FROM CAFE TO FINE DINING
FOLLOWING months of work, a former cafe in Heaton has been transformed into a fine dining restaurant which is already making a name for itself with a tasting menu that focuses on local and sustainable ingredients.
Rebel is a first restaurant for head chef and owner Lindsay Rushton who has worked at Newcastle’s Michelin star House of Tides and Jesmond Dene House.
And the 28-year-old is now bringing all his skills and experience to bear on creating something special for first customers.
Lindsay and a few of his friends spent around three months revamping the building which used to be a vegan cafe at 150 Heaton Park Road and the result, which opened in April, is a stylish space featuring pastel colours and vibrant paintings, including contemporary art and coastal scenes. And it marks the achievement of a dream for the chef, who has long wanted to open his own restaurant.
Also in the Rebel team are its directors Rosie Oswin – who is also the restaurant manager – and Mike Reid, also its sous chef, plus supervisor Matthew Hickie. Rebel’s journey first started during last year’s lockdown when they ran pop-up events, private dining and Sunday lunch kits.
The name soon spread and, with Rebel’s expansion into bricks and mortar, customers are now keen to see the new venue. The restaurant is a small but perfectly formed space, which can hold only around 24 diners so it promises an intimate dining experience.
The chef himself is also just getting used to his new workplace and, at 6ft 7ins, is having to constantly remind himself to duck his head in the kitchen. There he is kept busy creating his locally-sourced £35 tasting menu which can feature the likes of borscht – Rebel’s own take on the traditional Ukrainian beetroot soup – and rack of lamb, with broccoli and preserved lemon.
There are set seven courses in all: small plates designed to showcase the best of sustainably-produced food. There are added options of a wine-pairing and, at the end, an additional cheese plate with homemade oatcakes.
The menu also can be altered for vegetarians, pescatarians, or vegans and other dietary requirements can be accommodated too, with 24 hours’ notice. Because of the limited space available in Rebel, customers are asked to pre-book.