Diners' Choice: Hot spot restaurants in Newcastle and Northumberland

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants that are the best hot spots in Newcastle and Northumberland? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Saltwater Fish Company

4.9

4.9 (1494)

£25 and under

Seafood

Newcastle upon Tyne

About the restaurant

Designed for seafood lovers – Saltwater Fish Company, situated in Fenwick Foodhall, operates as both a Fish Bar and Fishmonger with a ‘we cook what we sell, we sell what we cook’ philosophy. There’s no fuss – just a passion for seafood, simple yet creative cooking and friendly service.

Top review

Joanna

Dined 3 days ago

Always fabulous food and drink. Service is amazing and atmosphere wonderful

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Experience

Oyster Happy Hour

St Vincent

4.8

4.8 (910)

£26 to £40

Wine Bar

Newcastle upon Tyne

About the restaurant

Part wine bar, part restaurant, a city centre venue with a city centre buzz. St. Vincent is an after-work drinks spot, supper-with-friends place and general 'snack-with-a-glass-or-two' hang out with a big-hearted 'everybody welcome' attitude.

Inspired by the neighbourhood bars we've found on our travels through France and Italy, we offer interesting wines, charcuterie and crowd pleasing plates full of punchy flavours. We're a place where an hour spins into several without anyone noticing.

Open evenings Tuesday to Friday, all day Saturday and close late.

Enough said. Come and find out.

Top review

LucyVIP

Dined 4 days ago

We had a mind blowingly good meal last night. Everything tasted amazing. The service was brilliant and the wine list superb.

Sohe

4.8

4.8 (1151)

£25 and under

Pan-Asian

Newcastle upon Tyne

About the restaurant

Sohe is sure to offer an experience like no other, traditionally trained chefs create dishes demonstrating their culinary flair, unique methods and individual expertise, showcasing foods from all over the world that are sure to tantalise and tease the senses. Set within Jesmond’s quintessentially English and stunning Victorian period properties the mix of Northumbrian history, Asian inspiration and cosmopolitan vibe allow you to unwind in a whole new type of culture. SoHe’s sure to invigorate and excite with its blend of fine foods from throughout the world in fusion with the Asian inspiration behind this exciting new dining experience. Sohe has a cocktail menu to mesmerise and enchant any patron whilst all set within a building of character and elegance situated right in the heart of the city. This is North east Fine dining with a refreshingly informal vibe, an atmosphere to ease you into complete comfort and dishes to keep you green with food envy.

Top review

Matthew

Dined 4 days ago

Really good service, food was delicious, will definitely be returning!!

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4.8

4.8 (188)

£41 and over

British

Newcastle upon Tyne

About the restaurant

Branches is a multi award winning restaurant
which aims to provide its customers a contemporary dining experience set in a beautifully modern décor surrounding.

Located on the hugely popular Osborne road we pride ourselves on the professional service our staff provides each customer. The intimate stylish dining room caters for individuals and parties to provide the ideal setting for any occasion from romantic to business.

Our chef source the freshest, local, best of British produce direct from nearby suppliers, farms and markets.
All our dishes are created from the highest quality products available. We also offer a wide selection of Wines, Beers, Gins and expertly made Cocktails.

Branches Restaurant has won Tripadvisors Travellers choice award for multiple consecutive years along with appearing consistently in their top 10 restaurants in Newcastle Upon Tyne.

Top review

Vivienne

Dined 2 days ago

Another lovely dining experience. It would be enhanced if the Sunday lunch menu included a lamb option.

Elkwater Bar & Bistro

4.7

4.7 (130)

£26 to £40

Bistro

Ponteland

About the restaurant

WALK-IN GUESTS WELCOME, WE ALWAYS KEEP SOME TABLES FREE. Call 01661 679600 or email enquiries@elkwater.co.uk to check availability.

Elkwater Bar, Bistro and Lifestyle Store in Darras Hall, Northumberland. A beautiful venue, offering delicious French/Canadian inspired relaxed dining, from breakfasts through to lunch and evening meals with live music, cocktails, draught beers and fine wines.

Top review

Deborah

Dined 3 days ago

Very nice brunch, lots of choice, and really tasty food

Pho Newcastle

4.6

4.6 (52)

£25 and under

Vietnamese

Newcastle upon Tyne

About the restaurant

Pho Newcastle is a healthy Vietnamese restaurant with loads of vegan and gluten free options.

We specialise in pho, the Vietnamese noodle soup, and also serve delicious curries, rice dishes, wok-fried noodles and healthy salads, too. We also have loads of starters that are perfect for sharing with friends and family.

