Best in the North East


All the North East's best restaurants



✪✪✪✪✪✪  (OUTSTANDING)



Just off the A19 in North Yorkshire
Very attractive pub/restaurant with rooms
1 Michelin star, 4 AA rosettes


Simple, local ingredients redefined by Alexander Nietosvuori's genius - a fabulous fine dining restaurant near Hexham




House of Tides
Kenny Atkinson's casual fine dining restaurant on Newcastle's Quayside
1 Michelin star, 4 AA rosettes  






The Man Behind The Curtain
Michael O'Hare's eccentric, brilliant cooking in Leeds
Tasting menu, 1 Michelin star  

Peace & Loaf
Skilled, innovative cooking from Masterchef finalist
Tasting menu  


The Raby Hunt
Modern European, near Darlington, County Durham
Extraordinary modern cooking - dinner only, except Sat
2 Michelin stars

 

✪✪✪✪✪  (EXCELLENT)






21 
Reliable modern British bistro, Newcastle Quayside



Bao Bar
Fabulous Asian food in the tiniest Newcastle spot



The Bay Horse
Relaxed gastropub near Darlington

Great little bistro in Jesmond






 

Café Lilli
Modern Italian, Greek and French influence, Norton



  





Caffè Vivo  [CLOSED]

Modern Italian, café feel, Newcastle Quayside








Cal's Own  
Authentic Neapolitan pizzas in Jesmond




 
Cook House 

Anna Hedworth's homely, delightful new restaurant




The Crathorne Arms

Excellent gastropub near Middlesbrough



DH1 [CLOSED]
Tiny fine dining spot in Durham






The Feathers Inn
Award-winning Northumberland gastropub


The Garden House Inn
Excellent gastropub in Durham city

Haveli
Modern fine dining Indian restaurant in Ponteland  

Consistently good brasserie, chain, Central Newcastle

Papa Ganoush
  Fabulous southern Mediterranean cooking and a warm welcome in Whitley Bay

The Patricia
  Excellent cooking from chef Nick Grieves in local (Jesmond) neighbourhood restaurant



  Very fine dining from chef Richard Allen


Route
  John Calton's excellent little Quayside restaurant


The Roxburgh
  Skilled cooking in small Whitley Bay restaurant



St Vincent
  Terry Laybourne's latest city centre venture - small dishes and great wine list



 

Trenchers 
The best fish and chip restaurant in the region
- in Whitley Bay's Spanish City



  Authentic Keralan cuisine, Newcastle Quaysid 




Violets Cafe (dinner)
  Abbie and Kenny Atkinson's little cafe has fabulous small plates
 


 
 

 

  

✪✪✪✪ (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)

Modern British cooking with local, seasonal ingredients, in contemporary art gallery

A Taste of Persia 
Authentic Iranian, Central Newcastle and Jesmond

Barrio Comida (CLOSED)
Great tacos and a wonderful view on Newcastle's quayside 

Beadnell Towers
 Friendly village hotel now updated with good traditional British food

Bistro Citron Vert
Good French bistro in former County Durham pit village
  
Boat Noodle
From the owners of Chilli Padi (see below), another little Malaysian gem 

Bouchon Bistrot
Authentic French bistro in the middle of Hexham 

The Brasserie at Sage Gateshead
Tiny menu, noisy, impersonal ambience, but good cooking with great value

The Bridge Tavern
Newcastle's latest gastropub, with its own microbrewery, Quayside

The Broad Chare 
Newcastle's first real gastropub, consistently good, Quayside

Byron
The ubiquitous chain finally hits Newcastle - with very good burgers

Bundobust Leeds
Very informal (paper plates and disposable cutlery) curry house in Leeds 

Catch Ponteland
Some very good cooking and fresh fish on the A696 north of Ponteland 

Chadwicks Inn Maltby
Fine gastropub combining ambitious cooking with pub standards  

Chez Mal Brasserie (Malmaison Hotel) 
Classic Frenglish brasserie fare overlooking MIllennium Bridge

Chilli Padi  
Tiny Malaysian cafe - authentic cooking, no alcohol licence

Colmans Seafood Temple
Great sea views from every table in South Shields fish restaurant 

Côte
It may be a chain, but the French food is good and the service excellent 

The Curing House
Classy little charcuterie bar and restaurant in Middlesbrough 

Dobson & Parnell
Interesting new fine dining restaurant near Newcastle's Quayside

Dosa Kitchen  
South Indian restaurant in Jesmond - great dosa!

