The Grainger Market. Opened in 1835(!) and built by that venerable duo Grainger & Dobson, of who we have to thank for much of the city’s architecture, it’s been a Grade I listed building since 1954. It’s the bustling, beating heart of Newcastle, full of local people, people who have chosen to make a home here, and full of people who have been in business for more years than I’ve been alive. We all know of it, but I think many people perceive it as a paradise of dreadful trinket shops and worse food.
Don’t be daft. It’s seen a bit of a resurgence, especially in terms of food in the past decade, and is now a multi-culturalists dream – probably the only place in town that houses independent Turkish, Chinese, Italian, (and others) under one roof.
This post was originally published in Summer 2015 (at the time was by far the most popular post I’ve ever written — thanks if you read it back then and have come back) but I’ve finally updated it more than a decade later for the 191st birthday of the market. I’ll try not to leave it so long for the next update…
Row 1
- Acropolis Street Food
- Dinithi
- Dumpling & Bun
- King Baby Bagels
- La Casa Delicatessen
- La Gamba Vermuteria
- Lindsay Bros. Fishmongers
- North Shore Coffee
- Snackwallah
- Soju & Gogi Express
Row 2
- Cubanos
- Firebrick Brewery
- Forest Boost
- HakuHaku Matcha
- Manhua Cha
- Meat:Stack
- Redhead Mac & Cheese
Row 3
- Bao Down
- LJ’s Mexican
- Pick Thai
Row 4
- Biang Biang Noodle Box
- Crepes Gourmet
- Geordie Banger Co.
- Pizza by the Slice
- Rice Kitchen
Row 5
- The French Oven
- Matthew’s Cheesemongers
- Pet Lamb Patisserie
- Pumphrey’s
Row 1
Acropolis Street Food
If you’ve never had a Greek-style gyros before, this is where to start. Acropolis do virtually one thing — vertical spit-roast chicken, well-marinated, a little charred at the edges — and they do it properly, piled into pillowy pita with salad, chips, and sauce.
Locals will no doubt recognise the blue and white pop-up tent from half the food markets and events in the city, but the Grainger Market spot is one of only a couple of sit-down versions. Get the wrap if you’re happy to make a mess of yourself, or the platter if you’d rather use a knife and fork.
What to order: chicken gyros wrap, £9
Read more: My full review
Dinithi
Sri Lankan street food from the team behind Quayside favourite URY Restaurant, opened in Alley 1 in 2024. The name is a nod to a Sri Lankan phrase for good food and good fortune, and the menu takes in dishes like lamb lamprais, seafood koththu, and vegetable roti.
The kotthu is banging — one of the best things you’ll eat anywhere in the market. Spicy, soft, with a bit of crunch running through it, genuinely interesting to eat, and they don’t skimp on the chicken.
If you want the fuller, sit-down version, sister restaurant URY on the Quayside is a different proposition entirely — priced like a proper restaurant, and admittedly slow if you catch it at lunch with just one person running the whole show. Which is annoying, because it’s really good, and there’s nothing quite like it in the market. Real spicing, plenty of variety bite to bite, and probably as authentic as it gets in the city. The chicken’s generous, but next time I’d just get veg.
What to order: kotthu, around £9–11
Dumpling & Bun
One of the relatively new additions to the Grainger market in late 2014, Nan Bei sells truly authentic Chinese dumplings – hand-made there right in front of you, steamed and then (optionally) pan-fried. As simple as it gets. It’s from the same team that brought us Quay Ingredient, so predictably, it’s great – while you wait, have a chat with owner Maggie who is surely one of the markets nicest personalities and biggest smiles. There’s a variety of 6-8 fillings, and honestly, all of them are worth a look, so ask for a mix of six dumplings (£3.50), and try a new tea while you’re there. They now also sell individual steamed buns – try the pork on the side, douse the lot in soy and chilli sauce, and and you’ve got the lunch of absolute champions.
What to order: six mixed dumplings, £5
King Baby Bagels
American-style bagels, hand-rolled and kettle-boiled, from owners Joss and Gordon. Started life at Tynemouth Market in 2019 before landing a permanent double-unit home (“the pink palace”) in Alley 1 of the Grainger Market in 2021.
Really like King Baby. The bagels are genuinely good now — fresh, though made in limited quantities per day, so don’t leave it too late. The breakfast sarnies are pretty good too, and it’s always worth checking what the monthly special is, which tends to be interesting. There’s no shortage of bagels in the city centre these days, but this is comfortably among the best.
