NE1 Newcastle Restaurant Week: 10 Places to Grab a Great Lunch
A round-up of some great restaurants offering luscious lunch fare this Restaurant Week
A lot of the excitement around NE1 Newcastle Restaurant Week focuses on evening dining but don’t forget that many venues are also open at lunchtime and indeed, many of them offer special lunchtime and brunch deals that are fantastic value.
We’ve gathered together a few restaurants that are ideal places to spend a long, luxurious lunch or brunch. You could be on a shopping trip, or out making a day of it with friends. You could even be having a special lunch in the middle of a busy day at the office, so read on for some top-class early dining inspiration.
Café 21 at Fenwick, Northumberland Street
Terry Laybourne’s bistro in Fenwick is a light, airy, welcoming place at the best of the times – even more so during Restaurant Week when you can take advantage of two courses for £15 or three courses for £20. That includes dishes like salt-baked beetroot salad, lamb and mint burger and a very tempting apricot and lavender sorbet which we think adds up to a splendid lunch.
City Tavern, Northumberland Road
This great old pub is popular for lots of reasons, including being a haven for dogs and their owners. It’s a lush place to pop in for a leisurely lunch and perhaps sink a couple of pints while your hound chews one of the complementary dog treats. Their Restaurant Week offer of two courses for only £20 or three courses for only £25 is available all day and promises dishes like pan-fried black pudding crumpet, six hour pork belly and toffee apple trifle. Delicious or what?
Horticulture, Market Street
Horticulture has long had a reputation for excellent lunches and brunches. Find out how good it all is yourself by taking advantage of their Restaurant Week brunch deal which offers two brunch dishes for only £15 from 10am to 3pm every day of Restaurant Week apart from Saturday. With options that include shakshuka, chorizo hash and their legendary muckle breakfast, lunch or brunch at Horticulture will be one your belly thanks you for.
Mason + Rye, Fenwick, Northumberland Street
Mason & Rye is Fenwick’s artisan bakery and coffee shop - a wonderful lunch stop full of excellent baked good, cakes and coffee. During Restaurant Week, you can help yourself to a salad, slice of cake and a drink for only £15 - a perfect light lunch option.
3SIXTY, Hadrian's Tower, Rutherford Street
How does lunch with stunning panoramic views of the city and beyond sound? Hadrian's Tower hotspot 3SIXTY has a trio of Restaurant Week deals offering all kinds of lovely lunch options. Dine on two dishes from their a la carte menu for £15 (Monday to Thursday from 12pm 'til close or from midday to 5pm on Friday) or go for a delightfully dainty afternoon tea (Monday to Thursday, 12pm to 5pm). Alternatively, book a table on Sunday (12pm-5pm) and you could enjoy a hearty three-course Sunday lunch with all the trimmings.
Redhouse, Sandhill
There’s not much that’s more satisfying than a great pie, and Redhouse have lots! Their menu is simple – pie, potato, peas, sauce (with numerous variations of each) – and during Restaurant Week, £20 will get you and a friend a delicious pie-based meal. From Northumberland game to Mediterranean veg and honey and mustard mash to homemade chunky chips, a hearty meal is on the cards at Redhouse. After this, you’ll want to hide behind your desk and have a very fulfilled afternoon nap!
Acropolis, Grainger Market
Grainger Market is always a great place to head for lunch on the go and with Acropolis' Restaurant Week offer, a midday Greek feast could be yours. They've got a trio of deals to choose from - a wrap and halloumi bites for £15, a platter and halloumi bites for £20 or a platter and two sides for £25 - and we can almost taste those delicious Mediterranean flavours already.
The Broad Chare, Broad Chare
The Broad Chare has a well-deserved reputation as an excellent pub and restaurant. Come for the well-kept beers and charming décor, stay for the delicious food! During Restaurant Week, they've got a great lunch deal going with two course for £15 or three for £20 available from 12pm to 2:30pm Monday to Friday. When that includes dishes like spiced sweetcorn soup with brown crab toast, slow-cooked pork collar and lemon syrup sponge, you won’t want to miss out.
Dobson & Parnell, Queen Street
Casual fine dining is what Dobson & Parnell do best and what better time to book up for a delicious lunch there than Restaurant Week? Their three course lunch offer will only set you back £25 and includes mouth-watering dishes like ham hock salad, North Sea fishcake and sticky toffee pudding. We don't know about you, but our bellies are rumbling already!
Hula Co, Side
A recent addition to Newcastle's dining scene (and a Restaurant Week newbie), Hula Co brings a touch of the tropics to the city with their Hawaiian-inspired cuisine. For their Restaurant Week debut, they're offering 2 courses for £15 and while their poke bowls and loco moco will no doubt make for a delicious lunch, it's their Sunday roasts with a Hawaiian twist that we're super excited about. Choose from kalua-marinated pork belly, birria-brined picanha beef rump, huli huli chicken or nut roast teamed with trimmings like Yorkshire puddings, lau lau greens and soy-infused gravy.
These are just a few of the restaurants offering some splendid deals during NE1 Newcastle Restaurant Week and they all provide a perfect excuse to make your lunch something more special than a sandwich from the chiller cabinet and a disappointing coffee. So get booking and make lunchtime more than a chore!
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Main image: The Broad Chare
