Newcastle's Best Al Fresco Dining Spots

Chaophraya, Eldon Square

One of the finest Thai restaurants in the city, with a really impressive selection of dishes across several menus, Chaophraya also boasts an excellent roof terrace at the top of Eldon Square with some really special views. A sunny evening with some of their two-for-one cocktails while you look forward to your beef penang curry or crispy duck salad really is a wonderful thing.

Kafeneon, Bigg Market

A bustling afternoon or a warm evening sat on the terrace at Kafeneon, watching all of Bigg Market’s life go by, can be a great way to pass the time. Add some of Kafeneon’s delicious Greek food – some chicken gyros, perhaps, or a moussaka or a selection of their fine mezze – and a bottle of good wine and it all adds up to time well spent.

Gino D’Acampo Restaurant – River View, Quayside

The Quayside is one of the finest locations in the city to enjoy a meal or a drink outside, and Gino D’Acampo’s Quayside outlet is in a particularly sweet spot. The restaurant already boasts a light and airy dining room, but the riverside terrace really is a treat. All that plus a special summer menu, with pizza and pasta dishes paired with some excellent wine to create a whole Mediterranean vibe in the heart of Newcastle.

Redhouse, Sandhill

Housed on one of the city’s most historic parades, Redhouse is all about tradition – traditional ales and traditional pies served in a traditional English pub. The pies are great, with a selection of favourites like steak & ale and Northumberland game and some rotating guest options too, and are served with the sides of your choice. What’s more, there’s a sunny pavement area in front where you can enjoy a pie and a pint and bask in the rays. Lovely.

Roof Thirty Nine, Fenwick, Northumberland Street

Fenwick is overflowing with great places to eat these days – from fish cooked in front of you to King Baby bagels assembled just how you want – but Roof Thirty Nine is one of the most special, a rooftop restaurant that just yells ‘summer!’. The cocktails are fresh and tasty, the grill is always ready and everything tastes terrific. And if the weather is less than perfect, there’s a retractable awning to keep you out of the rain.

Barluga, Grey Street

Barluga’s picturesque terrace has been a summer favourite for a long time, offering as it does a fine place to while away the hours as you enjoy some top-notch contemporary cooking, carefully curated wines and very very tasty cocktails. The seafood and fish is particularly recommended, and the market dish offering couldn’t be fresher. The Sunday lunch menu is a great excuse for spending a couple of hours in the sun too.

Victors, Quayside

Victors has only been open a couple of years but it’s already earned a great reputation for excellent contemporary Asian-influenced cuisine and even picked up a Best Restaurant in Newcastle gong in 2023. The big draw in the summer is the wisteria terrace right on the Quayside, covered and heated when necessary, where you can enjoy everything from miso blackened cod and lobster rolls to a mouth-watering surf & turf in a particularly attractive setting.

Banyan, Monument Mall

Right in the very heart of the city by Grey's Monument, Banyan is known for big flavours, excellent cocktails and a vibrant atmosphere. The food is truly international – from bang bang chicken to steak and ale pie and all points in between – there’s a strong vegan / veggie / GF selection and, importantly, a spacious and lively terrace that can be a real sun trap on the right day.

The Muddler, Grey Street

With cuisine that covers the whole of south-east Asia and takes in Thai, Japanese, Chinese but also Philippine and Malayan food, The Muddler has an exciting appealing menu full of signature dishes, some fine bespoke cocktails and a really buzzing atmosphere. It also has a fine terrace at the front that means you can watch the people of Grey Street drift by as you work your way through the Asian delights on offer.

ABOVE, Dean Street

The rooftop bar at ABOVE is one of the most impressive places to have a drink in the city with fully panoramic views of Newcastle from atop the Vermont Hotel. The bar’s décor is almost as remarkable as the views, and with a menu full of pan-Asian small plates and elevated bar food as well as a lengthy cocktails list, ABOVE is a really stunning places to take in a sunset amidst a cool, vibey crowd.

Pitcher & Piano, Quayside

Occupying a prime location right on the Quayside in an area full of great bars and places to eat, Newcastle’s branch of Pitcher & Piano has a lot to recommend it, whether you’re looking for somewhere to drink some fizz with friends and watch the world go by, or have a romantic meal overlooking the river. The Millennium Bridge, the Baltic and The Glasshouse make for a fine backdrop to any kind of evening spent on their terrace, or there’s a very tempting bottomless brunch offer every weekend.

The Botanist, Monument Mall

Another must-visit bar / restaurant at the Monument is The Botanist, the quirkily-decorated venue that these days boasts a lavish rooftop space with everything from its own bar to a DJ booth. The cocktail menu is impressive, the food is international and there’s live music and DJs at weekends. Overall, The Botanist is a lovely place to spend a warm summer evening soaking up the tastes and sounds.

Blackfriars, Friars Street

One of the city’s most adored restaurants, Blackfriars really is special, a combination of fine restaurant, historical experience, cookery school and – in its beautiful garden – summery haven. It claims to have the oldest dining room in the country but in good weather the garden is the place to be – a colourful oasis where they source their herbs and often host al fresco events (hog roasts, barbecues etc) through the summer. It’s a veritable oasis in the middle of all the bustle.

The Broad Chare, Broad Chare 

From the front, The Broad Chare looks like an ancient ale house, and that’s certainly one of its roles. But it’s also a fine restaurant serving beautifully prepared traditional British food and, crucially, it might surprise you to learn that at the back of the pub (which is a shared venture with its neighbour Live Theatre) there is a large and welcoming garden area. A green and pleasant area open from Spring to Autumn and complete with parasols, it’s a calm and lovely sun trap hidden away from the bustle of the Quayside.

Gusto, Quayside

Northern-centred chain Gusto boasts a Newcastle outlet right on the Quayside serving up a strong selection of traditional Italian food and some more surprising specials. Better yet, it has a large, bright outdoor terrace which is the perfect place to enjoy a flavourful sourdough pizza and a pint of refreshing Italian lager.

These are  just a few of the many great places to spend a sunny afternoon or warm evening in Newcastle, hanging out with friends over some food or a bottle of something particularly refreshing. Spring and summer are for being outdoors, but it’s surprisingly easy to combine that with everything our city's bars and restaurants have to offer.