Trifter

THE Back Room at the Three Horseshoes in Leamside, Tyne and Wear is a restaurant that serves a range of cuisines that reach from British through to Mediterranean. It has three dinning areas and the decor becomes more stylish and modern the further in that you venture.

The welcome is friendly, but a little confused and the service can be haphazard. This may be due to the large number of dishes (18 starters and 28 main courses) though it is always busy.

A warm confit duck salad with pine nuts and pancetta is a decent starter, though the onion souffle with Parmesan cheese and salad left a lot to be desired.

I enjoyed the pork fillet with wild herbs and Serrano ham, though my partner was less than impressed by her crispy trout with bacon, fennel and sun-blushed tomato salad.

The chocolate truffle indulgence of creamy chocolate cake, butter cream and ice cream more than made up for this. The Back Room serves a generous helping of creamy chocolate chips, summer strawberry and deep vanilla accompanied by fluted wafers and fruit.

There is a car park at the Back Room and it is fully accessible to disabled diners.

It is open from noon to 14:30 and 17:00 to 21:30 ( with an Early Bird Menu from 17;00 to 18:00) on Mondays to Fridays, noon to 21:30 on Saturdays and 11:30 to 16:30 on Sundays.

The Back Room at the Three Horseshoes is at the west end of West Rainton, about four miles north-east of Durham City and can be contacted on 0191 584 2394.