Lunch at COOP Chicken House

This Sunday we went for lunch at COOP Chicken House, on Collingwood Street in the centre of Newcastle Upon Tyne. The meal was a surprise win, I had entered a competition on twitter and learnt on Saturday that I had won a meal on the Sunday. I was really looking forward to trying the COOP Chicken House, I have heard about it but never been there. Colllingwood Street is walking distance from Central Station, so it is easy enough to get a metro there. There are also parking meters on the road outside, or you can park at the Castle Keep which is just a short walk away.
COOP Chicken House promises simple food done well and the best chicken you have ever tasted. The chicken is spit roasted over a wooden fire and the front of the shop is cleverly designed with piles of wooden logs and shelves of ceramic chickens. The wooden theme continues inside with wooden floors and logs on the walls. A ceramic rooster stands guard over the counter at the end and you can see the chickens being prepared and spit roasted on the counter.

The staff were welcoming and friendly. We were shown to our table and the way the menu worked was explained. You basically order as much chicken as you think your party can eat, you can get a whole chicken, half a chicken or quarter of a chicken or whatever combinations of these you wish. Once you have picked your chicken you can choose from a number of different sides, like coleslaw, barbecued beans, fries, sweet potato fries and several others. You can also choose from a number of dipping sauces which come served in a shot glass. These are grouped on the menu from mild to nuclear, depending how spicy they are. I was amused to notice that one of the nuclear ones required you to sign a disclaimer. We ordered one and a half chickens between us, four sides and three different sauces of various spiciness. There is a selection of wines and beer as well as soft drinks so you have plenty of choice.

The food looked delicious when it arrived, we could just help ourselves and eat as much as we wanted. The chicken was delicious, served with lemon which added flavour. It was lovely and moist with a smoky flavour. The sides were delicious, just the right sized portions. The dipping sauces added an exotic touch of flavour to the meal. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and everything soon vanished. The staff even took a photo of us at the table.

We opted for a simple dessert, blueberry cheesecake which was also delicious, although sadly my photo went a little blurry. It was just the right sized portion, a nice round cheese cake with lots of blueberry taste. We were able to enjoy our meal at leisure without feeling rushed, the whole atmosphere in the COOP Chicken House was lovely. We will definitely visit again.