   Doxford Hall 
Country house hotel, modern British, local ingredients, North Northumberland

Ernest
Quirky, laid back Ouseburn café bar

Fat Mermaid
Interesting "British" tapas in a relaxed atmosphere by Amble Harbour 

Finbarr's
 Traditional restaurant, interesting, modern menu in Durham city 

The Forge
Good cooking and a lovely atmosphere in Washington, near Sunderland 

Fratelli  
Ponteland Italian (Sardinian) great pizzas and pasta, welcoming, family-friendly


The French Quarter
Authentic French food and good wine in central Newcastle restaurant/wine bar
  
Fuego
Mediterranean wine bar and restaurant in Fenwick's Food Hall, Newcastle 

Harissa Mediterranean Kitchen
Healthy and delicious Mediterranean food in lovely modern restaurant 

Hibou Blanc 
Quality cooking in the middle of the Bigg Market - who'd have thought it?   

Hinnies 
 Geordie comfort food in bright Whitley Bay seafront restaurant

Inoodle
Handmade Lamian noodles and interesting Chinese menu

The Jolly Fisherman
Fantastic sea views, great food at this atmospheric gastropub in Craster

Lane7
Great chilli dogs, burgers and bowling (NOTE: change of chef since review)

Langley Castle 
 Some pretty fine cooking in a very grand setting

La Yuan
Calm, classy Sichuan restaurant in Newcastle city centre

The Lord Crewe Arms
Medieval inn in Blanchland with old British recipes reinterpreted by former head chef at HIx Soho 

Matfen Hall
Greatly improved country house hotel restaurant, near Corbridge

Meat:Stack (formerly The Grind) @ No 28
Great burgers in a fun, Newcastle city centre bar

The Morritt Hotel
Ambitious cooking in hotel restaurant near Barnard Castle (NOTE: change of chef) 

Muse
Lively, modern, fun brasserie in Yarm  

The Northumberland Arms
Comfortable gastropub near Morpeth with rooms and modern British food 

The Old Boat House
Destination fish restaurant/bistro in Amble, right on the harbour 

Omni Café
Small Whitley Bay café with Asian tapas in the evening

Pleased To Meet You
Classy French-ish cooking with great ingredients in city centre gastrobar


Porterhouse Butcher & Grill
Dry-aged steaks and a broad, interesting menu at latest Laybourne venue 

The Potted Lobster
Great seafood restaurant in Bamburgh 


The Rat Inn
Atmospheric and award-winning gastropub with view, near Hexham 

Riley's Fish Shack
Ultimate view and good fish at this tiny beach restaurant in Tynemouth


Roots York
Tommy (Black Swan) Banks's second restaurant opens in York 


Saltwater Fish Company
Terry Laybourne's fishmonger-cum-fish bar in Fenwick's food hall
 

Seaham Hall (Byron's Bar and Grill) 
Some excellent cooking at this smart hotel restaurant (NOTE: change of chef)

The Ship Inn, Ouseburn 
Very good vegetarian/vegan cooking at this pleasant Newcastle pub

Simla
Atmospheric family-run Indian restaurant on Newcastle's Quayside 

Six
Great view from the Baltic art gallery, Modern British, overlooks Millennium Bridge 

Sky Apple Café 
Gastro-vegetarian, tiny, great value, Newcastle (Heaton)


Stable Hearth
Darlington pizzeria with great pizzas and other Italian dishes 

The Staith House
Former Masterchef finalist John Calton's gastropub on North Shields Fish Quay