What to order: the 0191 (ham & pease pudding), or the OG (salmon, tomato and cream cheese), £8
La Casa Delicatessen
Spanish deli and wine shop run by Olga and Angel since 2015. Ibérico ham, Manchego cheese, sherry vinegar, and Spanish wines picked up on trips back to their native La Mancha.
Get a wine and cheese board and you could almost be at La Boqueria, or Mercado Central de Alicante — the vibes here are properly good. Alongside sister business La Gamba next door, this is the best drinking spot in the market. Shame about the 5pm closing time, as with everywhere else here, but that’s the market’s rules, not theirs.
What to order: wine and cheese board, £15
La Gamba Vermuteria
The tapas bar side of La Casa Delicatessen, from the same owners, right next door. Vermouth on tap, patatas bravas, barbecued chorizo, langostinos al brandy.
Vermouth is the speciality here — order whichever style you fancy, or if you’re new to it, let the bartenders point you in the right direction, they know their stuff. Same good vibes as next door, same market closing time to work around.
What to order: vermouth, bartender’s pick if you’re unsure
Lindsay Fish Bros. & Lindsays 2 Go
Simply put, the best fishmonger in Newcastle. I love Latimer’s dearly, but these guys offer the same quality of all things piscine, without having to go to Sunderland. All the staples like cod, salmon, prawns of various sizes (right up to “jesus christ, it’s the size of a dinner plater”) are available, but also have a gander at the catch of the day counter which throws up your more interesting fish – bream, huge turbot, razor clams and whatever they catch. OK, to the uninitiated it might be slightly pricey, but honestly, so, so worth paying extra for the added quality (especially vs. Tesco fish counter *shudder*).. One of my favourite things to eat recently is their smoked mackerel – about a quid for a fillet. Put this next to a supermarket smoked mackerel and if you can’t taste the difference™, you need to asses your life.
Lindsay’s 2 Go, their neighbouring takeaway venture, sells freshly fried fish bites and fries, the occasional oyster, chunky prawn noodles, for about a fiver a pop. It gets busy at a lunch time, but that’s because everything is cooked to order, and tastes delicious.
What to order: smoked mackerel, catch of the day, trimmings for your pie/soup.
North Shore Coffee
Melbourne-inspired coffee, first pitched up at Quayside Market back in 2015, now settled into Unit 30 in Alley 1. Toasties and sweet treats alongside the coffee.
Really great coffee, and the snacks are nice too — one of the 13 best independent coffee shops in Newcastle, as it happens.
What to order: flat white and a cake
Snackwallah
Family-run, 100% vegan Indian street food in Alley 1 — samosas, bhel puri, chana chaat, curry of the day, all made with compostable tableware and a focus on sourcing from other local traders.
Good, and surprisingly all vegan given how much flavour is packed in. I’d take Dinithi over this one myself, but there’s no denying Snackwallah is hugely popular, and it’s easy to see why.
What to order: the curry banquet — a bit of everything, £12
Soju & Gogi Express
The Grainger Market outpost of Soju & Gogi, the Korean BBQ restaurant on Dean Street. Corn dogs, Korean fried chicken, and spicy rice dishes in a grab-and-go format.
One of the only places in Newcastle you can actually get a proper Korean corn dog, and it’s uniquely theirs in the market. Good value across the board.
What to order: corn dog
Row 2
Cubanos
Cuban street food that started life on Newcastle’s street markets before landing a permanent Alley 2 unit in 2021. The name dish is the Cubano itself — a hot pressed sandwich — alongside rice bowls, empanadas, and burritos, all made fresh on site.
Really dig the sandwiches here — unique on the market and well made. The rice bowls are the better value / more filling option if you’re after a proper feed. Good all round, and a definite one to try.
What to order: medianoche
Firebrick Brewery
Bottle shop and taproom for Firebrick, a family-run brewery based about 5 miles away in Blaydon. Craft beers and lagers on the shelves alongside wine, whisky, and small-batch gin and vodka — sit in with a pint or take a few home.
Giuseppe is clean, fresh and light — good for a summer’s day. Fire Glow, the winter spiced one, is gently spiced and about right for seeing out the colder months, if you’re not quite done with them yet. Trade Star is malty with not a lot going on beyond a bit of bitterness, honestly. The pick of the bunch is the Tyne Bank 9 black lager — a good, possibly smoked, example of the style, though tame and easy-drinking as you’d expect from a lager.
What to order: Tyne Bank 9 black lager
Forest Boost
Açai bowls and juices, one of the few genuinely healthy options you’ll find in the city centre.
Really good, and there’s not many other places in the city centre doing this. On the pricier side, but great to see a marginally healthier option among all the market’s fried and stodgy staples — something Newcastle city centre badly lacks.
