Newcastle’s Closed Restaurants

It’s tough going opening a new restaurant in Newcastle…

Every year, many open up, all singing and dancing, and expensive PR launches, and are gone within a year. A lot of people are still looking for them, unaware that they’re gone, and I’ve got a lot of nostalgia for others, so here’s a record of some which I remember.

Last updated March 2025.

NE1 / Newcastle City Centre Restaurants that have closed

• 21 Queen Street, then Pan Haggerty (2011-2014), and The Fish Market (2015-2016) is now Dobson & Parnell
• Akbar’s was near Central Station for the longest time, but closed. You can now find it at the former home of Luigikhan’s, which had a good stint, from 2013(?) right through to being a casualty of the end of the pandemic in 2022
• Al Buco (2016-2017), and Mr. Petit (2017-2018) became microbar The Wobbly Duck (2021-)
• Al Volo site is now a convenience store
• Azzuri is now Anneesa’s Buffet
• Barn Asia, Electric East, The Bottle Shop Bar & Kitchen, finally Giraffe Lounge is still unoccupied
• Beeronomy lasted a few years before becoming Castros (2021-)
• Big Mussel was a Quayside mainstay for years, but as of 2022 is Hugos. Which has now closed (July 2023) after just less than a year…
• Burger Eat Sleep Repeat (didn’t last two minutes, closed October 2022)
• Burger Stop actually did a pretty damn good burger. It then housed Michelin-rated ROUTE for a long time, but sadly they gave up on that restaurant in April 2023. It’s now Greek restaurant Salparo.
• Byron closed its Newcastle site and is now the END flagship at Monument
• Cabana Brasilian Barbecue still unoccupied
• Cafe Bistro Buee (2010-2012) was a nice French cafe, now Solstice
• Cafe Rouge on Grey Street is now Pizza Punks
• Cafe Royal closed after a long stint in 2020, soon to be Mowgli
• Caffe Vivo is now St. Vincent
• Cal’s Own Holly Ave. opened as Kennedy & Rhind (which then closed/pivoted a fair bit to wholesale sometime 2022-ish). Cal’s Own Acorn Road became a dodgy pizza takeaway.
• Canaca
• Chillipepper was one of my fave sandwich shops, closed in Covid and the team now runs a street food venture Truly Torta
• Delta Lounge / the whole Alpha Delta Brewing Co closed with a tenancy dispute in Feb 2023, weird situation where the whole brewery closed later that year
• Eden Juice Bar one of many, didn’t last long
• Filmore & Union was a chain with an outlet in Central Station, disappeared

• Flavours Buffet & Al-Rashid Grill now sits My Delhi Newcastle
• Frankie & Benny’s off Northumberland Street, see ya
• Garden Shed became The Brownie Bar (closed 2020) and Garden Kitchen ended up a Sambuca’s (until the whole thing was sold off)
• George’s Kitchen closed (twice) before becoming Wingstop in Eldon Square
• Glass House was a bar on Grey St, quite liked it but dodgy dealings closed it
• The shipping containers on the Quayside housed Barrio Comida, The Little Fishy and firstly Riley’s Fish Shack. Now gone and never coming back.
• Good Times Sandwich Co. still unoccupied. Miss you, nice sandwiches
• Gospoda
• Hei Hei – is now Soju & Gogi
• Hop & Cleaver (-2018)
• Humpit Hummus couldn’t make their Newcastle Uni site work
• Intermezzo, closed to make way for NQ64
• Jamie’s Italian (-2019) is now bar Banyan
• Kingdom World Buffet at Haymarket, infamously took a bad food hygiene rating and never opened as a restaurant again
• Ko Sai made way for Porterhouse
• Kracklin’ closed forever during the Covid-19 pandemic, came back as Square
• La Riviera (?-2009), O de V (2009-2012), Southbank Grill (2013-2015) is home of River Beat (also now closed)
• La Viña, La Tasca, then Viva Brazil and Graze is now Abajo Bar & Grill (I don’t give it til then end of 2025)
• La Yuan was a great Chinese restaurant, closed Nov 21
• Lau’s 202 Buffet became very similar COSMO World Buffet, same shite
• Les Petits Choux gave up the business at the end of 2023
• Long Play Coffee
• Love’s Thai is now Nadon Thai
• Mamak Corner
• Mandarin Restaurant now Mantra Thai
• Manny’s Pizzeria, now The Little Dumpling House
• Marios on Pudding Chare was there for yonks until 2022
• Mmm… a former popular Grainger Market tenant
• Ninja Burger was a short-lived No. 28 pop-up
• Northern Juice Co. on High Bridge didn’t last ages
• Nova Seafood & Grill (-2018)
• Oldfields Newcastle, OAK, Canteen & Cocktails (2015-2016) now sits Colonel Porters
• Olivianas was taken over by Violets Cafe which closed in 2020 to become Solstice
• One-Eyed Jacks became Hoochie Coochie, now rebranded as PILGRIM
• Ophelia couldn’t make its site on Gosforth work sadly, a real loss. See also Cafeteria, which is a shame and a big loss for the region
• Osaka (?- July 2017) is now The Muddler
• Paradiso
• Pasqualinos rebranded to DatBar
• Patisserie Valerie (-2019) is now Cinnabon
• Piccolino
• Pizza al Taglio
• Pizzastorm was a poor chain in Eldon Square for a while
• Popolo, then Bierrex is now confusingly, Intermezzo. And where that used to be, is now Vicolo
• Pudding Parlour was a former Grainger Market tenant
• Purple Bear – average burgers off Northumberland St
• Quilliam Brothers — changed hands and is now Claremont Teahouse
• Quiznos had a very short stint on Northumberland St.
• Rasoi
• Rasa Nusantara is now Chili Padi
• Red’s True BBQ (-2019)
• Rumpoli, The Shilling, and The Victoria Shilling is still empty
• Rupali
• Scrumpy Willow and The Singing Kettle was cute little cafe on Clayton St, then board game cafe Meeple Perk (victim of the pandemic), now Tonkin Cafe
• Solid beer shop Centrale gave up in May 2023 after a good stint for train tinnies. Back as a Wobbly Duck venture in 2025.
• Some Like it Hot

