Celebrating everything that’s great about Newcastle upon Tyne (and a little further) in food, drink, and life ❤️
Shamelessly inspired by the The Observer Top 50 OFM list, here’s 30 things I can’t get enough of lately, and will be lavishly enjoying today, tomorrow and throughout the rest of this summer. This is not at all a list of my thirty favourite restaurants, but instead I’ve tried to highlight individual dishes and their respective related moments that you really oughta know. Some old, some new. All bangers.
If you’re in Newcastle for just a few days over the summer, consider this pretty much the itinerary I would give you. Or if you’ve lived here all your life and still haven’t ticked off all of the below, well here’s your summer 2022 to-do list. Get cracking!
1. Northern Rye’s Jambon-buerre and some Torres black truffle crisps
Is it the best sandwich in Newcastle? Just maybe. The best things in life are often the most simple, as so perfectly demonstrated here in the shape of the best baguette in town, plus just good ham, cornichons, and lots of salted butter. It’s difficult to beat, but the only way I’d improve it? Some Torres crisps on the side (I’d go for the truffle), and a view of the Tyne. Handheld lunching bliss.
2. Sinking Wylam’s latest IPA at By the River Brew Co.
It’s easy to forget that we’ve got one of the best breweries in the game on our doorstep in Wylam. Or two, if you count the spin-off By the River Brew Co. If there’s one thing they’re good at, it’s those dangerously sessionable IPAs that on warm day, go down pint after pint, like pop. And in HWKRMKT they’ve managed to bring an NYC vibe to the Gateshead Quays of all places, making it one of the very best spots in the North East to be when there’s even the faintest lick of blue sky.
It might be too warm to really enjoy my Beer of the Year So Far™️, the enormous 14.5% BA imperial stout ‘Big Trouble in Little Barrels‘, so make mine a Lush, cheers 🍻
3. A Dot Bagels hot Reuben on an everything bagel in Jesmond Dene
I gushed on about Dot Bagels here recently, and the daily fresh bagels are still a rapturous experience every time. My pick will forever be the ‘everything Reuben’ – it’s salty, it’s sweet, savoury, it’s got pickles, it’s got cheese. But the timely USA specials on this summer are also hot stuff. Dunking a birria-filled bagel into consommé? Joyful, and wonderfully messy.
Get yours to go, and devour in its natural habitat of Heaton Park or Jesmond Dene, right among the topless summer Geordies.
4. Pint of cask at The Town Mouse just before a gig
The Town Mouse is the best pub in Newcastle. Big claim, aye, but it is. It’s sweaty, often cramped, and there’s far more CAMRA-chat then you’d ever care to hear, but the condition, curation, and overall quality of the beers on offer is second to none. The cask selection will nearly always trump anywhere in town, too.
The top end of town isn’t the best, drinks-wise, but you’re always in safe hands here. We’re off to see Kevin Bridges on Saturday, and a smooth Bad Kitty & some crisps are definitely on the schedule.
5. An early almond croissant from Pink Lane Bakery
The quintessential morning snack? The Pink Lane Bakery team has been smashing it consistently for years now, and my pick of the pastries is the fresh out of the oven, still warm almond croissant. Sure, the purist in me likes the crackling crisp crunch of the plain-Jane version, but that molten frangipane filling is something else, and immensely satisfying.
Great coffee as well, or stay on Pink Lane and grab one 100m away at Pink Lane Coffee. Making train journeys out of central station boujee since 2012 💅🏻
6. Big River Bakery’s ham & pease pudding stottie with a conscience
Coal, and Gazza aside, the ham and pease pud stottie is possibly our biggest export, and finally I’ve found the definitive version.
Big River Bakery is a social enterprise meaning you can feel good about more consciously spending your cash. And the stotties are archetypal versions of the bread/cake that’s just made for honking great sarnies.
Thick, salty ham, and tablespoons full of the yellow mush we call pease pudding form a whopping sandwich that makes you proud to have an NE postcode. It might well just be the heaps of nose-numbing Colman’s mustard but the thought of one makes my eyes water with pride 🥹
7. Carnal joy at Träkol with half a pig’s head and a pair of tongs
Every restaurant should have a dish that’s gonna stay the course, and for me, at the wonderful Träkol it’s gotta be that face on a plate that is half a flame-grilled pig’s head.
