Member Article

A rose for Leila Lily's

One of Newcastle’s newest restaurants has received a prestigious accolade in recognition of its “culinary excellence.”

Leila Lily’s, at Grey Street, has been awarded a sought-after AA rosette after an unannounced visit from inspectors earlier this month.

And not only does the rosette put Leila Lily’s in the top tier of Tyneside restaurants but its achievement is particularly impressive as the venue only opened less than six months ago.

Part of four AA-star The Grey Street Hotel and award-winning All About You Spa, the £1.5m restaurant is owned by the Malhotra Group plc, which owns a portfolio of bars, hotels and restaurants across Tyneside.

Designed to be the group’s flagship venue, Leila Lily’s covers two floors, with the bar and restaurant at street level and a Studio 54-style Club Lounge, called 212@Leila Lily’s, in the basement.

Following a three-course meal, of North Sea octopus, Gloucester Old Spot pork t-bone and a dark chocolate pavé dessert, the inspector praised the “imaginative dishes” and “quality produce used to good effect.”

He also paid tribute to the “technical skills” displayed by Leila Lily’s chefs, under the guidance of executive chef Richard Swindell, who has overseen the catering team from the beginning.

“From the start, Richard and I had a clear vision of what we wanted to achieve in terms of the variety and style of our menus and plating,” said operations director, Atul Malhotra, “and it is great that all our hard work has received formal recognition in this way.

“This has been a collective effort from the entire team, including our full operations team and our sales and marketing department.”

“I named Leila Lily’s after my little girl and I am extremely proud that her name will be associated with such an accolade and I am sure she will enjoy reading about this when she grows up.

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