Consett Restaurant Guide

A “fabulous country pub” that’s been serving the local community for two centuries and sits on a hill in this charismatic village between Hadrian’s Wall and Tyne & Wear. Chef-owner Rhian Craddock was championing local and sustainable cooking long before it was trendy, and that ethos informs the “outstanding menu”, which is full of “quality food at very reasonable prices”. PS – they also sell bakery goods on Saturday mornings, with a pizza pop-up due to return in spring.

This “lovely local Indian” is “a proper restaurant in a converted old railway station” (and also has spin-offs in Newcastle and Hexham). “It’s a favourite to combine with a day in the Tyne valley, followed by a couple of beers, then an excellent curry here”. Book their well-known ‘Passage to India’ for £56.50 per person, including travel from Newcastle, orders taken on the train, meet-and-greet at the station, and your meal (not including drinks).

A “lovely building” – a 13th-century former Dominican friary that’s among the oldest dining rooms in the kingdom, and also includes a cookery school – adds considerably to the lure of this long-running and “very reliable” restaurant. It’s a multi-tasking spot that will take you from breakfast through to an evening meal, all based on “good locally sourced produce” from fish to game. Further boons are the “helpful staff” and (in clement months) courtyard garden.

For 10 years “the go-to establishment for a fine-dining experience in Newcastle”, Kenny & Abbie Atkinson’s Quayside spot is these days slightly eclipsed in feedback by its younger sibling, the nearby Solstice. Reports ands ratings remain positive, but sometimes came with a sting in the tail in this year’s annual diners’ poll: for example, “expensive but actually reasonable for the quality of food and service on offer”… “really good but meagre portions”… “well-executed, but not hugely exciting”.

“A longstanding ‘go-to’ destination for a good night out” which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year – Roberto & Walter Pani’s “consistently good” Sardinian venture “has stood the test of time while others have come and gone”. It has an “interesting menu of Sardinian specials and wines to try”, a “buzzing atmosphere”, and “if you are new to town, you’ll feel quickly at home”. Top Tip – “perfect for a pre-theatre meal as the Theatre Royal is just around the corner”.

In its days as ‘21 Queen Street’ (long RIP) this Quayside address led the local field for many years, and this casual dining successor took over in 2016, owned by Andy & Sam Hook plus chef Troy Terrington. Reports this year, though, continued the uneven theme of last: one regular hailed it as a “fabulous place that never disappoints” but others thought it “rather average” (“at the last visit, we felt we could have cooked our meals better at home”).

“Great atmosphere, great cooking, great concept” – Terry Laybourne’s busy wine bar/restaurant just off Newcastle’s Quayside offers an enticing menu inspired by the south of France and Italy. It’s next door to the Live Theatre, so perfect for pre-theatre wining and dining.

“On a great location just off the Quayside”, this is “not really a traditional pub, but with Terry Laybourne at the helm you can be assured of the highest standards of both food and beer”. “They promise ‘honest, home-cooked food like pubs used to serve’ (well, none of the pubs I used to go to served food as good or as varied as this!)”. It’s also “perfect for the Live Theatre next door” (which it helps to fund). Top Menu Tip – “get a selection of the pub snacks (which should include the Lindisfarne oysters) to share: it’s like having special pub-themed tapas”.

“You can always guarantee something a bit different or unusual” at Anna Hedworth’s Ouseburn operation, which upsized from its original shipping containers site seven years ago. “Not obviously romantic, but it’s cool and quirky with excellent cooking”. The changing menu offers the likes of “Cheese & Sauerkraut Doughnuts, Beetroot Borani with Walnuts, or Pan-Fried Hake & Sag Aloo with Curried Mussel Sauce” – making it “imaginative and generous, particularly considering the price point”.

Set on the village green in a charming hamlet a few miles from Hexham, a “lovely old inn” with a “warm fire in winter” and a conservatory offering sweeping views over the Tyne Valley. The blackboard-listed cuisine features some “very good local produce, e.g., game and fish” (plus “fantastic steaks”) making it “a favourite” in these parts; it’s been ably steered by chef Phil Mason and FOH wife Karen since 2007, and is the follow-up to their acclaimed former venture the Green Room, which occupied the old luggage office at Hexham railway station.

Dave Coulson, a former MasterChef: The Professionals finalist, ensures that this whimsically named split-level venture on a shopping parade in Jesmond is “great for a business meal as well as for leisure”. The “good value and delicious set lunch” (£25 for four courses) remains the top draw, though the classically inflected cooking also takes in a more decadent £90 tasting menu – all “top rate” and with “excellent” service to boot…no wonder reporters “love it”.

“A hidden gem” in Jesmond – “we used to bring our children and now bring our grandchildren: the menu (by no means only pizza) hasn’t changed much but along with the classics there are good daily specials (search out the blackboard!)”. “Food is good and tasty, service very quick, with a jolly vibe” – and it’s “walk-ins only, which means we give it a miss on Saturdays, when queues can be in the street”. Top Menu Tip – “the best garlic king prawns”.

Loire Valley native Greg Bureau is behind this “well-established and well-regarded” Gallic bistro: a jewel of this “lovely market town” (especially since they added a glass balcony) and long reputed for its “highly reliable” cooking and “tremendous value” sets. Linger over a meal amid vintage French posters and then amble over to the “fine abbey a short walk away”.

Scheduled for a late 2025 opening, a modern Scandi-style restaurant to be built in the walled garden of Close House in the Tyne Valley, now part of a golf course. It's from the high-achieving owners of Hjem in Wall – Swedish chef Alex Nietosvuori and his Northumberland-born partner Ally Thompson – who will work their magic on produce from the garden and meat, game and fish from within a 30-mile radius.

“This is the future of cooking!” – Cal & Sian Byerley’s “exceptional” converted cow barn near Hadrian’s Wall is one of the most enthusiastically rated in our survey and inspires a good amount of feedback. “It‘s quite small which adds to the occasion”. “While others talk about flying amazing produce from around the world, here we have magic being made from local and humble ingredients” by Cal, with the aid of Ian Waller. “The team really knows how to look after their guests, providing excellent information” and “interacting with the diners to give an immersive experience”. “The unique tasting menu” – £165 per person (£195 per person if you go for the chef’s table) – “is more than likely to stun you with a vegetarian dish (meat, fish and seafood courses are just as delicious, but are used to punctuate a journey as opposed to being relied on). Vegetables and herbs may not sound that glamorous but it is simply the most mind-blowing taste experience!”. Finally, there’s the “incredible wine list” presided over by Vanessa the sommelier, “who offers really well-thought-out pairings and unusual choices (that always come up trumps)”.