The North East of England and its main city, Newcastle, are perhaps better known for their party and pub culture rather than a fine-dining scene and high-end restaurants. However, it’s not all ‘grim up north’ - with the region attracting a new Michelin star in the past few years at the sublime Raby Hunt, and a growing appetite for great food, things are heading in the right direction, even if it takes the latest food trends a few years to make it up North. There are exciting independent restaurants and essential eats popping up on a monthly basis - it's not all Greggs! 

1. Margherita Pizza - Cal’s Own 

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Pizza restaurants are ten-a-penny in Newcastle, but there’s one that’s head and shoulders above anything else available in the city, and indeed in the entire North of England. Cal’s Own is a seriously authentic take on NY-style pizza and the most basic margherita showcases simplicity itself; the absolute finest ingredients cooked quickly and simply, come together to create something memorable, and many people’s idea of pizza heaven.

2. Scotch Egg - The Broad Chare

thebroadchare.co.uk

High quality pubs, and pubs serving really great food are becoming increasingly popular in the city, but the original Newcastle ‘gastropub’ is still the very best. The Broad Chare Scotch Egg is everything you could want while relaxing in a proper pub: salty, savoury, satisfying, and best washed down with a quality beer. Add some brown sauce on the side, or the house-made piccalilli. Bar snacks just don’t come better than this.

3. Ham & Pease Pudding Stottie - Greggs 

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Quite possibly the North East’s most famous sandwich from the city’s most famous retailer, Greggs must serve hundreds of these every day in the city centre alone. Rarely seen outside of Newcastle, pease pudding is a split pea paste, often cooked in the same pan as the ham to absorb it’s salty flavour. Add generously to sliced ham, and serve in a stottie ‘cake’ - a dense bread roll baked on the bottom of the oven, and you have a filling lunch for less than two pounds!

4. Pan Haggerty - Blackfriars 

BlackfriarsRestaurant

Another local speciality, (not to be confused with Sunderland’s own Panaculty) pan haggerty is largely unheard of outside of the North East. Often made at home, the comfort food also appears on menus in good restaurants, especially during the cold winter! Blackfriars offers a menu packed with local favourites; the restaurant itself being one of the oldest dining rooms in the country.  Simply: baked butter, onions, potatoes, and cheese - what’s not to love?

5. Craster Kipper - Quay Ingredient

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The quintessential kipper, these herrings have been caught nearby and smoked in Craster for almost a hundred years by five generations of the same family. Add to toast or some melted butter and a couple of poached eggs, and you’ve got brunch perfection.

6. Devilled Black Pudding - The Feathers Inn

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A family run pub known for its high quality food using truly local ingredients, nearly everything from The Feathers could have made the essential eats list. Think meaty homemade black pudding, doused in a spicy devilled sauce, sitting atop a good dollop of creamy mash; topped with a perfectly poached egg, it’s the perfect pub starter.

7. Street Food - The Grainger Market

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Any visit to Newcastle isn’t complete without a wander through the bustling indoor market. Among the shops and traders, there’s now a vast range of food vendors, selling authentic Italian pizza, French crepes, Turkish kebabs, and all manner of pies, pastries, and sweet things. It’s all very reasonably priced, so you can graze all day while you shop.

8. Afternoon Tea - Jesmond Dene House

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For something sweet, a sit down with a good cuppa and some well-made scones is hard to beat. Only a few minutes from the busy city centre, Jesmond Dene House offers a quiet retreat, and serves up the best afternoon tea in the city. Scones are perfectly made on site every single day, and equally good cakes make this the perfect treat.

9. Fish & Chips - Colmans

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Fish and chips at Colmans is a bit of a local institution - expect queues at any given time, and when you try the fish and chips you’ll understand why. Sustainably caught fish, cooked fresh; it’s how fish and chips should be. Taken down the coast on a sunny Summer’s day, they’re hard to beat.

10. A Pint of Newcastle Brown Ale - The Bridge Tavern

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Probably Newcastle’s most famous export, even though it is no longer brewed in it’s original home, Newcastle Brown Ale, or locally “dog”, will be found at every pub across the city. A rite of passage for every eighteen-year-old, the classic caramel brown ale works well at St. James Park (the home of Newcastle Football Club), with a curry, or anytime you’re missing home.