Korean, Japanese, Greek, Indian - you name it, Newcastle's growing street food scene seems to have it and the range of cuisine on offer encourages many of us to explore options beyond our usual fall-back favourites.
Street food, and the more relaxed style of dining that goes with it, has taken taken off in recent years and the adventurous foodie can now 'eat around the world' within the city centre, discovering dishes packed with flavour and colour that offer an authentic taste of the type of food served on the streets of everywhere from India to Korea.
And what's more, they are usually cracking value for money - so much so that several street food venues around Newcastle feature in our round-up of places where you can eat well for a tenner or under.
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Here we've picked out some city restaurants and cafes which are favourites for street food. Several are found inside the Grainger Market, which has developed into something of a hub of world cuisine, while others are spread a little further from the centre such as in Byker and Shieldfield.
12 top spots for street food in Newcastle
Thali Tray
The award-winning Indian street food favourite moved at the end of last year from its base at the Arch 2 Brewpub in Ouseburn to a new home on the second floor of Bealim House bar and gin distillery at Gallowgate where it has really spread its wings. Owner Josh Roberts has also been inspired to think up gin and cocktail pairings for his menu.
In keeping with traditions, its food is served in compartmented trays, often split into six with each element representing an Indian food region. All Thali Trays include two curries and a pick of onion seed naan, puri bread or chilli cheese garlic naan. Find out more here.
My Delhi
The vibrant city centre restaurant, which opened in 2019, has a stream of award successes, earning it a national reputation for its dishes that capture the authentic tastes of traditional street food as served in India's capital. And as its reputation grows so has its business.
Following the launch of a second branch in Sunderland, it is now set to open a new takeaway in High Heaton - formerly Newton Tandoori - as part of the My Delhi group. Check out the Newcastle original here.
By the River Co.
Ok, so this independent container community is actually in Gateshead but it's literally just over the bridge on the banks of the Tyne and it has a buzzy and brilliant street food HWKR market next door which is open from Friday to Sunday and well worth checking out. Among the outlets, where you take your food to enjoy alongside those riverside views, is Veganatomy run by vegan chef Zoe Newman who got to meet Gordon Ramsay when he was there filming for the just-shown TV programme.
He called her food 'incredible' when he tried it and he should know. Fellow TV chef Si King has also spoken up to promote the market - see here - whose other street food traders include Fire & Dough pizza, Good Times Tacos, Little Bao Bar, Parmorama, Acropolis, Dabbawal and Meat Stack plus award-winning cocktail makers Mother Mercy.
SnackWallah
Among the impressive selection of street food vendors in the Grainger Market alone is this great value - and 100% vegan - Indian street food outlet known for its curry of the day, which comes served with daal, rice and naan. And The Hairy Bikers singled out its Bhel Puri - described as a spicy explosion of ingredients including fresh vegetables, home-made chutneys and spices - which the chefs apparently referred to as "like eating sunshine".
For the menu, which also includes the likes of wraps and a Mumbai sandwich, see here.
Kimchi Planet
This Korean street food restaurant, now moved from Shieldfield to the student union building at Newcastle University, offers lunch specials such as beef bulgogi or sushi rice bowl and takeaway fried vegetable dumplings. The business began with Seoul-born Helen Ree serving up her fresh street food at local markets and its menu may remain relatively small but it's beautifully formed.
Kimchi is a highly-flavoured salted and fermented cabbage but there are tastes galore in store to tempt the palate. See its Facebook page here.
Shijo
Take a trip abroad - in tastes at least - at this tiny Japanese-Asian street food cafe at the Haymarket, with dishes are made fresh, using traditional cooking methods, and service is fast despite the queue for the likes of chicken katsu curry. Pay, take your ticket and then your number will be called out within minutes - sometimes as soon as you've taken your space to wait.
All mains, which include the likes of beef curry and pork meatball teriyaki served with rice or fried noodles, boast "100% goodness" with no MSG, artificial colours or preservatives. See here.
