It was my first trip of the year in England. The destination? Newcastle, just three hours away from London by train. I love traveling by train, and I was pleasantly surprised by the onboard, fully working WiFi. As expected, the complementary food and drinks trolley in first class passed at least twice. The quaint English countryside scenery going past was very pleasing and somehow made the journey go by quickly. We traveled first class with Virgin Trains East Coast Service from  London Kings Cross.

Newcastle has been crowned ‘City You Must Visit in 2018′ by Rough Guides, and it is hosting, along with neighboring Gateshead, ‘The Great Exhibition of the North’ this summer. It is to be the most significant event this year in England and will begin on June 22. It’s a celebration of the best arts, crafts, design, and industrial innovation across the north of England.

My weekend in Newcastle was lovely. The people were super friendly, and the food and drink were rather delicious. Here are a few suggestions on where to stay and what to do in this vibrant Northern city.

Eating and Drinking in Newcastle

Markets are always good places to check out the vibe of a new destination. In Newcastle, a visit to the Grainger Market is to be expected, its open during the whole week and Saturday, closed on Sundays.

Originally, the Grainger Market was the most extensive city center covered market in Europe when first built in the 1830s, and it was the largest in Britain with two acres, 12 entrances, and 243 shops and stalls. It opened its doors in 1835 and is named after Richard Grainger (1797 – 1861) the builder, developer, and entrepreneur behind the eponymous market.

It was primarily a meat and vegetable market, other goods, like baskets and pottery, were introduced later to diversify the market.

Tunnels were running under the market, which were thought to have been built years later in the 1930s; the tunnels are believed to be there to transport coal under the city, and maybe even to the Central Station. However, they only run for a few meters before they are blocked up. During World War II, they were used as air raid shelters.

Today, the Grainger Market is a Grade I listed building housing a variety of shops including craft stalls, mini bazaars, jewelers and florists, alongside butchers, artisan bakers, green grocers, as well as street food traders, bakeries, patisseries, coffee shops, and cafés.

Dumplings in the Grainger Market

Grainger Market

Grainger St, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 5QQ

Fenwick Newcastle

Just around the corner and a  bit more upmarket and lively is Fenwick Newcastle; it is the first and original Fenwick store and an iconic building in Newcastle’s city center. It has been through a multi-million pounds redevelopment over a period of fours years; the highlight is the food hall. What an aesthetically pleasing room!

Delicatessen, Porterhouse Butcher and Grill, a wine room, Mediterranean wine bar and restaurant, Fuego offering small plates and handmade pizzas, and bakery-patisserie-café Mason + Rye, offering an extensive selection of continental style sandwiches, beautiful patisserie, and artisan bread. The fish bar and fishmonger, Saltwater Fish Company, sells fresh and seasonal seafood, fish, oysters from different beds, seafood platters, squid, seafood cocktails, and crab sandwiches and salads.

The atmosphere is electrifying in this elegant building. Friends and families were meeting for a bite to eat in absolutely gorgeous surroundings. Customers looking to buy high-quality local ingredients, produce, and drinks are in the right place.

 

Fenwick Newcastle
39 Northumberland St, Newcastle upon Tyne NE99 1AR

Cook House

Lunch at Cook House with the owner and the blogger of food blog The Grazer, Anna Hedworth. Back in 2015, The Times voted Cook House ‘One of the 25 coolest restaurants in Britain’. The Cook House is situated in a lively cultural hub of the Ouseburn Valley and yet is a bit hidden. It’s been featured on TV program ‘Hidden Restaurants’ last year. It’s a homely and welcoming kitchen housed in a converted shipping container. It serves coffee, breakfast, and lunch. Everything is made in-house, from vinegar to jams, and from chutneys, pickles, cakes, potted meats, and terrines to cordials. All suppliers are local businesses, from fishmongers to farmers to butchers.
Lunch was excellent, packed with flavours and generous. Her still homemade lemonade is to die for!

Some of the delicious food we sampled:

Goats Cheese & Wild Garlic Frittata, Roast Pork Belly Sandwich with Coriander Aioli, Pickled Red Onion and Mint & Sesame Salad, Whipped Feta on Toast with Smoked Leeks & Black Sesame, Chicken & Roast Celeriac Salad with Sour Dough Crumb & Aioli and  three Local Cheese Plate with Spiced Apple Chutney & Sour Dough Bread

Anna hosts supper clubs on premises, as well as demos and wine tastings. It’s a very cute food hub in Newcastle. She’s currently writing her first cookbook, which contains instructions on setting up a food business along with her recipes.

