We are spoilt for choice of wonderful pubs, restaurants and dining experiences in the North East, serving up exquisite, seasonal ingredients which are bursting with flavour. Here are our top picks if you are looking for a superb meal and warm, friendly hospitality during your visit. All have menus full of great food and wine for you to enjoy.
Blackfriars Restaurant
Friars Street, Newcastle, NE1 4XN
www.blackfriarsrestaurant.co.uk
Instagram: @blackfriarsrestaurant
Blackfriars is an award-winning restaurant located in a 13th-century medieval friary in the heart of Newcastle serving fabulous food with the best seasonal ingredients. In the summer months, the Cloister Garden really comes into its own, hosting a weekly BBQ most Fridays throughout the summer. A fantastic spot to soak up the sunshine, enjoy a delicious glass of wine, share a plank of seasonal starters, followed by a main course straight from the BBQ and rounded off with a seasonal dessert.
Wine recommendation:
Whispering Angel Rose - The iconic Provence rose from Caves d`Esclans. An elegant and beautiful wine with lots of juicy red fruit nestled cosily amongst some beautiful spice and dried wild herbs.
The Broad Chare
25 Broad Chare, Newcastle, NE1 3DQ
Instagram: @_thebroadchare
Found on the city’s Quayside, the Broad Chare is part of a former theatre box office and a traditional Victorian red-brick building typical of Newcastle’s industrial heritage. For the summer months, Live Garden, situated behind The Broad Chare is transformed into a city centre oasis, a spot of quiet calm under the shade of large, welcoming parasols, surrounded by rustic green space. The food is all home-cooked British produce and fiercely seasonal.
Wine recommendation:
Taittinger Brut Reserve Champagne - Taittinger crafts their signature Brut Reserve Champagne from a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes scrupulously selected from over 35 different vineyards and vintages. The blend has a high proportion of Chardonnay which gives the wine a delicious freshness and subtle complexity. Bright golden yellow in colour with fine bubbles and expressive aromas of fruit and brioche with notes of peach, white flowers and vanilla pod. The entry onto the palate is lively, fresh and in total harmony.
Marshall Meadows Manor House
Berwick-Upon-Tweed, TD15 1UT
www.marshallmeadowsmanor.co.uk
Instagram @marshallmeadowsmanor
Marshall Meadows Manor House is a stunning Georgian manor transformed into Northumberland's newest luxury hotel and restaurant. Relax, unwind, and treat yourself to a true fine dining experience, created by award winning executive head chef, Richard Chilver. Each dish has been specifically designed with the season in mind, using locally sourced, sustainable ingredients wherever possible. Located a stone’s throw from Berwick-upon-Tweed, it’s the perfect base to explore Northumberland and the beautiful Scottish Borders. The stunning locations of Holy Island, Bamburgh Castle and Alnwick Castle are all within easy reach, while both Edinburgh and Newcastle are only 40 minutes by train.
Wine recommendation:
Louis Latour Domaine de Valmoissine Pinot Noir - Delicious, soft and silky Pinot Noir from the Louis Latour stable. Small yields from the vineyard located on the site of an ancient monastery, at an elevation of 500 metres, ensure bright, full-flavoured fruit and generous acidity. Intense aromas of Morello cherries and delicate wild herbs. The palate is harmonious with ripe tannins, rich summer pudding fruit flavours and a long silky finish. This is a great summer red!
Kirkstyle Inn
Slaggyford, Brampton, CA8 7PB
Instagram: @kirkstyle_inn_sportsmans_rest
The Kirkstyle Inn and Sportsman’s Rest lies in stunning countryside on the borders of Cumbria and Northumberland in the quaint village of Slaggyford. The menu is game led with seasonality and sustainability at the core. All produce and ingredients are sourced within a 50 miles radius. Their field to fork philosophy is reflected in the menu along with some staple pub classics.
Wine recommendation: Macon-Blanc 'Preludes' Terres Secretes - Deliciously fresh and elegant Chardonnay made from grapes grown around the village of Macon. Attractive, pure nose of lemon citrus fused with peach and apricot. Fresh and vibrant acidity provides structure and focus, leading into a core of further lemon citrus and white stone fruits. Very well-balanced, with a creamy, smooth finish.
The Beehive
Hartley Lane, Earsdon, Whitley Bay, NE25 0SZ
The Grade II-listed building was built in the 18th Century and became an inn in 1896 and despite its recent refurbishment, the pub still maintains its old charm and character with a relaxing and friendly atmosphere. In view of St. Mary’s Island and the golden Longsands of Whitley Bay, whether it’s a lazy Sunday lunch or a quick drink after work in the pub’s one-acre secret garden, The Beehive has it covered.
Wine recommendation: Defesa Tinto Esporao, Alentejo - Portuguese wines are hugely popular right now, and this is shining example of the exciting wines that are coming out of the country. A blend of Aragonez, Touriga Nacional and Syrah from 12-year-old vineyards, planted on granite and schist soils. Enticing dark fruit aromas with a subtle hint of spice lead on to a juicy palate with a rich and creamy texture and a long, balanced finish.
Middleton Lodge
Kneeton Lane, Middleton Tyas, Richmond DL10 6NJ
Instagram:
Elegant and enchanting, it’s the perfect place for a relaxing countryside escape, and somewhere to taste the seasons at sustainability-conscious restaurants on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. The Coach House, especially in the courtyard, has a south of France feel, with the beautiful borders and trailing greenery. A gorgeous spot to enjoy a glass of wine. Here, head chef Ross Forder creates estate-to-plate inspired dishes that are fresh, fragrant, and delicious.
The Forge restaurant, which was opened in February this year, is a more intimate and atmospheric experience, which brings you a taste of the Yorkshire landscape as it transitions through the seasons, in an evoking and innovative way. Head Chef, Jake Jones tells the story of the surrounding countryside though his inspiring nine-course tasting menu with sustainability at the heart, from low food mile menus to reducing waste and incorporating everyday recycle and reuse methods, Jake’s love for conserving the landscape is a credit to him.
Keep your eyes peeled for the Forge tasting menu and newly opened spa package, perfect for a weekend away.
Wine recommendation: Domaine de Foncalieu Piquepoul Rosé - Very pale colour with delicate aromas of crushed strawberry, rose petals with some lemon citrus notes. Wonderfully lively and bursting with freshness.
For more hints and tips on where to visit when you are exploring the North East or to tell us where you would recommend, please get in touch - we would love to hear from you!
