The Open Kitchen
3rd Floor, Moor Centre Annexe, 0191-285 2909
Proof of the adage about small packages and good things. The space is compact and the detail immaculate: the curved, walnut bar, the pristine table settings and the smart open kitchen. Start with an almost too pretty to drink rosehip bellini (£5), move on to braised rib-eye with rosemary, chilli dates and chorizo mash (£19.50) and finish with chilli crème brûlée (£5) - fresh lime and a well-judged hot kick cut through the sweetness.
Chloe Corkhill Newcastle upon Tyne
Treacle Moon
5-7 The Side, 0191-232 5537
'This place has changed,' says my Newcastle-raised wife looking around the quayside. At two courses for £30 or three for £36, this place shows just how: roast tomato soup with basil oil is fresh and classy, baked goats' cheese with pear impresses. Northumbrian lamb shank is all it should be: unctuous and falling off the bone. Lovely roast tenderloin of pork comes with apricots and black pudding. Desserts are delightful. As we leave, lads are falling into and out of bars. No change there, then.
Stefan Stern London SW19
Jesmond Dene House
Jesmond Dene Road, 0191-212 3000
Geordies like their local heroes, and though owner and chef Terry Laybourne is not exactly Alan Shearer, he has the distinction of winning the area's first Michelin star in 1992. His latest venture combines local ingredients and modern style (terrine of ham knuckle with pease pudding is still going strong), with an emphasis on fish. The building is an old Victorian pile, part Addams Family, part country manor, in leafy grounds within touching distance of the city centre yet with a peaceful, rural air. The atmosphere is relaxed, service is attentive and good-humoured.
Marcus Munafo Bristol
Barn Under A Wandering Star
217 Jesmond Road, 0191-281 7179
Fantastic modern cuisine is hard to find in the north-east, but the Barn brings a reputation for stunning contemporary food to its latest restaurant. The wacky, Wild West theme is kitsch, but cool, and the menu (£30-35 a head including drinks) offers great fusion dishes- lamb fillets cooked in marsala come with potatoes in Indian spices, and a spring roll bursting with duck breast sits on a bed of vegetables drizzled with black bean sauce and is accompanied by, of all things, seared scallops. A decadent raspberry crème brûlée leaves the tastebuds pulsating.
Sue Wilkinson Newcastle upon Tyne
The Comfort Food Company
24 Pudding Chare, 0191-261 1525
Seasonal and local ingredients of the highest quality are the key to this city centre restaurant, whose menu credits farmers and suppliers by name. You might start with a Northumberland game terrine followed by a lovely piece of monkfish on saffron risotto or a beef fillet interestingly served with corned beef hash. Desserts include excellent local cheese and vanilla and rosemary crème brûlée. There is a well-priced wine list and a range of local ales. Dinner is £25-30 a head without drinks. It's my idea of a great local restaurant.
Alan Smeaton Newcastle upon Tyne
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