It is difficult to overlook a 1kg slab of beef at an open-flame restaurant but I tell all first-timers to look the pig in the face. And pull away bits of cheek, and nuggets of brow. And taste the smoke, and the blackened potatoes. And enjoy one of the most visceral and memorable eating experiences the quayside might ever have to offer.
8. Fish and chips on the beach at Longsands, Colmans, and Trenchers
All winners here, so just do them all. Colmans is always gonna be banging — try the Seafood Temple for some battered oysters as well. Then head to Longsands to compare and contrast (ordering curry sauce, non-negotiable).
Finish the summer with a Trenchers, and absorb the Whitley Bay beaches. Are we spoiled by having this many good fish and chip choices within a few mile radius? Absolutely. So make the most of it every single time the sun shines.
9. A Sunday morning spent grazing at the Quayside market
Sunday mornings and scranning everything in sight at the Quayside market just go together. Whether you’re catching some fresh air and enjoying a tubful of carbs from Redheads Mac & Cheese, or a chicken katsu from Tokyo Kitchen there’s now so many choices, you’ll find exactly what your body craves.
Best in the summer when the sun is shining, literally everyone wears a smile and not much else, and the view down the Tyne is unparalleled. Walk it off and head along the Ouseburn for a cold beverage later on in the afternoon. You’ve earned it.
10. A weekend of care-free calories from Proven Goods Co.
Newcastle’s premier doughnut house, Proven keeps on smashing out the softest fried dough, and by far the best flavoured, and most wonderfully topped and filled doughnut flavours in the NE. Get there early on a weekend to (try and) beat the queues, and have a wander around Hoult’s Yard, too. Monthly revolving flavours, so for July mine will be a horchata coconut please.
Pro tip? Why get just one when you could get half a dozen 🤷🏻♂️
11. A lazy mid-afternoon scotch egg at The Broad Chare
Scotch eggs have come a long way since The Broad Chare really brought an A-grade version to Newcastle, and most of them are poor, poor imitations. Pub snacks do not get better than this, with a little bit of haggis through the sausage, a jammy amber yolk and a dollop of HP sauce on the side. Pint of Writer’s Block and a book perhaps, and you’re set.
Actually, don’t pass on the cheese toasties either. Or the cauliflower fritters. Or the pork pie…
12. Make an impression on date night at Route.
Gimmick, themed, and ‘won’t be here tomorrow’ restaurants and bars are the plague of Newcastle at the moment, so it’s always good to have a solid gold safe-as-houses banker. Mine might well be Route.
Michelin-guide rated, you’re guaranteed a quality of memorable cooking way above the average. Come in and gobble anchovies and croquettes with some fab wines. Or by night, feast on larger plates of skate on the bone, monkfish loin, or just a whopping steak cooked 🤌🏼 bang on. You (and your date) will leave impressed.
13. Flame-grilled slabs of fish on King Eddie’s Bay at Riley’s Fish Shack
Had to be, didn’t it? If you’re talking summer dining, we’ve got our own world-beating gaff a mere 9 miles out of NE1.
Catch it on a sunny day, and there might not be a better spot in the world for flame-grilled fish, sea views, and that toes in the sand vibe than Riley’s. If you know the weather’s gonna be good, be sure to book. Or if not, get takeaway and go enjoy your grilled mackerel wrap at your leisure, anywhere along the North Tyneside coast. Life-affirming 👌🏼
14. Pretend you’re in Spain with croquettes and a cold white from Sobremesa
Chili Road has fast become a real collective of little great places just outside of the city centre, and Sobremesa is the resident choice for good wine and authentic tapas.
Intimate, and best on a hot, blue sky day, the sensation of some pan con tomate and croquettas with a bottle of crisp white is as Euro-holiday evocative as you’l get in NE6. Start after your siesta, and stay until when you’ve worked your way through the dozen or so excellent wines on offer.
