Jesmond Restaurant Guide

2023 Review: “A very pleasant change from some of the run-of-the-mill Asian offerings elsewhere in Newcastle” – this “very nice South Indian restaurant” which doesn’t have the greatest entrance (“entry is via a door on a different street and up a flight of stairs”). “An excellent range of dosas” is the highlight of its “excellent value and very consistent food”. Top Tip – “Sunday buffet is especially good value and a great introduction to South Indian cuisine for those unfamiliar and/or unsure what to order”.

2022 Review: “Delicious, interesting dishes” inspired by the street food delivered by Mumbai’s ‘dabbawala’ bicycle delivery men, are to be found on the menu at this brightly coloured Jesmond venue with an open kitchen and verandah. It’s a spinoff of the city-centre original.

Tucked away in Jesmond, this old-style Italian (est. 1983) with its tricolour awning is “still going strong, and whilst prices continue to rise, it still offers good VFM and a fun environment where families are welcome”. The menu takes in your usual pizzas and pastas, but there are also blackboard specials to peruse, and the overall package, being a winner, tends to attract crowds on weekends.

Nothing but praise for Masterchef: The Professionals finalist Dave Coulson’s ambitious but “down to earth” outfit, est. 2013 on a Jesmond shopping parade. The punchy modern British cooking is “always first-class”, with a “great variation of dishes” and a “reliably interesting tasting menu, all with a North-East twist” (and notably good value too). Numerous best meals of the year are reported here by a more-than-local fan base.

2022 Review: You wouldn’t necessarily expect it from the unassuming façade, but former River Café alum Nick Grieve's “small but adventurous” bistro on the main road through Jesmond turns out some “outstanding quality” food – currently in the format of a six-course, no-choice menu (£59).

2022 Review: Scant reports – too few for a rating – on this ‘upmarket neighbourhood dining room’ from ex-House of Tides chef Danny Parker, in the venerable Jesmond Dene location once part-owned by Terry Laybourne. In addition to dinner service and Sunday lunch, daily afternoon tea is a feature.

2024 Review: This “lovely hotel” in a “beautiful” Grade II-listed Arts and Crafts house remains a satisfying getaway, being particularly “perfect for afternoon tea”. There are several dining spaces, ranging from a bar offering light snacks to the dedicated Fern Dining Room for heartier meals.

2022 Review: This Art Deco (1938) landmark (incorporating Newcastle's only surviving indie cinema) closed for much of the COVID-19 pandemic and started a phased reopening in August 2021. The coffee rooms are in the final phase following a new floor and refurbishment of furnishings throughout the building.

“Really interesting small plates” that are “imaginative and generous considering the price point” are the attraction at this Ouseburn venue from self-taught chef Anna Hedworth, who started out with supper clubs and worked at Rochelle Canteen before launching initially in a shipping container, moving into permanent premises eight years ago. “The menu varies to suit the season, available ingredients and the chef’s inspiration, and you can always guarantee something a bit different or unusual”. Top Menu Tip – “beef shin croquette served with a blue cheese cream is a star dish”.

“Still going strong after more than 30 years”, Roberto & Walter Pani’s “buzzing Sardinian café/restaurant in the heart of Newcastle still cuts the mustard for a good night out with friends or a quick pre-theatre meal” that features “delicious Sardinian and Italian cooking”, with “a list of specials so there’s always some variety”. Top Tip – “it’s worth trying the unusual Sardinian wines”.

“Such a cool, vibey place to eat”, on the Quayside, replete with “moody lighting” and “knowledgeable, friendly and attentive” staff. Inspired by the South of France and Italy, it’s part of the local empire of NE culinary star Terry Laybourne, who received his Freedom of Newcastle scroll – the city’s highest honour – in 2025; on the menu, a “fantastic, well-explained, and unpretentious wine list with useful information, e.g., how to remove red wine stains from your shirt” and “adventurous food” (it’s “always worth ordering off the specials board”). It’s particularly recommended as a “great location for pre-theatre dining right next door at the Live Theatre, whose toilets it shares!”.

The Banqueting Hall at this former Dominican friary is said to be the oldest dining room in the country, dating back almost 800 years – and the ambience in its contemporary restaurant is “just as you’d expect from a tasteful friary”, while the food is “consistently good”. Launched in 2001 by Sam & Andy Hook, the venue hosts occasional medieval-style banquets, and recently added a micro-brewery next to its restored cloister garden.

“Really impressive” Quayside pub from local food hero Terry Laybourne with cooking that is a “significant upgrade on the usual fare” while “also in these very difficult days exceptionally generous with its portions”. “Everything is beautifully cooked, and they’re especially great at frying” – “you could recommend this place to anyone”. Top Menu Tip – “don’t miss the excellent bar snacks”: “Lindisfarne oysters and crispy pigs ears”; “cauliflower fritters with curry mayonnaise; deep-fried monkfish cheeks with homemade tartare sauce; crab with fennel and crackers”.