• Solanos (201?-2016), Escobars, Noosh, Rockafella, is now Hula Co bar-cum-restaurant
• Starters and Puds (2008-2010), Krakow (2011-2013) is now The Fat Hippo Underground
• Talking Tides Brew Co. opened a taproom for about four days in Central Station with a pizza offering, weird.
• Tapas Revolution tried again in the Metrocentre following its Eldon Square incarnation but couldn’t make that work either
• Tenji
• TGI Fridays closed when the whole thing exploded in September 2024
• The Comfort Food Company (?-2008)
• The Gentleman is now Hibou Blanc
• The Godfather is now Lola Jeans
• The Grainger Rooms
• The Herb Garden (-2019)
• The Laundrette lasted less than a year, and is now home to a Nando’s below student flats
• The Living Room is now The Grey Street Hotel
• The Old Siam (2013-?) is now Bangrak Thai
• The Salsa Cafe is now St. Sushi after that moved from Westgate Road
• The Split Chimp micro-pub closed quickly in September 2023, citing rising costs.
• The Waterline (?-2014), then The Jolly Fisherman is now Tomahawk Steak House
• Ticino’s
• Treacle Moon (?-2007), and Prickly Pear (2007-) is now home of Solstice
• Two Fifths (2014-2015) is now The Continental (closed 2024) and is The Vampire Rabbit
• Ugot was a juice/healthy eating place
• Victoria 22, Casa, Hanrahans, Pearl Bar, Charlies and Foodie Burger have all been at the site now occupied by Sambucas Benbenuto
• Vietcafe on the corner of the Bigg Market, now Wendy’s
• Waiting Rooms was alright, now Be at One
• Yo! Sushi Grainger St closed in late 2024 to make way for Pho
• You Are What You Eat was open for all of a few weeks before it was seemingly evicted

Special mention for The Gate, which has lost over the years (among others I can’t remember):

• Spice Cube
• Ninos
• Gecko
• ZaZa Bazaar
• Est. Est. Est.
• Coast2Coast
• Rub Smokehouse
• BURGER.

Outside of Newcastle

• Allard’s on the Quay (closed 2018)
• Baba Yaga
• Barburrito, Metrocentre
• Barrio Comida very, very sadly closed in November 2024 with its counterparts Wishbone and the fantastic La Mesa
• Bear & Natural Kitchen, Heaton Road
• Black Door Brasserie / NE2 Food Social / Artisan
• BLK Coffee
• Bonded Warehouse (suppose Sheepfolds is a spiritual successor)
• Byron at Metrocentre
• Caffe Zonzo
• Canny milkshakes went into administration, sadly
• Catch Seafood became Tomahawk Ponteland for a bit, now also closed
• Celebrus (Darlington) seemed alright, closed though
• Cole Kitchen in Sunderland was a great cafe that had disputes with the council and closed 2024.
• Doppio Malto (Metrocentre)
• Dirt Health (Chillingham Road)
• Ed’s Easy Diner, dire chain that didn’t last long in the Metrocentre
• El Paso, piss poor tacos in Jesmond
• Elder & Wolf had a good stint in Whitley Bay but closed for good in September 2023
• Eleven became Bawn which then closed in 2024
• Fitness Kitchen, Jesmond
• Funky Tapas Indian Sunderland
• Geisha closed from its spot in Sandyford in 2023 citing a dispute with the council
• Good Food Guide appearing DH1 and Bistro 21, Durham
• Harissa, great CIC restaurant that closed in Jesmond, made way for Little Lobo
• Heaton Ingredient
• The Herb Garden (North Shields Marina) as well as the main Newcastle restaurant, both closed
• Jack Sprats (veggie and vegan) in Heaton became Baobab Bakery in 2013/14 (also now closed)
• Lost & Found (Heaton Road)
• Mod Pizza, was another ‘all you can top’ Metrocentre chain
• McCoys at The Baltic
• Papa Ganoush Whitley Bay was also a late 2024 victim, though may be back in some shape or form
• Patties has been on and off in Heaton for yonks, still off
• The Patricia closed to shift focus on Ophelia
• Postbox Ponteland
• Ritrovo pizza joint in South Shields closed in March 2023
• River Cafe North Shields, closed maybe in 2018
• Simplicity Cafe Gosforth
• Sky Apple Cafe, Wild Trapeze, also Heaton cafes
• Staith House was a real loss for North Shields and the Fish Quay
• Sugar and Slice, a good pizza gaff in Whitley Bay. Now something very similar there.
• The Tower Cafe (moved!) & Mustang S’ally (Ouseburn)

Any forgotten gems/horrors from the past? If this has ignited your nostalgia, send over any I’ve forgotten, send them over and I’ll add them to this list.