What to order: açai bowl, from about £9
HakuHaku Matcha
A newer arrival dedicated entirely to matcha — one of a small wave of specialist matcha spots that have popped up around the city recently. Playful dinosaur branding, matcha served every way you’d want it.
The best matcha in town, easily. Varying strength levels depending on how experienced you are with matcha, and some proper fun stuff on the menu too — the Uberry, with ube foam and blueberry, is fab.
What to order: Uberry, about £5
Manhua Cha
The market’s bubble tea specialist, run by Dave and Carine out of Alley 2, Unit 62. Flavours range from classic Hong Kong milk tea to an Irn Bru fruit tea, with tapioca and ice cream toppings. They also run neighbouring World of Sweets.
Meat:Stack
Smashed, steamed, American-style cheeseburgers, started on the Quayside Market back in 2016. Meat:Stack had an earlier stint in the Grainger Market before moving out to a standalone restaurant on Groat Market, and have since returned to the market, taking over the unit vacated when FEDs moved out.
Among the best burgers you’ll get anywhere in town, and it’s brilliantly convenient having them back in the market. I’ve written a standalone post on Meat:Stack if you want the full story.
What to order: West Coast Classic, £10
Redhead’s Mac & Cheese
One of the first more ‘serious’ food stalls to take up residency in the market was Redheads. It’s been popular ever since, especially on those colder days when you need something to warm you through. Super cheesy, satisfying, eating it while it’s hot.
What to order: short rib, plain, chicken tikka cac-sala, the cheese toastie
Read more: My review on Redheads
Row 3
Bao Down
Katsu curries and filled bao, doing a reasonable trade in the market.
The steamed bao are the weaker order here — for the price, a bit mean on filling, so don’t expect these to rival those at a restaurant, sadly. The katsu is the better shout: fresh-fried chicken, a decent portion of rice, satisfying if unspectacular.
Newcastle’s got better bao and better katsu elsewhere (start at KATO), but if you’re already in the market and fancy either, this’ll do the job, absolutely.
What to order: katsu £8.50
LJ’s Mexican
Traditional tacos and quesadillas made from fresh, locally sourced ingredients, family-run, with a regularly rotating seasonal menu. The signature is Dean’s own sauce — a fresh blend of green chilli and tahini.
Really poor, unfortunately. Still on the hunt for genuinely good Mexican food in Newcastle — if you think LJ’s looks like the answer, I’ve got some bad news for you.
Pick Thai
Freshly cooked Thai street food from owner Janny in Alley 3 — pad Thai, massaman curry, tom yum noodle soup, fishcakes, with a relaxed sit-in setup inspired by Thai food trucks.
Doesn’t quite fit the “street food” billing here — it’s really a proper sit-down restaurant, and at around £11 a meal, it’s a world away from Bangkok street food prices. That said, it’s nice, and worth knowing about if you want a fuller Thai meal rather than a quick bite.
What to order: Pad Thai, massaman curry
Row 4
Biang Biang Noodle Box
From the plains of Northern China to the beating heart of Newcastle, taste hand pulled noodles and aromatic bowls of fiery broth courtesy of Henry Lei Xu. Henry has a stellar reputation for serving up delectable dishes typically enjoyed in Xi’an — think hand-pulled biang biang noodles, fiery broths, and Chinese burgers (roujiamo).
The noodles are shockingly good — possibly the best in the whole city. The dumplings here are better than the old Nan Bei’s too, the broth is stacked with flavour, and the noodles themselves come plentiful and silky, with a portion size that doesn’t leave you wanting.
What to order: biang biang noodles, £12
Crepes Gourmet
Crepes have been a staple of the market, and since Le Petite Creperie left the space a few years back, Crepes Gourmet has filled that void. Crepes, and galettes, with all manner of topics, some coffees, and brunch-time deals, these are filling and way better than going to Eldon Square for a commercial, mass-chain one.
What to order: buckwheat galette, dirty Biscoff crepe
Geordie Banger Co.
If you’re looking to overdose on pork, I gotcha.
I can’t walk by and resist the enormous sausage rolls (£3.50), or if you’re really hanging, and need a morning list, you’ll not find a better, or more comical sausage sandwich in Newcastle.
My advice is to go later on in the day, and there’s usually a few crispier, crackling-skin sausages hanging around, they’re the best.
