Places to eat in Gateshead

River Beat is a brilliant Asian tapas restaurant on the banks of the Tyne overlooking the Newcastle Quayside. The decision to do away with bigger dishes in favour of the Spanish tapas style of eating means you can sample as much as you like of River Beat’s tasty menu. And there are a lot of great options to choose from: A couple of our favourites include the scallops with belly pork, monkfish, and the salt-and-pepper squid. The restaurant used to be the river police station, hence the name. It’s a familiar and characterful building in Gateshead, even if the menu hails from Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, China, Japan and Malaysia.

If you find yourself craving a curry, Saji’s Restaurant is a corker. You can find it on Sunderland Road. As far as Indian restaurants go, Saji’s is a bit wet behind the ears, having only been opened in 2015. However, it’s quickly gained a loyal following thanks to its quite exceptional menu of curries. You’ll struggle to find much better in the North East, and that’s saying something. The restaurant’s interior is quite plain, but it’s always immaculate. It’s the food and fantastic service that really earns Saji’s rave reviews.

Sorella Sorella is a delightful family-run Italian restaurant in Sunniside. It’s a little over a five-minute drive from our Team Valley hotel. It’s a real hidden gem, housed in what looks like a house on Gateshead Road. Inside, it’s a spacious restaurant with a kitchen concocting some of the tastiest food in Gateshead. The fillet steak is fantastic, the pizzas are perfection and the risotto is an absolute riot of flavour in the best possible way.

At the top of the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, which is one of the top activities in Gateshead, you can enjoy the best view in Gateshead with a side of rooftop eating at Six Restaurant. It’s lovely and stylish, with a menu of supremely Instagramable dishes. The venison is the highlight. However, even if you aren’t hungry, we recommend visiting Six for a coffee or a cocktail to soak up its special perspective of the Newcastle and Gateshead skyline.

The best vegan restaurant in the North East, let alone Gateshead, is Grumpy Panda, the 100% vegan American-style diner on Regent Terrace, at the very heart of the town centre. Even the most committed of carnivores will have to admit that the vegan food at Grumpy Panda is supremely tasty. The menu is packed full of fab faves including burgers, hot dogs, kebabs and grilled sandwiches. Portions are plentiful, prices are good, the service is fast and friendly; what more could you want?

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You’ll struggle to find a better cafe in Gateshead than The Staiths Cafe. It’s a hidden gem on the riverfront, overlooking the Dunston Staithes. The menu of breakfasts, paninis, sourdoughs, salads, soups and cakes will tantalise your taste buds with freshly made cooking, high-quality ingredients and full flavours. It’s dog-friendly, cyclist-friendly and even hosts events ranging from yoga to live music. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s also a pop-up-style ‘evening specials’ menu, which, while limited, is always fantastic.

If you’re visiting Gateshead with kids, The Nest in Low Fell is a fantastic family-friendly cafe with community rooms featuring a play space and an ever-changing programme of family activities including Pilates, discos, movie nights, and Lego clubs. Of course, cafes are all about eating and drinking. The Nest offers a healthy menu of food with great options for every taste. The prices are more than reasonable and the coffees delicious.

Last but not least, if you build up an appetite on a shopping spree around the Metrocentre, make your way to Beckleberry’s for its award-winning ice cream and desserts. The scones are a popular choice. There’s plenty of seating. It’s a family-run business, and they’re making some of the most flavoursome small-batch ice creams in the business.