Over a third of our menu is vegan, and nearly all of it is gluten-free, so we are a great destination for people who follow those particular diets. We are accredited by Coeliac UK.

Aside from our lovely food we offer a brilliant range of healthy juices, as well as delicious wine and beer, and a fantastic cocktail menu too.

If you’re unable to dine-in, you can click & collect your order, or find us on Deliveroo.

We look forward to welcoming you!

Top review

Damien-Lee

Dined 3 days ago

Great food, great service, friendly staff and excellent value for money.

Café 21 Fenwick

4.5

4.5 (420)

£25 and under

Café

Newcastle upon Tyne

About the restaurant

A home from home where hospitality comes first. Café 21 is a sociable and effortlessly stylish space, serving crafted comforts, lunch bites and sweet treats. This breakfast, lunch and early evening venue is the place for a mid-shopping trip lunch, business meeting, afternoon tea, or a quiet cup of the good stuff. A place where ‘me time’ matters.

Booking is not required however we do take reservations from 2:00 onwards for Afternoon Tea.
Our last booking is at 4:45pm Monday to Saturday and 3:45 on Sunday.

Top review

Peter

Dined 5 days ago

Nice meal at cafe21 ,good varied menu,served by friendly and efficient staff who looked after our needs 100% nothing was too much trouble and the food was cooked to perfection. Everything was good value and presentation was excellent. Staff were very helpful as always and nothing fazed them even even trouble paying with my gift card which they sorted without any trouble

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Experience

Champagne Afternoon Tea

Experience

Classic Afternoon Tea

Experience

Sunday Lunch

Gaucho Newcastle

4.5

4.5 (557)

£26 to £40

Steak

Newcastle upon Tyne

About the restaurant

The Legacy Menu | 31 years | 3 courses | £31

You asked, we listened. We’re overjoyed to welcome back the unmissable Legacy Menu for the entirety of July. To pay homage to our rich history, we will be relaunching a special nostalgic menu featuring iconic dishes that have defined Gaucho’s journey. The menu includes highly requested plates from across our history, all in celebration of our 31st anniversary.

Gaucho is now the custodian of a painstakingly restored Grade II-listed building on Pilgrim Street, blending a sophisticated elegance with industrial elements, reflecting the city’s legacy for impeccable craftsmanship. With a sweeping centerpiece bar that’s perfect for early evening drinks and a wide-plan restaurant with an open kitchen, it will become the restaurant to see and be seen in this great city.

Top review

Elaine

Dined 4 days ago

Lovely experience with my best friend for a catch-up, food excellent as always, manager was lovely as we discussed a particular wine, try Malbec Vina Patricia!!! Absolutely beautiful 😍

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Popular dish

Ribeye

Popular dish

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

Popular dish

Chateaubriand 200g

The Engine Room

4.5

4.5 (869)

£25 and under

British

Sunderland

About the restaurant

Welcome to the Engine Room
Great quality food, produced from fresh and locally sourced produce, is teamed with a fantastic range of drinks – from soft drinks, and beers to cocktails. Sitting inside the lovingly restored Old Fire Station, within the heart of Sunderland’s cultural quarter the Engine Room is the perfect place to enjoy a meal before visiting the theatre, mark a special occasion or simply meet with friends for a fun night in the city.

Top review

JudeK

Dined 4 days ago

Great atmosphere- after a very tasty burger we went out to the back where they had an amazing tent with a bar and huge screen showing Glastonbury - friendly staff

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4.3

4.3 (329)

£25 and under

Contemporary American

Washington

About the restaurant

Welcome to Carter & Fitch. We look forward to serving you!
Pizzeria - The Carter & Fitch pizza is a real Italian affair. Devour the Pizza Lungo 12” thin crust pizza, fresh from our Italian oven. The base is hand stretched using long ferment dough, resulting in a delicate crust. Topped with our very own secret sauce.
Smokehouse - All of our meats are from selected prime cuts, rubbed with our unique blend of spices and seasonings, infused overnight, then smoked in our Oklahoma smokehouse oven, low and slow over Mesquite, till meltingly tender.
Bar - Our fully stocked bar has something to wet every appetite from beer, spirits, wines, champagnes and cocktails. If you feel like throwing caution to the wind…ask your server about our new ‘Hard Shakes’. We even have a ‘Speak Easy’…Shhh, that’s our little secret!

Top review

Stephen

Dined on May 14, 2025

Staff were great and very attentive. Food was excellent and well presented, will definitely be back soon.

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