What to order: sausage roll, sausage sandwich, some sausages for later
Pizza by the Slice
Pizza to me, is one of the most pure and simple foods that can be absolute perfection when done right. To find it in the Grainger Market in its most basic form – freshly cooked, very simply done, and just beautiful in every way, is something I try to take advantage of at least once a week. Look for the long queue, and get yourself joined to the back of it if you’ve never been. I wrote a little more about it here, but do yourself a favour if you’ve still not tried it, just go. It’s cheap, tasty, and absolutely just everything market/street food should be.
What to order: margherita slice (£3)
Rice Kitchen
Opened in Alley 4 in February 2026 by Jade Gu, who learned the recipes growing up in China before studying in the North East. Asian-inspired dishes built around rice — onigiri, matcha, and inari.
The onigiri was a little bare — nice rice, but pretty bare minimum on filling. The tamago is the better order: properly enjoyed that one, and it’s a decent, substantial bite.
What to order: tamago, £4–6
Row 5
The French Oven Bakery
One of the businesses that kinda kickstarted the mini-revival of the Grainger Market, now well-established, and seemingly popular with most market visitors. The French owner is passionate about the market and all the traders within, and claims “98% of products are made or baked within 1 mile” of the unit, which is respectable, as is as their policy of giving away unsold stock to the homeless. Speaking of the market, owner Emma says:
“I believe the market has really changed and I hope to see some great celebrations this year to celebrate the 180 year anniversary. It’s our 10 year anniversary and we wouldn’t have been in business if we hadn’t been in the market“.
They’ve actually had two pops at the market, with the slightly ahead of it’s time Health Box (“healthy fast food”) now defunct, but The French Oven – selling sandwiches, pies, and breads of many shapes and sizes – though I’m not too sure about the kebab meat pasty – still going very strong. You’ll definitely find something freshly baked, often with a French twist, and while it’s not always overly fancy, it is two fingers up to neighbouring Greggs.
What to order: macarons, whatever is on offer this week, or “yesterday’s bakes” at massively reduced prices
Matthew’s Cheesemongers
Matthew’s cheese shop, like mmm… above, has what you’re looking for in terms of specialist ingredients. Having been around for 25 with the current owners, and a further 25 with original owner Mr. Matthews himself, they’ve got a reputation for great offers on your Joe Blogs cheeses – Red Leicester, cheddars (of which there are many, including one I saw this week – “sticky toffee cheddar – ?”, and brie, as well as your rarer and harder to source cheeses. There’s also a vast array of herbs, spices, and odd bits like sarsaparilla root, much, much cheaper than your crappy out of date Schwartz jar. While there’s all the names you’d expect to see in a NE based cheese market – Doddington, etc., there’s also cheeses from all over the world – follow your nose and you’ll find it tucked away in the far corner eventually. Owner Lisa says of the market:
“The Grainger Market is really the heart of Newcastle, it’s survived two World Wars and gives people a sense of the way things used to be back in the day before supermarkets and the internet took over. It’s a little piece of history that should be maintained and treasured forever!“
What to order: offer of the week, or whatever hard to find cheese you’ve been looking for to impress your cheesy mates
Pet Lamb Patisserie
Katie & Kay set up their stall in the Grainger Market in 2012 having run a successful cake business for the past six years, and since then have become a bit of a toon sensation. They’re going stronger than ever, offer service with a friendly smile, and knock out some of the best sweet treats available in town – think nutella brownies, huge & pretty ombré cakes, and of course, the ubiquitous cupcake in dozens of flavours. They’re lovely lasses and take custom orders for birthdays etc. and even if you’ve never been to their inimitable shop, you’ve probably had their sweet treats – their cakes are supplied to tonnes of restaurants across the city. Others may be cooing about an impending Patisserie Valerie in Newcastle, but hey, we’ve got our sugary fix sorted already here. Katie & Kay say:
“We’re proud to be part of the Grainger Market! Especially as it’s become such a foodie hotspot!”
What to order: the nutella brownie (£2), whatever takes your fancy
Pumphrey’s Brewing Emporium
Pumphrey’s have been in the Grainger Market longer than anyone else, established in 1750, or 221 years before Starbucks was founded. You don’t get to hang around that long by being average, and hanging proudly on the wall is the award for “Best Cappuccino in the UK 2014” among a few others. As with the other specialist stores in the market – if you want it, they’ve probably got it – dozens of varieties, freshly ground for you (if you want), and assembled by people who care about their beans.
If you’re at all java inclined, you can do barista training courses here, ask for tips on better home brewing, or buy all manner of coffee gadgets like aeropress, filters, and whatever the latest during method is. A good spot to sit down, take in the sights, smells and sounds of the market, and enjoy the coffee of the week – it’s one of a few places you can actually sit in the market, and the coffee isn’t any more expensive than you’d expect. While we aren’t short of coffee shops in Newcastle, the same can’t be said of independent, quality ones.