15. ‘Anytime’s good for pizza’ slice, passing by I Scream for Pizza
Pizza has pretty much hit saturation point in Newcastle, but when I Scream for Pizza opened on the Quayside last year, it was always gonna be top-tier. Offering big NY-style pies, and more crucially, pizza by the slice, there’s half a dozen pies at any time, and you’ll be hard-pressed not to walk along the quayside munching one with a smile on your face. Make sure to try ‘Brooklyn’s Finest’ (pepperoni & hot honey), and the ice creams are a whole lot of fun too.
16. Just, the Grand Fruits de Mer at Saltwater Fish Co.
Treating yourself? Saltwater‘s Grand Fruits de Mer is really, as decadent as it gets. Langos, lobster, clams, mussels, scallops, and everything else you could want from a fresh and luxurious spoil-yourself-feed. It is in Fenwick of course, so be a real lady who lunches and order a bottle of Tattinger, too, and enjoy the best seafood experience you’ll find in the city centre.
Pro tip: for those 40°C days, it is one of the coolest AC spots in the city ❄️
17. A one-off dining experience at Restaurant Hjem
I’m lucky/silly (delete as appropriate) enough to be spend a lot of £££ on really special dining experiences, but for those yet to really splash out, make this summer the time to visit a Michelin star restaurant.
As an experience, the value is difficult to quantify, and very individual, but you’ll not have tasted food like it, or seen anything like the end-to-end service, drinks, menus, and glow-ups of ingredients that awards a restaurant like Hjem a M*. You might not like all of it, but you’ll always remember it. Try also: Pine, House of Tides, Raby Hunt.
18. Properly memorable pastrami done properly at Smoke & Sear
There’s a few sandwiches on this list and while any of them will blow you away, particular love to Smoke & Sear’s effort. The home-smoked pastrami on Northern Rye sourdough is breathtaking. It’s gotta be one of the best things I’ve eaten this year, for the rich, smoky, pastrami that’s clearly had a lot of time and love gone into it alone. While you’re there, might as well sink a PBR, some truffled mac & cheese balls, and I beg you — get an order or three of the hash browns.
19. Actually fancy patisserie at Dreamworld cakes
Sometime a cuppa and a Rocky just doesn’t cut it. So when you’ve got your mam coming round, or you’re trying to impress your huns, roll out some big hitting patisserie. Dreamworld in Ouseburn is still 👑 of cakes, whether it’s delicate choux buns, mirror finish glazes, or laser-accurate genoise layers. Always backed up by stellar flavours, there just isn’t a better reason to get out some nice crockery and take a moment to pause.
20. A double Pablo Eggs-Go-Bao for a big breakfast
Like Madonna and Kylie, Pablo’s has become a forename-only affair when nearly a once a week, the call for ‘Pablos?’ comes from a hungry colleague or breakfast table.
A portable breakfast sandwich that makes you think ‘why’d this take so long to come into my life?’, it’s likely the best breakfast item in the NE. Handily now available in NE1, as well as at the coast. Downside? Only ’til 2pm (for now…?)
Pro Tip: They’ve savvily got hash browns on for sale as well now, with Sriracha mayo. Win 🔥
21. A whistle-stop tour of the world, via the Grainger Market
Think the Grainger Market couldn’t get any better? Pah! In just the last couple of years, it’s added bagels, fried chicken, and a bar to its roster. Like our own little La Boqueria, browse, mooch and graze and see how much you can pack away. Just make sure you grab a FEDs Fried Chicken and you’ll be good for the rest of the day.
Other faves? Get a brownie from the Pet Lamb girls, some dumplings from Nan Bei and a North Shore coffee. Lucky enough to work in NE1, like me? Winning, every single lunch time 😎
22. Make a sloppy acquaintance with a gyros from Acropolis
It’s one of the most prominent street food vans of the region — just look for the blue & white — or follow the bits of dropped salad and errant chips, and audible ‘mmmms’.
Order with halloumi, all the sauces, get it to go and just apply it to your face. Add in the salsa nation playlist on Spotify and a cold beer, and you’ve saved yourself another trip abroad.
