The Marcantonio family opened their first ice-cream parlour in Newcastle in 1902, and they still…read moremake pretty much the best ice-cream in town.
I have to say, I have some hazy halcyon childhood memories of ice-cream sundaes or coke-floats in this place, so that may perhaps colour my perceptions of it somewhat. But I've taken children recently, and their faces light up in the same way I'm sure mind did.
They have 4 cafes around the town centre, but this is the one I am constantly drawn back to. Set on the edge of town proper, opposite the Haymarket bus-station and near the University (with St. James not to far either!) it just feels a little more laid-back than the town-centre branches.
As soon as you go in there's a more old-school feel than your modern coffee bars, accentuated by the photos of the store through the ages and the ice-cream carts which line the walls. The clientelle tends more towards locals and shoppers, with the students seemingly not noticing this is under their noses, so there is little modern cool (affected or otherwise) here, just a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
They have a good range of sanwiches, also generally available as baguettes, panini, or wraps, and a choice of hot-food including a classic all-day breakfast. There's a great selection of cakes, and the coffee is good if not the best in town.
But really, its the ice-cream that draws people back here. As soon as you sit down your eye is draw to the colourful photos on the comprehensive sundae menu. Its hard to concentrate on the main course as your mind turns over the question of the inevitable desert. The choice is dizzying and inventive, with themes by flavour, or colour, or liquer. As soon as you've made your choice the inevitable question is Which will I have the next time?, as you know there'll be a next time as soon as you start eating your current choice.
Like many of the best things the secret seems to be quite simple: just make great tasting ice cream. Like the classic gelati, this just tastes of what it should - freshly and vibrantly. The concept of Hey, I know what we should put in this strawberry ice cream: strawberries. Not those chemicals someone has decided make us think we're eating strawberries. As I say, simple, but all to often goes wrong, in this country at least. But not at Mark Toneys!
Cones are available, for when you can't manage a whole sundae, and take-away is available on most items too.
They've just opened a Subway next to this branch, and I'm hoping that doesn't draw too much food business away. But these guys have been doing this for over 100 years now - I'm sure they've seen off plenty of other pretenders in that time!
