Dining bonanza returns to city
ONE of Newcastle’s much-loved traditions will be back this January with plenty of cut-price deals to whet the appetite.
NE1 Restaurant Week is returning after a two-year hiatus and, following the blow suffered by the hospitality industry during the pandemic, the city’s eateries – including favourites Blackfriars, Dabbawal and 21 – can’t wait to be involved.
Newcomers this year – restaurants that have opened in the city since the last event – include Gino D’Acampos, The Hard Rock Cafe, Khai Khai and Cafe Andaluz, and tens of thousands of food lovers across the region will be the ones to benefit from the range of special menus and cheap deals that will be running from January 17-23.
NE1 Newcastle Restaurant Week – usually a twice-yearly event with another to follow in August – is a chance to dine out in style at some of Newcastle’s finest restaurants for a fraction of the usual cost, with special menus traditionally on offer for as little as £10 and including options for £15 or £20.
The event, organised by business development district company NE1 and first held in 2011 with just 13 restaurants involved, initially stemmed from an idea to help boost the industry at traditionally quiet times of the year but it has now grown to become some of the busiest weeks in the trade.
This month sees the 20th edition of the event take place and more than 70 restaurants will be taking part. This event is an especially welcome boost for business as the city centre recovers from the pandemic.
NE1 said grave predictions of restaurant closures in the early days of the pandemic never materialised in Newcastle where venues survived hard times despite missing out on important trading milestones as well as being forced into lockdown.
The last nine months have seen many new openings that have inspired confidence.
Ben Whitfield, head of marketing and events at NE1 Ltd, said: “We are beyond excited to be launching our 20th NE1 Newcastle Restaurant Week and turning the spotlight on the city’s foodie scene, which has been hard hit by the pandemic.
“It is great that food and dining will once again be driving the public into the city.”
He added that the upcoming Restaurant Week will offer “another gastronomic treat” as well as being “a bumper week for Newcastle’s participating restaurants”.
Here is the full list of restaurants taking part in NE1 Newcastle Restaurant Week:
■ ■ Aveika
■ ■ Ayla
■ ■ Babucho
■ ■ Banyan
■ ■ Barluga
■ ■ Bella Italia
■ ■ Blackfriars
■ ■ Broad Chare
■ ■ Cafe 21 at Fenwick
■ ■ Cafe Andaluz
■ ■ Castro’s
■ ■ Central Oven & Shaker
■ ■ Chefs Academy
■ ■ City Tavern
■ ■ Coop Chicken House
■ ■ Cote Brasserie
■ ■ DAT Bar
■ ■ Dabbawal
■ ■ Dacantus
■ ■ Dobson & Parnell
■ ■ El Coto
■ ■ El Torero
■ ■ Fat Hippo
■ ■ Fed’s Grainger Market
■ ■ Fed’s @ Louie’s Liquor Store
■ ■ Fuego
■ ■ Gino D’Acampo’s
■ ■ Gunner Tavern
■ ■ Gusto
■ ■ Hard Rock Cafe
■ ■ Harrys
■ ■ Hen and Hops
■ ■ Hibou Blanc
■ ■ Horticulture
■ ■ KafeNeon
■ ■ Kaltur - High Bridge
■ Kaltur - Dean Street
■ Khai Khai
■ Lane7
■ Las Iguanas
■ Leila Lily
■ Longhorns
■ Maldron
■ Marco Polo
■ Meat: Stack
■ My Delhi
■ Nudo Noodle House
■ Okana
■ Pitcher and Piano
■ Pizza Punks
■ Pleased to Meet You
■ Porterhouse
■ Prima
■ Purple Peacock
■ Revolucion de Cuba
■ Roof 39
■ Route
■ Sabas
■ Sachins
■ Saltwater Fish Co.
■ Simply Greek
■ Super Natural
■ The Earl of Pitt Street
■ ■ The Exchange
■ ■ The Head of Steam Quayside
■ ■ The Hudson
■ ■ The Hustle
■ ■ The Mayfair
■ ■ The Muddler
■ ■ The Maven
■ ■ Tomahawk
■ ■ Trap Food House
■ ■ Turtle Bay
■ ■ Twenty Twenty
■ ■ Umai Mai
■ ■ YOLO
■ ■ Zucchini