Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in Newcastle and Northumberland

OpenTable

Updated January 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes 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!

St Vincent

4.8

4.8 (838)

£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

Emily

Dined 1 day ago

Fabulous cocktails, wine and food at the bar. Got great recommendations from the barman. Couldn’t recommend more.

The Broad Chare

4.8

4.8 (3210)

£26 to £40

British

Newcastle upon Tyne

About the restaurant

We’re big on warmth, low on fussiness: stripped wood floors, high bar stools, painted brickwork and comfy leather banquettes. Sup your pint beside our polished-oak bar or tuck yourself away in the Snug behind the frosted glass partition. You can hear yourself talk, concentrate on the crossword or nod off quietly in the corner.

To help keep everyone safe, our teams will continue to wear face masks and we'd love you to do the same when nentering and moving around the pub and dining room.

Thank you for your continued support and understanding and we look forward to seeing you.

Top review

Nick

Dined 3 days ago

The Broad Chare always delivers fabulous food, in a great environment, served by friendly efficient staff. Never fails to impress.

Vercelli Restaurant

4.7

4.7 (500)

£25 and under

Italian

Hexham

About the restaurant

Vercelli Restaurant is a family run Italian Restaurant situated in the centre of Hexham, a busy market town in Northumberland. The family, all from around the Hexham area, have worked hard over the last 4 years to modernise the cocktail bar and restaurant. All the family are involved in the business, with the aim of providing a memorable experience.

Sue, Front of House Manager, enjoys working alongside the enthusiastic team who have built a relationship with their returning customers and welcoming new, with an aim to make your experience relaxing and memorable throughout.

Executive chef, Jordan, and Head chef, Scott, source the finest Italian provisions to produce high quality Italian dishes with a modern twist.

At the front of the restaurant is a small, modern cocktail bar which hosts live music nights regularly but can be enjoyed for a bite to eat or a drink any night of the week.

Top review

Joy

Dined on Jan 14, 2025

Waiter was very welcoming, friendly and efficient.

Discover more

The Tempus, Charlton Hall Estate

4.7

4.7 (393)

£26 to £40

Contemporary British

Alnwick

About the restaurant

At the heart of The Tempus, beyond the dazzling disco balls of our vibrant bar, lies The Orangery—the perfect setting to savour exquisite culinary delights. Join us for an unforgettable dining experience, whether it’s for lunch, afternoon tea, or dinner. Our carefully curated menus offer a tantalising selection designed to please every palate and showcases the finest local ingredients and culinary talent, ensuring a memorable meal with every visit. For those seeking a more refined experience, our afternoon tea features an elegant assortment of sweet and savoury treats.

Lunch served Monday - Saturday, 12noon – 4.45pm
Afternoon Tea served Wednesday - Saturday, 2.45pm – 4.30pm. Bookings are required to be made within 48 hours of your reservation
À la Carte Dining: Daily from 5pm
Sunday Lunch: from 12 noon

Our bar and snug open daily offer a great spot for coffee, tea, drinks, and bar snacks. Well-behaved four-legged friends are welcome in our bar until 7 PM

Top review

Clare

Dined 3 days ago

Absolutely fabulous location, food and service. The Tempus is stunning and very unique. Thank you for a great experience.

Discover more

Experience

The Tempus Afternoon Tea

Kiln

4.6

4.6 (1115)

£26 to £40

Middle Eastern

Newcastle upon Tyne

About the restaurant

Kiln is a small restaurant in the heart of the Ouseburn. We make everything ourselves and push to be better than the day before.

We serve brunch every morning from 10am to 2:45pm.

Our Mediterranean & Middle Eastern inspired tapas style menu is served from 5pm to 9:30pm.

Our great coffee, homemade cakes and cocktails are served all day - and we’re dog friendly!

Please inform the staff of any allergies when booking & due to the nature of our menu please note we cannot accommodate anyone with a severe nut or sesame allergy.

Thank you!