Cook House
Ouse Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 2PF (they will be moving in the Summer, so check their website)

Dobson & Parnell

It has been on the Newcastle scene since December 2016. It’s an upscale restaurant located in the Quayside. The interior is designed in such a way that makes the room feel spacious with a series of modern lights hung from the ceiling, dark and moody corners – I like it. The table is overly busy with fashionable cutlery and lots of different wines and water glasses.

The service was friendly and they accommodate all the diet requirements with diplomacy and flair. The food served is modern British-European with impeccable presentation, fresh, local and high-quality ingredients and produce.

It’s the perfect spot for an elegant wine and dine by the Quayside.

Dobson & Parnell
21 Queen Street
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE1 3UG
Telephone: 0191 221 0904

Opening Times
Tuesday-Saturday
12-2pm and 5.30-late
Sunday
12-4pm

Beer Scene in Newcastle

When in Newcastle, a visit to a brewery is a must! This weekend, a walk around and a guided tour and tasting of Ouseburn’s lovely local microbreweries proved to be great fun and very informative. Alistair Gilmour , a beer writer and expert, was the guide on this tour, which included the Cumberland Arms, the Cluny, Newcastle Brewing, and The Free Trade Inn, with magnificent views of the river. I highly recommend this tour. It was quite fun.
For more info and tours contact Alistair at www.meet-and-drink.co.uk

Street art in Ouseburn valley in Newcastle

A Tour and Tasting Session at Wylam Brewery

On Sunday, I visited the incredible Wylam Brewery for a tour and more beer tasting, and it was fabulous. I devoured a delicious Sunday roast with Dave, one of the co-owners; it was splendid!

Founded in 2000, Wylam is a 30-barrel micro brewery. Its location is idyllic, the Palace of Arts in Exhibition Park by the lake, and it’s the last remaining building from the 1929 North East Exhibition.

Next to the brewery is the Brewery Tap, a bar and restaurant area, which is open to the public from Thursdays to Sundays, inclusive offerings are the Wylam beers on keg and cask. The Tap Room pours exclusive brews and blends that can only be found at Wylam.
Book at least one month in advance to avoid disappointment. The place gets packed. It’s a real treat when in Newcastle.

Wylam Brewery

Palace of Arts
Exhibition Park
Newcastle upon Tyne
Tyne & Wear
NE2 4PZ

A journey to the seaside in Tynemouth

Newcastle Gateshead is a short distance from the coast and easily reached by metro. The trip takes just over 30 minutes to the charming Tynemouth where you can spend a few hours enjoying the English beach and walking along the shore. I was particularly ecstatic that good weather made an appearance.

A trip to the beach is not complete without a tasting of the best fish and seafood around. In Tynemouth, the place to eat all fresh things from the sea is at the local semi-portable fish bar and grill, Riley’s Fish Shack on King Edward’s Bay, serving fresh, local, seasonal fish, and shellfish.
This place is very trendy and well regarded by locals; it has had excellent national coverage. Expect queues on the weekends.

Staying in Style in Newcastle

Jesmond Dene House, the only independent owned hotel in the area, is set  in one of  the prettiest locations I’ve ever been in the UK; it’s a mix between country and city. The building has a feel of grandeur to it but, despite its size, is welcoming and homely. Their attention to detail is noticeable. The long-standing employees make sure the service is second to none.They understand hospitality, and it’s the real home from home experience. I spent Saturday night in a beautiful and cozy room, overlooking the lush greenery.

In the morning, after a substantial breakfast in bed, I ate a perfectly cooked English Breakfast (no sausage for me), and I went for a stroll around the property to discover a stream. I love the sound of the water trickling as I walked deep in the shadows of old trees, grasshoppers clicking in the dry air – all things that we don’t experience every day in the big smoke. The air was crisp, but the sun was out: a beautiful way to start Sunday.

On Sunday late afternoon, before heading back to London, a delightful champagne afternoon tea was a must. It was the perfect ending to my Northern adventure weekend.

Jesmond Dene House
Jesmond Dene Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 2EY

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Disclosure: I was a guest of  NewcastleGateshead.com on this press trip I received no further remuneration to write this post .  All views,  words and photography are my own . I retain full editorial control.