If you’re looking for somewhere new to eat out in Newcastle this summer, these nine places are apparently the ones to try.
Geordies will know that the city’s diverse food and drink scene is already world class, but these venues are the best of the best according to the prestigious Michelin Guide. The list includes Newcastle’s only Michelin Star restaurant, as well as two that have had their food recognised by a Bib Gourmand Award.
Whether you’re after British classics, Mediterranean-inspired dishes or Indian specials cooked over the fire, the Michelin Guide includes a diverse range of venues in Newcastle. Here are all nine of the city’s restaurants that are recognised in the Guide.
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Route
The Michelin Guide loves Route’s “well-priced, gutsy small plates with punchy flavours and a British heart”, and the restaurant has a coveted Michelin Bib Gourmand award. This hidden gem near the Quayside has a small plate menu with dishes designed to share that changes on a bi-weekly basis.
The sample menu features Lindisfarne oysters, scorched Cornish sardines, shaved ox tongue, and crispy corn ribs to name a few. Desserts include verbena brulee and cinnamon sugared doughnuts, while the “inventive and inspiring” wine list offers pairings to the bistro-style food.
Broad Chare
Broad Chare is another winner of the Bib Gourmand award, which is given out to recognise the best in good quality and good value cooking. The Guide describes this venue as “a proper pub”, with a bar serving snacks and over 50 beers as well as a charming rustic dining room.
According to Michelin, the fair prices and friendly team at Broad Chare add to the venue’s appeal - and the “hearty, punchily flavoured dishes” are a must-try. The menu offers extra-tasty twists on pub classics, from burgers and steak to roast cod and wild sea trout.
Cook House
Beginning life as a recipe blog and supper club, Cook House was originally situated in two converted shipping containers overlooking the Ouseburn. It now has a stripped-back, industrial style mentioned in the Michelin Guide, and prides itself on its friendly and hospitable atmosphere.
Visitors to Cook House can enjoy their “vibrant, fiercely seasonal” dishes any time of day, whether they tuck into nduja fried eggs on toasted sourdough for brunch or try some BBQ minute steak for lunch. Dinner is the “main event” at the venue according to the Michelin Guide, with highlights including grilled lamb belly ribs, BBQ monkfish, and butter poached trout.
21
Found in the heart of Newcastle’s Quayside, 21 prides itself on being “big on flavour and short on fuss”, with imaginative dishes that promise to still leave room for pudding. The mouth-watering dessert menu in question features Florentine doughnuts, hazelnut soufflé, and a selection of fresh fruit sorbets.
21 runs a five-course seasonal menu, with the current offering including the likes of lobster, tagliatelle with truffles and Northumbrian lamb. There’s also an a la carte menu as well as options for lunch and early evening, and dishes for vegetarians and vegans too.
According to the Michelin Guide, the ‘menu du jour’ at this chic venue is good value for money - and they also recommend starting your visit with a gin from the large selection at the bar. There’s an extensive wine list to choose from too.
House of Tides
Newcastle’s only restaurant boasting a coveted Michelin Star, House of Tides on the Quayside is a unique venue housed in a Grade I Listed former merchant’s house. Opened in 2014 by Kenny and Abbie Atkinson, the rustic venue set out to create a place “where everybody should feel comfortable and relaxed with no compromise on quality”.
House of Tides offers a tasting menu for both lunch and dinner, and a sommelier recommends wine pairings to match. The dishes change over the seasons and are hailed as “accomplished and creative” by the Michelin Guide, with a sample menu featuring mackerel, salt aged lamb, and a cheese selection.
Fern Dining Room
The Michelin Guide praises the Jesmond Dene House restaurant’s atmosphere, with bright decor and idyllic views out over the garden. Fern is all about flavoursome dishes inspired by the seasons, promising “non-fussy, contemporary food to please the taste buds”.
Led by head chef Danny Parker, who was a finalist on MasterChef The Professionals, visitors can enjoy breakfast, Sunday lunch, dinner or afternoon tea. Highlights on the menu include pan-fried halibut, beef feather-blade, and cheese and spinach souffle.
The Patricia
Named after the owner’s grandmother, The Patricia in Jesmond serves up an a la carte menu promising “the very best ingredients, simply and thoughtfully without any pretence”. The six-course tasting menu at the Patricia features Mediterranean-influenced dishes, and the wine list is praised by the Michelin Guide as good value.
The Patricia’s Carte Blanche menu includes ricotta ravioli, roasted goose liver, and chocolate and hazelnut gelato with blackcurrants. They also offer to take the fuss out of dinner at home by offering a meal for two for delivery or collection that has bread, starters to share, a main course and dessert.
Khai Khai
Khai Khai is all about Indian comfort food prepared with fire and smoke, boasting a “melting pot of distinctive regional food traditions and cultural heritage”. Cooked over fire in the Josper or Tandoor ovens, the venue’s smoke plates range from achari tiger prawn to Josper-grilled sirloin.
Khai Khai also has a heritage menu with dishes including kashmiri lamb rogan josh, chicken pepper roast, and paneer butter masala. A Chef’s Feast is available featuring a selection of small and smoke plates, sides and desserts to share.
Trakol
Taking its name from the Swedish word for charcoal, the cooking at Trakol takes place over an open fire. This venue situated right on the Tyne housed in shipping containers has its own microbrewery as well as an ever-changing food menu.
Boasting “bold, hearty dishes” according to the Michelin Guide, the options at Trakol range from small plates to feasting options for two to share. Past menus have featured the best of the grill including bacon chop, aged sirloin, and octopus ceviche.
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