Save some pennies but still eat well 💸
Everyone is feeling the pain of the recession, the diminished value of the pound, the rising cost of food and its supply chain, labour shortages, and all the other bad things this government is contributing to the world. It sucks, and it’d be easy to see dining out as a luxury to be cut from anyone’s weekly budget. But c’mon, you know I’d never recommend that…
But we could all save a few quid every now and then. So here’s some of my favourite cheap-ish eats at the moment, focussed on lunchtime dining in Newcastle. And before you come at me saying £25 isn’t a cheap eat — everything’s relative… and people are still gonna celebrate, even when trying to be a little more frugal.
*This post was written in collaboration with LottoLand who helped make this list possible. In stark contrast to this, they’re running a list of the world’s most expensive food for their client. Thanks!
Khai Khai: set lunch for £14
I’ve raved about it several times and I’ll continue to evangelise as long as this menu is available at this price. It’s gotta be the best set menu in Newcastle at the moment. Essentially 2 courses + extras for £14. It’s more than enough food for a chunky lunch, and it’s another excuse to shout about this vegan broccoli dish which continues to wow.
There are people who still haven’t been, so if you’re in that camp, Fri-Sun lunchtimes are the perfect time to give Khai Khai a go. Just be sure to order it 🥦.
The offer: starter, main course rice/naan and lentils for £14, 12-4:30 Fri-Sun
Newcastle Restaurant Week: returning January 2023
Whether you’re treating yourself to something tried and tested from the set menu at 21, or trying out one of the many new restaurants recently opened in Newcastle, Restaurant Week covers a lot of bases.
There’s some safe bets which are always good value, like The Broad Chare (below). Or it’s a great way to experience normally higher-priced menus, like at Hibou Blanc (further down this list). Whatever you try will likely (not always!) be great value, so when the event rolls back around, browse the menus, draw up a shortlist, and make those bookings.
Newcastle Restaurant Week should be back in January, last year was the week of 17-23rd, so next year might well be 16th-22nd.
Marco Polo: 2-course set lunch for £12
Sure, there are cheaper and even maybe more cheerful Italian restaurants in town, but the days of three courses for £4.95 certainly seem to have come to a crushing end. Step in long-serving Newcastle stalwarts Marco Polo, whacking out a starter and a decent main — not just marinara/bolognese/carbonara — for twelve quid. You can’t complain.
On the most current menu, I’d get chicken & mozz meatballs with lemon peperonata, then char-grilled pork chop, white beans, spinach & creamed mash. £12! Even if you don’t choose this menu, there are still great pasta dishes for a tenner, so it’s a win-win.
The offer: 2c for £12, 3c £15, Fri 12-6, Sat 12-5pm
Gingerino’s lunchtime special (£6)
Two large slices and a drink for six quid. Used to be a mere fiver until the world went to shit, but it is still unbeatable value. Especially when you consider a lot of other slices are pushing a fiver each nowadays 😫
All things considered, Gingerinos is still one of the best slices in town. The smug value of it just makes it taste even better. Not necessarily a lunch deal either, as you can get this up until 4pm nearly every day. If you’re so inclined, swap a slice out for one of the better-than-you-expect calzones, or even one of Gingerinos‘ sweet offerings.
The offer: 2 slices + drink, Monday – Saturday, 11.45-16.00, in-store only
Hibou Blanc’s bottomless oysters + bloody Mary’s for £25
Hibou Blanc is usually a pricier restaurant, but that’s not to say there aren’t some solid discounts available. There’s a set lunch offering 3c for £21 which showcases some great bistro cooking, or this one which really tickled me.
For me, this is a much more interesting take on the bottomless brunch trend. It’s more of a challenge of how many oysters you could sink in a couple of hours. Surely miles better than any Prosecco + eggs bennie?
Sundays only, but throw in copious Bloody Marys and I challenge you to tell me a better way to spend an afternoon. I’ve yet to get along to this one, but it’s near the top of the to-do list.