What to order: special blend of the week
Other Stalls of Note
Fruit & Veg
90% of our fruit and veg comes from the Grainger market. It’s cheaper, you get more, you’re not feeding the supermarkets, it’s win-win. I get the feeling it all comes from only a handful of sources anyway as stock and prices between the stalls are always there or thereabouts, but try out Hector Hall, or current go-to of ours and general purveyors of hilarious banter, Liddel.
When we’re talking “supporting local” this is one of the simplest, most cost effective, and satisfying things you can do once in a week. Look for overripe fruits for some ridiculous bargains – like our 10 for a quid perfectly ripe and juicy nectarines this week, which we then seen in Waitrose for 55p each, reduced.
Butchers & Other Fishmongers
While the market was once more famously known for its butchers, there still remains a good handful of them. New visitors, vegetarians (and frankly, people with closed minds) might bork at the pig’s heads, hearts, and all kinds of animal guts on display, but if you’re looking for rabbit, beef heart, or any scraps and bones for your dog, you’ll probably find it here. Try centrally-based Oliver & Eden first.
Others & Specialist Stores
Did you know? The market has two air raid shelter below it? Unfortunately, the council won’t let us in, which is a shame.
It’s not just about the food, of course – I’m confident you could do your entire weekly shop in the Grainger Market. There’s the “Penny Bizarre” – the smallest, and one of the first Marks & Spencer in the world. A wig shop? Newcastle’s biggest independent craft market? Yep. Katherine’s Florists, tons of vintage clothing (amongst some absolute garbage), a CD shop that constantly plays one of those “hits of the 60s” 10-CD sets – it’s all there. I’m told the fabric shop has everything you could possibly need, and the cobblers is pretty good too.
After a long tenure in the Grainger Market, home of the quintessential steak bake, Greggs has gone! I do feel it’s a small piece of NCL history, but given the sheer number of them in NE1, might not be the worst thing in the world. But there’s a sweet shop selling dandelion and burdock cubes, lemon sherbets, and rock hard boiled sweets by the quarter pound; the famous weigh house – originally used by the butchers and grocers to weigh their goods, now dealing with humans, the printers which must produce so, so many “DECKA’S STAG DO” t-shirts. A pet shop. There is a unit that just sells fireplaces, even.
Some have even graduated – just round the corner now, but among a national chain of over 70 stores, Grainger Games started life here as a humble market stall. To fill that void, we have That Retro Game Shop where if you scour hard enough, you’ll still find a bargain gem or two.
Former tenants
I don’t want to try and list every single business that ever came fro the Grainger Market, but these are some that I can recall over the last ten or so years:
- FEDs Fried Chicken: moved out — one of the better fried chicken options in the market while it lasted
- Midsommar Bakery: was a good one, that lasted just a year. FIka-style, it was a great fit for the market, but alas, not to be.
- …mmm and …glug: was a deli, maybe ahead of its time, well-stocked, but not profitable in the early 2010s
- Fez Food: the precursor to Acropolis – much of the same, cheaper, I’d argue maybe even more authentic/better
- Curious Leaves: Pumphrey’s had a dedicate tea room — think they just wanted to focus on the coffee
- Le Petite Creperie: Still very much trading, Julien was one of the OG market traders, and still does banging crepes on the street food circuit
- Sloppy Joe’s: was a bit of a cheap sandwich shop, not sure what became of it
- Greggs: pulling out was a sign that the market was to be independent, and a higher standard. Yep, Greggs had been there a while, but there’s enough of them in the city centre
- Little Italy: was a spin off from the Pizza by the Slice guys – pasta and antipasto. Good but always felt a little out of place
- RISE Bakery: there have been a few bakers in the market, none of them hang around long sadly, no idea why
- Yummie’s: most recent casualty, this was a dedicated frozen yoghurt stall
The problem? The Grainger market is getting better every year, and yet still, we’re stuck with some pretty rudimentary opening hours. Many of the tenants petition furiously to get better opening hours, and trials of Sunday opening in December have proved successful. So for me and probably many others (Mon-Fri 9-5s), it’s a case if you can’t get there on a Saturday afternoon, you can’t get there.
If you want it to be a continued success, and YOU DO, remember:
“83 pence of every pound spent with a local business goes back into the local economy” (vs. ~5p in an average supermarket) [source]
If you love it, you’ve gotta use it. ❤ you Grainger market!
Opening: Mon–Sat 09:00–5:30PM. Closed Sundays.
Contact: graingermarket.org.uk