Top review

Sam

Dined 2 days ago

Excellent service, excellent food, will dfeinately be back. Didn’t try the pottery but would next time. All ln all 10 out of 10

Hibou Blanc

4.6

4.6 (1329)

£26 to £40

British

Newcastle upon Tyne

About the restaurant

This magical Edwardian building has been transformed to a beautiful bar, restaurant and private room where we hope to deliver to our customers an experience you won’t find anywhere else in Newcastle.
Join us to dine in our elegant brasserie which aims to serve classic dishes, including a generous Sunday lunch, using the very best ingredients with plenty of flavor but no fuss or in the bar for some light bites and fantastic drinks curated by a team of some of Newcastle best mixologists.
Above all we want you to relax, enjoy the music and feel at home here at Hibou Blanc.
Please note our bar operates on a walk-in only basis, and you can book our main restaurant to enjoy both our lunch and our a la carte menu. When joining for Afternoon Tea please state this in your booking notes.

Top review

Mark

Dined 3 days ago

Beautifully appointed fine dining restaurant in the heart of Newcastle. The food (including oysters, ham hock terrine, duck breast and fish) were all delicious, and the service was prompt and attentive. The set menu is well priced (£20 for two courses) but the á la carte is a little pricier. Would highly recommend for lunch or dinner.

Discover more

Hard Rock Cafe - Newcastle

4.5

4.5 (4084)

£25 and under

American

Newcastle upon Tyne

About the restaurant

Welcome to Newcastle, where the old (castle) meets the new! Hard Rock Cafe is coming at you live from Newcastle, with a new layout paying tribute to the past by keeping in line with the former grandeur and arches. Phase one of our grand design includes a cafe with room for 170 of your closest friends, with 60 of those lucky pals getting to sit on a raised mezzanine floor overlooking the river. We’ve also included 16 external seats to enjoy Hard Rock in the sun. Our Cafe brings a touch of history and class to any meal. Featuring classic American fare with that signature Hard Rock twist, Hard Rock Cafe Newcastle delivers satisfaction in every bite. Grab a Legendary® Burger and some delicious sides and wash everything down with a local brew or a hand-crafted cocktail!

Top review

paul

Dined on Jan 13, 2025

Service was brilliant and the food was lovely would definitely be back.

Discover more

Experience

Lunch Menu

The Mad House

4.5

4.5 (77)

£25 and under

Cocktail Bar

Newcastle upon Tyne

About the restaurant

Welcome to the Mad House!
A unique bar experience that's funky, quirky and full of surprises. Come visit us and see why we're the hottest spot in town!

Top review

Lisa

Dined on Dec 28, 2024

As someone that has coeliac disease and needs a gluten free diet. I can't recommend this place enough. Very reassuring with allergies, we were asked numerous times if anyone had any. Food was excellent along with the drinks and service. Bottomless brunch was 10/10

The Engine Room

4.4

4.4 (795)

£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

Colin

Dined 3 days ago

Excellent service - good food - reasonable price for a good portion!!

Gino D’Acampo Newcastle

4.2

4.2 (686)

£26 to £40

Italian

Newcastle upon Tyne

About the restaurant

If your preferred date or time not available, please call us on 0191 933 6994 or email us on Newcastle@ginorestaurants.com and one of our team will try everything possible to accommodate your preferred date and time.

Gino D'Acampo Newcastle is a beautiful light, open plan restaurant with floor to ceiling windows that lets the natural light flood it – it’s a real mood booster. That’s not all, we also have a huge contemporary terrace overlooking the iconic River Tyne, I can’t wait for you to see it.

Serving real Italian food as it should be, the menu really does have something for everyone. Check out my new lounge bar as well, it serves one of the biggest selections of Prosecco, sparkling wine and Franciacorta in the UK, with over 30 varieties for you to choose from. Pop by for a drink after work or enjoy one or two while you dine, the choice is yours.

Buon Appetito.

Top review

Joanne

Dined 5 days ago

The place is modern clean and on a busy night lively the food was very good, service was great and wasn’t hounded for more drinks. The olives were by far the best I’ve tasted, when asked for the bill the lady promptly brought it over and pointed out that a service charge had been added which is what I liked, up front and not hidden like other restaurants I go to. On all great experience for my husband’s birthday

Discover more

Popular dish

Linguine with Seafood

Explore Diners' Choice best of Newcastle and Northumberland