The offer: Bottomless Bloody Mary’s and oysters, Sundays 12-1:30pm, £25pp
Dosa Kitchen’s Sunday Sapaad (£16)
Sunday lunch on a budget doesn’t have to be a stale affair, with mangy three-meat roasts, and past-their-best Yorkie puds. Dosa Kitchen is one of the best alt-Sunday lunch picks, whether you’re a seasoned South Indian diner, or someone new to the gripping and vibrant cooking here.
The Sunday Sapaad menu is a thali-like little bit of everything from the fab Dosa Kitchen menu, all to be mopped up with the wonderfully light dosas. I’m not sure how far you could push it, but the lovely team will keep topping up your favourite dishes if you ask nicely. Way better than any bisto gravy + boiled carrots.
The offer: Just check out the menu: £16 for meat, Sundays only 12-6pm
Camera Shop’s salads for a fiver
The Camera Shop hasn’t gotten nearly enough love on this site. Since opening in 2008, it’s been a NCL mainstay for whopping sandwiches, and more recently I’ve been in search of something mildly healthier. And I’ve been really digging the salad boxes. There’s nowhere near enough great places doing takeaway salads in the city.
Choice of meat, falafel, or halloumi, it is way above the typical boredom of salad being a lettuce, tomato, and cucumber affair. The guys make harissa toms, their own fiery kimchi, and roasted carrots, beets, sumac onion, and other bits to make this an always great eat. And it’s a fiver!
The offer: Super Boxes from £5 until 2pm Mon-Fri
Kato’s chicken katsu (£6)
The cost of lunch for the casual office worked in NCL has shot up over the past decade, and it’s very easy to spend a tenner on some disappointing ‘street food’, which sometimes doesn’t even fill a hole.
Kato Pan-Asian does, as the name suggests garlic, soy, and ginger-infused dishes on rice or noodles for six or seven quid. Huge eat, lazy afternoon territory. It’s not super-refined, but it does exactly what it says on the tin.
I’ve tried a dozen or so of the Kato dishes this month, but always keep returning to the chicken katsu. It’s the bomb. Forget about your cold supermarket meal deal and try this as the weather takes a turn for the worse.
The offer: Dishes from £5, breaded chicken katsu curry is ‘K9’ on the menu (£6)
Snackwallah’s curry banquet (£10)
Could have been anywhere in the Grainger Market here, but I decided on Snackwallah which again, I’ve yet to really pore over on this site. All vegan, all dairy-free food, it’s inexpensive eating that’s made for somewhere like the Grainger Market.
Curry of the day is always a strong shout for £6, but the banquet is a huge amount of food for a tenner and quite unlike anything you’ll find elsewhere.
You’ll get fed for the rest of the day, and a chance to try some of Snackwallah’s greatest hits. You could easily share this between two, so sit down with one of these, and share a King Baby Bagel and a couple of Pet Lamb Patisserie brownies.
The offer: curry of the day, rice, daal, naan, samosa, pakoras & chutneys £10, stander Grainger Market opening hours
Blackfriars set lunch menu (3c for £25)
Blackfriars has been one of the best value set lunches in Newcastle possibly since day dot – and even in 2022 it’s a compelling offer. £25 for 3 courses isn’t the cheapest menu you’ll find on a Newcastle lunchtime, but it’s a consistently high standard of food that makes a celebration or special occasion a bit more affordable. Factor in some house bread and petits fours, and it’s as cheap as you’ll get for cooking this good.
If you’re heading over this Autumn/Winter, I’d be having the smoked mackerel pâté, venison pie, and plum pudding. Reliable 👌🏼
The offer: 12-2:30pm, 2c £21 / 3c £25, Monday-Saturday
Let me know if you have a favourite special value treat, or if you’re a restaurant owner wanting to share their offering.
*Disclaimer: Thanks to LottoLand for collaborating on this post — though they had no impact on the content featured within
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