The Best Restaurants in Newcastle: Where to Eat in 2026
Newcastle has two Michelin-starred restaurants, both on the Quayside, and a strong second tier in Jesmond, Heaton and Ouseburn. Here is where to book, with opening days checked.
The best restaurants in Newcastle right now are House of Tides and Solstice by Kenny Atkinson, the city's two Michelin-starred rooms, both on the Quayside. Below them sits a strong second tier: Rebel in Heaton, 21 at Trinity Gardens, Lovage and Long Friday in Jesmond, Cook House in Ouseburn and The Broad Chare, the city's long-running Bib Gourmand pub. Every entry was checked against the Michelin Guide or the restaurant's own site in October 2026, and most of them close on Mondays, so read the days before you book. For the full directory, see our Newcastle restaurants page.
House of Tides, The Close
Kenny Atkinson's flagship fills a former merchant's house at 28 to 30 The Close, with flagged floors, cast iron pillars and bare brick downstairs and sloping floors and carved beams above. The Michelin Guide lists it at the top ££££ price band and describes detailed, original cooking with punchy flavours. It opens Thursday to Sunday only: dinner from Thursday, lunch on Friday and Saturday, and Sunday from noon, when the kitchen runs its Sunday Feast, a refined take on the roast. It is closed Monday to Wednesday. Book directly on 0191 230 3720.
Solstice by Kenny Atkinson, Side
A few doors up the hill at 5 to 7 Side, Solstice is the smaller, more intense sibling: one multi-course tasting menu, with the chefs bringing plates to the table and explaining them. The Guide singles out the desserts and recommends the wine pairing. Dinner seats between 7pm and 7.30pm Wednesday to Saturday, with lunch on Friday and Saturday from noon. It is closed Sunday to Tuesday, takes its own bookings on 0191 222 1722, and is the room to choose for a proper occasion.
Rebel, Heaton Park Road
Out in Heaton at 150 Heaton Park Road, Rebel is a narrow, personally run room named after the owner's childhood dog, with family artwork on the walls and wooden tables. The Michelin-listed kitchen serves a seasonal modern British set menu in two lengths, often built around overlooked cuts, and the wine list leans organic and biodynamic. It opens Wednesday to Saturday, from 6pm on Wednesday and from 1pm Thursday to Saturday, and is in the Guide's £££ band. Read our Heaton restaurants guide for what else is on the street.
21, Trinity Gardens
21 is the Quayside's long-stayer, which the Guide calls a long-standing restaurant with efficient service. Start with a gin at the zinc-topped counter, then move into the red-and-black brasserie for classically based cooking that the Guide calls eminently satisfying. There is an à la carte, a cheaper fixed-price menu, and a traditional roast on Sunday. It is closed Mondays; Tuesday to Friday it serves lunch from noon and dinner from 5.30pm, Saturday runs all day from noon to 9pm, and Sunday lunch runs from noon with last seating at 5pm.
The Broad Chare, Quayside
Down by the river at 25 Broad Chare, this converted warehouse pub has held a Michelin Bib Gourmand every year since it opened in 2011. The ground floor is a proper bar with snacks and well-kept beer; upstairs is a rustic dining room serving hearty British plates such as haggis on toast and grilled calves' liver with bacon, sage and crispy onions. The dining room serves lunch from noon Monday to Saturday and dinner from 5.30pm to 9pm, with Sunday lunch from noon to 5pm. The bar stays open until 11pm, or 8pm on Sunday, and it carries a Good Beer Guide badge.
Lovage, St George's Terrace, Jesmond
Chef patron Kleo Tabaku, who was born in Albania and cooked in Italy before settling here, runs this Michelin-listed neighbourhood brasserie at 115 St George's Terrace. The cooking is Mediterranean and seasonal, with à la carte, fixed-price and tasting options, and the set menu is £30 from January to November. It opens Thursday to Saturday for lunch and dinner, plus the last Wednesday of each month, and Sunday from noon to 6pm with last booking at 4pm.
Long Friday, Brentwood Avenue, West Jesmond
Anna Hedworth's second restaurant, at 46 Brentwood Avenue, does seasonal North East small plates for sharing (the beer-battered sage leaves are the signature), a natural-leaning wine list and Wylam beers. The Good Food Guide named it Best Local Restaurant in Yorkshire and the North East for 2025. It opens from 5pm on Wednesday and Thursday and from noon Friday to Sunday, and is closed Monday and Tuesday. More nearby in our Jesmond guide.
Cook House, Foundry Lane, Ouseburn
Hedworth's first restaurant sits in Foundry Lane Studios in Ouseburn: stripped back and industrial, with two terraces and Wren, a cocktail bar, next door. The Michelin-listed menu is straightforward and well executed, think tempura cauliflower or seeded chicken schnitzel, in the ££ band. It opens Wednesday evening, from noon Thursday and Friday, from 10am on Saturday, and 10am to 5pm on Sunday, closed Monday and Tuesday.
Good to know
Plan around Mondays and Tuesdays, when most of this list is shut. The starred rooms and The Broad Chare take bookings directly by phone rather than through the Michelin site, and Friday and Saturday tables at House of Tides and Solstice go first. The Quayside four (House of Tides, Solstice, 21 and The Broad Chare) are all within a few minutes' walk of each other, and an easy walk down from Central Station. For Jesmond, the Metro to West Jesmond puts you close to Long Friday. Check the The Broad Chare's own site and each restaurant's booking page before travelling, since hours change seasonally.
FAQs
Does Newcastle have a Michelin star restaurant?
Yes. House of Tides on The Close and Solstice by Kenny Atkinson on Side both carry a Michelin star in the current guide, and they sit a few minutes' walk apart on the Quayside. Both are run by chef Kenny Atkinson.
What is the best restaurant in Newcastle for a special occasion?
For a full tasting menu, Solstice is the most intimate choice, with a single seating each evening Wednesday to Saturday. House of Tides is the better pick if you want lunch, a Sunday booking or a slightly larger room.
Where can I eat well in Newcastle without spending a fortune?
The Broad Chare has held a Michelin Bib Gourmand every year since 2011 and sits in the Guide's two-pound price band. Lovage in Jesmond runs a £30 set menu from January to November, and Cook House in Ouseburn is also in the ££ band.
Are Newcastle restaurants open on Mondays?
Many of the best are not. House of Tides, Solstice, Rebel, 21, Lovage, Long Friday and Cook House are all closed on Mondays. The Broad Chare is the reliable exception, serving from noon Monday to Saturday.