Sushi Me Rollin'
Handmade sushi rolled right before your eyes proved an instant success when this pop-up, capturing chefs Simon Whitehead and Hugo Embleton-Black's passion for Japanese food, first opened at Stack in Newcastle and, when the container village closed, it moved to another prime city spot - in Grey Street - to work its same magic.
There's an outlet in Whitley Bay too. See its street food menu, with the likes of sushi platters and a western take on the Japanese staple, here.
Acropolis
Authentic Greek street food means gyros to many people and these huge filling wraps have been a staple of this award-winning business which, besides its home in the Grainger Market, flies its familiar blue and white colours at locations including HWKR market, Jesmond, Hoults Yard and Stack Seaburn as well as at regular stalls at markets on Newcastle Quayside, Tynemouth, Jesmond and Hebburn Market.
For its full menu, capturing a taste of holiday sunshine and also including grilled platters, fries and dips, see here.
Dumpling and Bun
The fragrance of its delicate, hand-made Chinese dumplings is what first tempts customers to this Grainger Market stall and then the taste test does the rest. The popular softly-steamed dumplings - filled with meat, fish or vegetables - are a winner. It serves buns too, sweet or savoury, and now also does bubble tea, saying "our dumpling masters have created a special edition to match our dessert buns".
See its Facebook page here.
Slice
An easy street food option to eat has to be a slice of pizza which can be rolled up if need be - as long as it's not the stodgy deep-filled variety that is - and this takeaway, also in the Grainger Market, serves huge slices of thin-crust which attract long queues - always a good sign.
It does the full 18-inch job too if you're especially hungry. Pizza Slice Newcastle hasn't updated its Facebook page in a while so you'll have to track it down to find out what varieties are on offer. It's in Alley 4 - just look out for that queue.
Pop-up Wok
Former students Lucia Tsoi and Molly Chan from Hong Kong set up this business after missing street food from home and wanting to capture its authentic flavours. After running it as a mobile pop-up and having regular slots at Newcastle Quayside's Sunday market, they then opened this cafe in Saville Row in 2019 serving Hong Kong comfort food.
Its signature dish is Stir5 - rice noodles, egg noddles or rice with a pick of up to four ingredients, all cooked with a special garlic soy sauce - alongside the likes of fried chicken cutlets, bubble waffles, curry fishballs and salt and pepper tofu. Or how about Hong Kong style French toast which includes a thin layer of peanut butter and is usually eaten with golden syrup or condensed milk? See here.
La Chilenita
Established in Shields Road just this year by mother and daughter Jessica and Blanca Gonzalez, this Chilean street food bakery and food stall offers a tantalising taste of Latin America - and it's a varied one, with breakfasts, hot dogs, sandwiches and empanadas on the menu. Read the inspiring story here of their journey to success, following their arrival in the city as refugees.
And see La Chilenita's Facebook page here for the full menu ranging from home-made bread to sweet treats such as alfajores.
The Bake
The reputation of the original Lebanese street food restaurant on Byker Bank - where it captures both authentic flavours and looks with traditional kebabs and meze to be enjoyed in a setting of roll-back chairs and tiled floors - has now spread far and wide. Customers love the likes of its shawarma meat platters and mixed grills while The Bake Munch Box packs all sorts in - both chicken and lamb shawarma, vermicelli rice, chips, lebanese bread, sauces and salad.
Handy options include a city centre cafe in the Grainger Market and a grill house in the Bigg Market selling a variety of its food. See here for the full range.
Dabbawal
The business, which has two restaurants in Newcastle - in the city centre's High Bridge, set up in 2008, and another in Jesmond - was one of the pioneers of Indian street food in Newcastle and has dazzled customers with its array of flavours and ingredient combinations in dishes such as Bhel Puri - a mix of puffed rice, potato 'sev', which is an Inidan snack of seasoned crunchy noodles, tossed in onion - and its Bombay Burger with spiced mashed potato and home-made chutney. Find out more here.
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