With the weather improving and the winter blues firmly behind us, many are starting to make plans on what to do with lighter nights and warmer weekends.
And what better way than to sample some fine food and drinks outside with friends and family. Across the region, we have a range of pubs and restaurants with outdoor dining. Some overlook spectacular views of the Northumberland countryside, while others offer dramatic vistas of the Northumberland coast.
There are a fair few of those on the banks of the River Tyne too, two of which have made it into a list of the best riverside restaurants and pubs in The Times. Trakol, under the Tyne Bridge on the Gateshead side of the river was named alongside Riley's Fish Shack - though it's a very big stretch to say that's on the banks of the River Tyne, considering its separated from the river by a headland topped by Tynemouth Priory.
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Nevertheless, it's nice to see the region recognised alongside tourist hotspots in London, Cornwall and the Lake District.
Of Trakol in Gateshead, the Times wrote: "There are dramatic views of the river and Newcastle’s Quayside from this open-fire restaurant (Trakol is Swedish for charcoal) set in a collection of double-height shipping containers beneath the Tyne Bridge. Expect sharing feasts of roasted pig’s head with pork chops and black pudding, although there are more refined dishes such as asparagus salad with nasturtium, rocket, apple and koji crumb on offer too."
The other "riverside" restaurant chosen was Riley's Fish Shack on King Edward's Bay. The Times wrote: "Head to this converted shipping container set on a sandy bay on the northeast coast for locally landed seafood grilled on the barbecue.
"Dine on deckchairs complete with windbreak, table and parasol on the beach, or at inside tables or balcony stools on the deck, all available to book (there’s a separate takeaway menu for walk-ins). Expect lobster, monkfish, squid and mackerel simply cooked and served with flatbreads cooked in a wood-fired pizza oven."
To read the full list of the best riverside restaurants and pubs in the Times, visit the website.
Where is your favourite riverside restaurant in the North East? Let us know!
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