Food and Drink in the North East

Polly Checkland Harding

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.

Our top picks

Pleased to Meet You

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.

Pleased to Meet You
Courtesy of Pleased to Meet You

Fat Hippo

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.

Fat Hippo
Fat Hippo

Let There Be Crumbs

Let There Be Crumbs, Roker Terrace, Roker,, Sunderland, SR6 9ND - Visit now

Hand crafted patisserie and exquisite afternoon teas: cakery and tearoom Let There Be Crumbs in Sunderland presents a winning combination, particularly for those with a sweet tooth.

Let There Be Crumbs
Let There Be Crumbs

Trakol

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.

Trakol
Courtesy of By The River Brew Co

Tango

Tango, 96 Elvet Bridge, Durham, DH1 3AG - Visit now

Built into the Old Elvet Bridge in Durham, Tango is an independent restaurant that provides the best in comfort food with a modern flavour.

Tango
Tango

Poetic Licence

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.

Poetic Licence
Poetic Licence Bar

Sachins

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.

Sachins
Courtesy of Sachins

Nadon Thai

Nadon Thai, 69-70 Crossgate, Durham DH1 4PR, DH1 4PR - Visit now

This highly-rated Thai restaurant in has branches in both Durham and Newcastle; family run, the kitchen serves up classic Thai dishes with a modern influence.

Nadon Thai
Nadon Thai

Blackfriars

Blackfriars, Friars Street, Newcastle, NE1 4XN - Visit now

Meals are served at long wooden tables in keeping with the architecture of this former refectory of a friary in Newcastle, which dates back to 1239, now a traditional British restaurant – and the oldest dining room in the UK.

Blackfriars
Courtesy of Blackfriars

Where to go in North East

Newcastle
Restaurant
Stack Newcastle

Following the closure of Stack, a hugely popular food, drink and entertainment pop up in Newcastle’s Stephenson Quarter, plans are full steam ahead for a permanent location at Worswick Chambers.

D'Acqua
Sunderland
Restaurant
D’Acqua

A stone’s throw from Sunderland museum and winter gardens, is D’Acqua – an exceptional eating experience in the heart of the city. In a Grade II listed building that used to house the Sunderland and South Tyneside water board, you will be able to enjoy the ambience that resonates out of these fantastic bricks and mortar – French oak floors and handmade bricks at that.

Angelo's Ristorante
Sunderland
Restaurant
Angelo’s Ristorante

Angelo’s Ristorante is an authentic Italian restaurant in Sunniside, Sunderland. Sitting within in a Grade II listed building, the restaurant enjoys surroundings that have been carefully restored using the original features of the building, including a rare glass staircase from the 19th century.

The Cellar Door
Durham
Restaurant
The Cellar Door

The Cellar Door is a premium restaurant built into an old 13th century baker shop enjoying wonderful, wooded views over the River Wear.

Nadon Thai
Durham
Restaurant
Nadon Thai

Nadon Thai is part of an independent chain of restaurants with a menu with a traditional and modern palette with a passion for Thai food.

Tango
Durham
Restaurant
Tango

Tango is an independent restaurant providing the best in comfort food with a varied burger menu and in-house deserts.

Fat Hippo
Durham
Restaurant
Fat Hippo

Founded in 2010, Fat Hippo offers signature burgers and indulgent desserts at purse-friendly price points.

Blackfriars
Newcastle
Event venue
Blackfriars

Blackfriars restaurant has gone from strength to strength. Andy and his wife, Sam, founded it in 2001 and developed it in the following years, so much so that they have come to use more and more of the old monastery buildings for baking lessons, wine tasting and cookery courses, all bookable through their website.

Sachins
Newcastle
Restaurant
Sachins

Behind Newcastle Train station, and a stones throw away from the location where George and Robert Stephenson built The Rocket steam locomotive, is Sachins. Sachins provides the finest Punjabi cuisine in Newcastle and the North East.

Trakol
Newcastle
Restaurant
Trakol

On the Gateshead quayside, underneath the Tyne bridge is one of the best locations to go for a meal in Newcastle and Gateshead. In what was once derelict land on the quayside, now exists a fantastic shipping container village of purposely rusted shipping containers.

Pleased to Meet You
Newcastle
Restaurant
Pleased to Meet You

Starting at its bar – which was also where Pleased to Meet You’s story began – you can enjoy some of the best drinks available in Newcastle. From locally produced gins, provided by the glass or bucket depending on the occasion, to real ales, the bar has what you need before you sit down for your meal.

Pizza Punks
Newcastle
Restaurant
Pizza Punks

Pizza joint in Newcastle, also offering make-at-home pizza kits during lockdown.

North East Visitor Guides

Walks in Sunderland
Walks in Sunderland

A cultivated array of walks and cultural spaces to visit, with nods to local history, sporting events, landmarks and heritage.

Walks in Durham
Walks in Durham

A curated guide on where to walk in Durham, featuring riverside routes, easy ambles, sought-out hikes and marked cultural stopping points.

Walks in Newcastle
Walks in Newcastle

A guide to the most attractive, rewarding and beautiful walks in central Newcastle and the landscape beyond.

The Kingslodge Inn
Hotels in the North East

To make life easy when it comes to booking your stay, here’s our guide to the best hotels in the North East of England.

The Grainger Market
Shopping in the North East

Our guide to the best shops in the North East of England, including independents, boutiques and markets in Durham, Newcastle and Sunderland.

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Spotlight on

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