Starks Kitchen
Modern café/restaurant in Heaton with some great cooking 


St Mary's Inn 
A welcome return for the sister inn of Jesmond Dene House - a fine gastropub

Tapas Revolution
Celebrity chef Omar Allibhoy brings his authentic Spanish chain to Newcastle

Thai House Café
Some authentic hot and spicy Thai food in informal city centre café


Träkol
Gutsy, imaginative cooking and great beer in 'Creative Container Community' 

Truffle
Classic French technique, good ingredients and a great cheeseboard in Darlington 

Tyneside Bar Café
Informal, buzzy, city bar with proper food, part of Tyneside Cinema
  
Vallum Farm (formerly David Kennedy)
Modern British, local ingredients, Tyne Valley
 
Vercelli
Italian restaurant in Hexham with some excellent cooking

Violets
Abbie Atkinson's classy café on Newcastle Quayside

Vujon
Smart, long-established curry house with wide range of regional dishes    


Wynyard Hall (Wellington Restaurant)
Grand country house hotel, overbearing ambience, food improving, Tees Valley

Zucchini Pasta Bar
Fresh pasta bar in the middle of Newcastle, with delicious sauces and sides
 
Zyka 
Welcoming Hexham curry house with some very good cooking

✪✪✪  (RECOMMENDED)

12 Harland Place
Popular local
café/restaurant in Norton Village, Stockton

1910 Steak & Seafood
Destination restaurant within Whitley Bay's refurbished Spanish City

Akbars  
Bustling Indian, part of famous Bradford chain, Newcastle Central and Middlesbrough


Al Buco
Friendly, family-run Italian in Newcastle city centre with authentic Puglian food 

Aveika 
Modern Japanese cuisine in swish Newcastle Quayside late bar

Baba Yaga
Newcastle's only Polish restaurant - hearty, homely, inexpensive cooking,

The Barrasford Arms
Village gastropub with simple, no frills cooking, Tyne Valley 


Bealim House
Gastropub with its own gin still, and straightforward bistro food 

Bierrex
Good quality barbecue meat in Newcastle city centre smokehouse 

Blackfriars Restaurant
Gutsy British food in a medieval friary

The Black Bull Inn at Frosterley
Delightful classic (and classy) old village pub with some very good cooking 

The Black Horse
Eclectic British menu in eccentric Boldon pub run by former punk band front man  

Bonbar
Extravagantly decorated bar inside Newcastle's Assembly Rooms


Branches
Modern, attractive dishes in bright Ponteland restaurant 

The Bridgewater Arms
6 miles from Barnard Castle, classic, stylish cooking in atmospheric gastropub

Café Royal
Newcastle caf
é renowned for afternoon teas, but also does good lunches

The Cellar Door
Small, attractive, ambitious restaurant in Durham with some good cooking 

Cena Trattoria
Modern Italian café in Yarm 

Central Oven & Shaker 
Good Neapolitan-style pizzas opposite Newcastle's Central Station 

Chefs' Academy
Restaurant run by students from Newcastle College - during academic term only   

Colmans
Classy fish and chip restaurant in South Shields - not open evenings

Colonel Porter's Emporium
Wildly furnished gastrobar near the Quayside in Newcastle 

Crab and Waltzer
Crab sitting in a waltzer in Whitley Bay? What could be nicer?   

 Dabbawal (Jesmond)
Indian street food in the suburbs of Jesmond. Atmospheric and fun. 

