's been a long time in the planning and "it's good to see it up and running", he says. For more about Ophelia and what's on the menu see here.
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