Ponteland, Italian Restaurant Guide

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.

“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”.

“This little restaurant offers a genuine slice of southern Italian regional fare”, and has picked up a lively following in two years for its “authentic” modern Italian dishes – footballers from promotion-chasing Gateshead FC have been seen ‘carbo-loading’ on good-value pasta or pizza the evening before a match.