D'acqua    
Comfortable Italian/French/English fare in Sunderland


Datbar
Hamburgers and pizza in Newcastle bar with a 'cool, punky, urban vibe'

The Duke of Wellington Inn 
Tyne Valley gastropub (change of chef since review)
 

The Earl of Pitt Street
Quirky gastropub offshoot of Electric East close to St James' Park


Elder and Wolf
Small, atmospheric cafe/restaurant in centre of Whitley Bay  

Eslington Villa
Good value reliable British cooking in comfortable family-run hotel 

Eshott Hall 
Country house comfort with classic British menu near Morpeth


The Fat Hippo/Fat Hippo Underground
Simple burger restaurants in Jesmond and Central Newcastle 

The Fork in the Road
Not-for-profit restaurant in Teesside with solid British cooking 

The Funky Indian
Indian tapas in Sunderland basement restaurant 

The Granby Inn
Village gastropub with some very good cooking from 2016 NE Chef of the Year 

The Granby Inn @ The Dyke Neuk
Solid British favourites at this country pub near Morpeth  

Harry's Bar & Brasserie
Huge Newcastle city centre venue, with some good cooking and some not so much


The Hudson (County Hotel)
Pleasant hotel brasserie right opposite Newcastle's Central Station

Jamie's Italian
   Rustic Italian from big efficient chain, with Big Love from the celebrity chef


Jesmond Dene House
Smart hotel restaurant in Jesmond Dene, some very good cooking

Kiln
Amospheric café/pottery in Newcastle's Ouseburn  

Latimer's Seafood Deli & Café
Wonderfully fresh seafood by the sea in this tiny unlicensed County Durham café


Little Italy 
Small Italian cafe/deli in heart of Newcastle's historic Grainger Market 

Lollo Rosso  
Jolly, atmospheric local Italian with good seafood

Longhorns Barbecue Smokehouse
Beer and smoked beef and pork on huge planks - no table service or napkins


Longsands Fish Kitchen
Small, ambitious fish restaurant in Tynemouth, open all day

Lost and Found
Attractive Pan-Asian restaurant in former Heaton antiques shop  

Meet & Treat
Atmospheric little pan-Asian cafe in Newcastle's Chinatown 

The Mizen Head
Comfortable modern restaurant in Bamburgh, specialising in mussels and fish  

Nadon Thai (Morpeth)
Tiny Thai above a Morpeth fish and chip shop


Nadon Thai (Newcastle)
Good Thai food in Newcastle - at last!


The Pheasant Inn
Unfussy, solid cooking with local, seasonal ingredients in pub near Kielder 

Proven Goods 
Best doughnuts in Newcastle - in Hoults Yard off Walker Road

Quay Ingredient
Excellent little coffee house on Newcastle Quayside, with very good breakfasts 

Raval  
Interesting Gastro-Indian, close to the Sage Gateshead and Hilton Hotel


Red's True Barbecue
 Newcastle branch of barbecue chain - good brisket

River Beat
Thai tapas on the Tyne - pan Asian small and large plates 

River Café On The Tyne
Modern British, good for fish, intimate, North Shields Fish Quay   


Rosa Twelve
Family-run Low Fell Italian bistro with pizza, pasta, and a happy atmosphere

The Running Fox
Classy café in Felton near Morpeth, with great pies and generous afternoon teas 
 
Sabatini 
I
talian (Authentic Sardinian), good winelist, Newcastle Quayside


 
   Sachins
Traditional Punjabi cuisine in Central Newcastle


Sea&Soil
Small, bright restaurant in Amble with some very good cooking

Shilling
Cocktail bar with some good cooking on Newcastle's quayside 

Sky Chinese Cuisine
Fun dim sum (before 8pm) restaurant in Newcastle's Chinatown 

The Town Wall
Big elder sister of The Bridge Tavern gastropub, close to Central Station

Turtle Bay 
Lively, colourful Caribbean chain in Newcastle city centre


Viva Brazil
Brazilian-style Churrascaria (all you can eat grilled meat) in Newcastle

Walwick Hall Hotel
Boutique hotel close to Hadrian's Wall with some very good cooking 

Wolfmann's Eating House
Tasty Asian food prepared by really nice people in this South Shields cafe 

The Wood Oven
Friendly local pizzeria in Wylam with sourdough pizza and a great attitude

Wylam Brewery
The brewery's gastropub in Newcastle's beautifully renovated Palace of Arts 

Zaap
Reliable Thai chain restaurant in Newcastle city centre