Find Acropolis catering at probably any event happening this summer – or definitely at Central Park in Times Square for open-air beer & kebab shenanigans.
23. ‘They did what to some broccoli?’ at Khai Khai
Some dishes are worth a trip alone, and the broccoli at Khai Khai is a recent standout that springs to mind. The humblest of ingredients undergoes a smoky and spicy transformation into something that is mind-bogglingly good, I’ve wanted to eat it again ever since I first had it. The curries, well they aren’t bad either…
Don’t just take my word for it: validation that both Gordon Ramsay, and the Michelin Guide liked it as much as I did.
24. One too many natty wines at KORK Wine & Deli
It feels like the NE1 natural wine market remains shockingly untapped, so thank god for Kork in Whitley. A wine bar offering small (delicious) plates, go for a few glasses of something unusual, something special, or just something chuggable, and you’re guaranteed luscious grape juice that’ll make you happy inside.
Easily one of the best locations for wine lovers in the North East, there’s a couple of South-ish-facing outside tables for the real summer & Provençal rosé aficionados .
25. A taste of the med on a sunny day at Papa Ganoush
Another underserved market, in the height of summer I can’t think of anything I’d rather eat than Papa Gs take on all things Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern infused.
Really just sharing meze plates of sunshine, there’s plenty of nods back to their street food days, with falafel and halloumi, and lots and lots of lovely chermoula, harissa, and all of those big Ottolenghi-esque dishes we’ve come to love.
Get the hummus & pitas, obvs.
26. A working lunch of fresh egg pasta at Zucchini Pasta Bar
Sometimes only pasta will do, and the easiest Pavlovian response to getting a fix is still Zucchini Pasta Bar.
Now doing Milanese, bottomless bunches and much more, stay true to the classics and get the epic pork, fennel & n’duja ragu with orange. Fresh pasta doesn’t get much better than this — always great value, mega tasty, and managing to hit the spot every time. Finish with a fiver tiramisu, if you can.
27. A fresh FAB Bakery loaf, absolutely sopping with Acorn Dairy butter
FAB Bakery being my local bakers is a blessing and a curse in that I can rarely say no to it, such is the quality of what comes out of their ovens on the daily.
I recently had one of their mozzarella, sea salt & herb flatbreads, still warm out of the oven. It was mullered in one sitting, thick with an inch of Acorn Dairy’s marigold yellow butter. Pastries and patisserie also strong, but really, any of the breads are 💯.
28. Easily shake a hangover with THE Meat:Stack breakfast
Lot of breakfasts in town, but few of them really do it for me. Meat:Stack though, ticks all of the boxes with this pile of salty meat, carbs, and pulsing joy on a plate. A sobering alternative to a Full English — fried chicken, sausage patties & pancakes are just some of the artery-cloggers you’ll enjoy, all soaked in maple syrup.
It is absolute filth of the highest order. And if this doesn’t sort you out after a long Friday night down the Bigg Market, nothing will, mate.
29. More than just a pizza & a pint at Full Circle Brewery
Sure, you can get a pizza and a pint pretty much anywhere in Newcastle. But this is special. Though the Scream for Pizza (above) ship may have sailed from Full Circle, the pizzas are still reliably 99% just as good. Get there at the right time and enjoy a mega Neapolitan, and one of the stunningly good fresh beers on tap (newbies, go for Looper) for a mere tenner.
Great for a ‘working’ meeting, catching up with a pal, or just because. Come for this. Stay for a few more…
30. Have a hot girl summer, or really any excuse for Di Meos ice cream
Until last year, I would have shouted for the Doddington Dairy cart outside of Fenwick, but they’ve in-housed it now (boo).
But readily available in the Ouseburn is Di Meo’s own cafe. As good an ice cream as you’ll find, go for the Amalfi lemon sorbet or my fave, the pistachio gelato. Rich, luxurious, and surely, a taste of any good summer afternoon.
When the news is full of doom, gloom, and gammons (and not the marmalade glazed kind) all over, these are just a few of my favourite things. What are yours? 🌞
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