How to Make the Most of NE1 Newcastle Restaurant Week

Try a new restaurant

We’ve all got our favourite haunts, but Restaurant Week is a fantastic opportunity to try somewhere new. If you’ve got a go-to cuisine, why not swap it up for something you’ve never tried before? With so many £15, £20 and £25 offers available, you can explore all types of new restaurants and cuisines without breaking the bank!

Try a new dish at an old favourite

Even if you’ve decided to stick with a trusted favourite during Restaurant Week, it doesn’t mean you can’t break out of the box a little. Instead of opting for food you’ve chowed down on many times, why not order something you’ve never tried before? You could even end up discovering a new favourite dish.

Cure those late booking blues with lunch or post-work eats

Left it until the last minute to make reservations? Fear not! While venues tend to get booked up pretty quickly on Restaurant Week evenings, you can still nab plenty of bookings earlier in the day so why not venture out for a lovely lunchtime treat or post-work comfort food pick-me-up? With more than 100 restaurants taking part over seven days, you’ll find a table if you persevere.

Be kind to restaurant staff

Many venues will be incredibly busy during Restaurant Week, but your waiters and waitresses will be working hard to make sure your dining experience is an amazing one. Remember to be kind and courteous to staff and make sure you have everything you need – cash/card and booking details included. Speaking of which…

Make sure you turn up on time

Because restaurants will be so busy, it’s important that you turn up on time for your booking so check your reservations and give yourself plenty of time to get there. If you’re unable to make your booking for whatever reason, do the right thing and let the restaurant know so that someone else can grab your spot!

Leave a review and tell your friends

If you enjoyed the most delicious meal of your life during Restaurant Week, then shout about it! Restaurants get lots of custom via online reviews and word of mouth, so tell the world how amazing the food you ate was – you’ll be supporting all of our brilliant local businesses in the process.

Take photos and tag NE1

We’d also love to know how much you enjoyed dining out during Restaurant Week, so remember to take a picture or two of those delicious dishes and tag us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or X. Rest assured that we’ll all be drooling over your mouth-watering meals in the NE1 office!

Make the most of your night out

NE1 Newcastle Restaurant Week is all about celebrating the city’s culinary scene, but why not make a night of it and enjoy a pre- or post-meal drink or two? Loads of local bars have great deals on during Restaurant Week and beyond and now is the perfect excuse to take advantage of them.

At subterranean Bigg Market bar WC Newcastle, you can get two glasses of fizz for £12.50 and bottles of house wine for £20 from Monday to Thursday between 2pm and 7pm, while over at Colonel Porter's on Dean Street, they've got great Margarita Monday and Rhum Tuesday deals - both perfect if you're indulging in some weekday dining. Both Newcastle branches of Slug & Lettuce have 2-4-1 cocktail deals available all day, every day too - ideal no matter what day of the week you've got a table booked.

So, there you have it: the definitive guide to making sure you get the best out of Restaurant Week. If you haven’t made reservations yet, make sure to swing by the official NE1 Newcastle Restaurant Week page to find out who is taking part and get those tables booked!

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