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The oldest dining room in the UK in Newcastle, a restaurant built into a bridge in Durham and a seafront soul food joint in Sunderland – the drinking and dining scene in the North East of England has it all. Our guide to the best food and drink in the area includes a bar with over 100 gins on its menu, a burger restaurant where the messier your fingers are by the end of the meal, the better, and a critically acclaimed kitchen housed in a shipping container. Curious? Read on to find out more.
Pleased to Meet You, 41-45 High Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1EW - Visit now
Over 100 gins behind the bar and classic British dishes in the restaurant: Pleased to Meet You in Newcastle is the best of both drinking and dining, with top cocktails and a strong menu served in an elegant setting.
Fat Hippo, 36 Saddler St, Durham DH1 3NU, DH1 3NU - Visit now
Staking a claim to serve the best burgers in Durham, Fat Hippo’s motto is ‘good food, messy fingers, and juicy burgers’. This tempting burger restaurant is just a short walk from Durham Cathedral and castle, too.
Trakol, Hillgate Quays, Gateshead, NE8 2FD - Visit now
Showcasing seasonal and ethical cooking, the menu at Trakol in Newcastle is dotted with dishes created using techniques including preservation, dry ageing and cooking over fire. It’s critically acclaimed – and housed in a shipping container.
Poetic Licence, Roker Terrace, Roker,, Sunderland, SR6 9NB - Visit now
Adjacent to the Roker Hotel in Sunderland is Poetic Licence, a bar and kitchen serving small batch gin, fantastic cocktails, craft beer and soul food on the seafront.
Sachins, Forth Banks, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3SG - Visit now
Sachins has been serving Punjabi cuisine in Newcastle for over 30 years, its much loved frontage still recognisable but with a full refurbishment having transformed the interior. Go for authentic dishes, including gunpowder chicken and Amritsari prawns.
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