This vibrant monthly event is by far the best find in Newcastle showcasing the best local…read morefood,drink,music and art! Hosted in a refurbished warehouse tucked away behind Central Station I would highly recommend this event for all fellow foodies out there. Local street vendors will have you spoilt for choice with my personal favourites being Fat Hippo and Papa Ganoush or if I have a sweet tooth La Petit Creperie! You can indulge in some local ales from Wylam Brewery for a post-work drink or come along to soak up the array of entertainment from local musicians. Perfect for families on a Saturday afternoon as it tends to be quieter and the free entry before 4pm makes a daytime visit attractive! There is outdoor catering and space for those many beautiful days we have in Newcastle. On entry and inside the boiler shop you need to exchange your money for tokens if you want food but you can pay cash for drinks. It can be expensive but it is worth every penny and I think everyone should experience this event at least once......as for me I will be back every month!

The Boiler Shop Steamer is definitely *the* way to kick off your month!…read more Held in a superb industrial warehouse setting (part of the former Stephenson works which gave us the first locomotive engines - one for you history buffs there), you will find a plethora of different street-food vendors, local breweries, great live bands or funky tunes from the DJs - a general good-time buzz echoes around the place. We were there on a Saturday (seemed to be free entry before 3ish this time) as it was a bit quieter - this particular weekend was the BSS's 2nd Birthday, so the Sunday was going to be quite an extravanganza. When you arrive it is worth just having a wander about to see what is on offer and plan your attack - the line-up changes from month-to-month, so there is bound to be something to tantalise your tastebuds. On this occasion I was in a meaty mood. Round one was a delectable feast from Longhorns BBQ Smokehouse - pulled pork, smokie, beans, fries, doused in BBQ sauce and served up in a brioche bun, simply superb! Washed down with a pint of Dognobbler, a light ale from the Wylam Brewery (one of my particular favourite local breweries), the afternoon was starting very well indeed. Later on, I came across the Fair Game stand, a newbie to the BSS event according to their website. This time, I opted for the Venison burger, which came hot off the griddle with a lovely cranberry sauce and crisp salad in the bun. The quality was second-to-none, so far I was having a very good foodie feast. Another pint of a different Wylam beer soon followed, this time it was Spring Thing, yet again it went down rather well. The only little gripe I have is that prices can be a little steep, not really fitting the traditional 'street food' ethos of getting something quick, cheap and cheerful. You can quickly drop £20 without thinking about it (e.g. one token is £2, the burger was two tokens); nevertheless, for the quality of the food I experienced it was worth it. The BSS gets busier as the afternoon blends into the evening, so if you really want to make the most of what is on offer, would definitely recommend going early, just so you've got some space to move and get stuck into the great food and tunes on offer. So, get yourself and a few mates down to the next event, have a bite to eat and a beer or two, and soak up the great atmosphere provided by the BSS!

Red's is the best of all the BBQ restaurants in Newcastle that sprang up during the recent barbecue…read moreboom. When my husband said he fancied BBQ last Friday, I asked where, and he said "There's only one place." I think that sums it up. We've been here 3 times now, and while some items are better than others, overall the quality is good and the prices won't make you cry. Most recently, we got two barbecue trays: Brisket and burnt ends for £17, and ribs/wings for £15. Each comes with 2 normal sides or 1 fancier side. We loaded up with fries, sweet potato cornbread, slaw, Texas caviar, and mac 'n' cheese. I sipped a root beer, which was actually really good - served as a frosty mug with a can, and the root beer itself is some kind of local craft soda, which was a nice touch. I thought all of the meat was quite good, though my husband found it a little dry. To be fair, I slathered it in their delicious, sweet Kansas City style sauce - I could eat a shoe coated in that sauce - so it didn't seem dry to me. The burnt ends and ribs were particularly tender to me. The brisket was good, not as flavorful as I hoped it would be, and the wings were fine - enormous, which was fun, but I wanted a much stronger buffalo kick. I got almost no tang from them, which was a bummer because real buffalo wings should bite back, you know? The sides were a little mixed - fries yummy, Texas caviar very yummy (it's like a black eyed pea salad with veggies) and reminds me of summer picnic back in America, slaw average (I didn't try it, but my husband said it was just like supermarket stuff - bog standard), sweet potato cornbread surprisingly not-sweet but quite good, and mac 'n' cheese was uber cheesy and satisfied a craving, if it wasn't a particularly inspired spin on the dish. The atmosphere is fun and funky, and you get reliable BBQ with decent sides at a good price. I've been properly disappointed by other BBQ joints, and while this one isn't perfect, it is certainly the best in town and makes for a fun night out. If you're really hungry, they do huge sharing platters with a little bit of everything. They are a sight to behold, when that massive platter is popped down in front of you! Oh, and service could be a bit more responsive. But hey, good BBQ is hard to find outside of my home country, and I appreciate Red's devotion to the genre. Here's hoping they get even better!

I was really in two minds whether to go into this restaurant or not. The general rule of thumb I…read morehave when looking for restaurants after not booking is to see how many people are sitting inside. In this instance the decor outside was a little cheesy reminiscent of a chain restaurant so not a good start. However there seem to be plenty people inside so thought I'd give it a go, a great decision. The manager stated there was no room at the in inn but after a little thought cobble together a couple of tables to see four of us. The Menu catered for everybody in the party. It was a good spread for all tastes. We ordered a combination of starters but the manager informed us that it would be much more cost effective to order a particular dish which we did, an even better start. Some great flavours and combinations. The main courses arrived and whilst the presentation was not spectacular the flavours of the food was fantastic. It was definitely one of those moments when you look at the food and go ohhhhhhh ..... but the taste, flavours and smells are amazing. The decor inside was kind of quirky but really nice and with the quiet buzz of content customers the atmosphere just added to a great nice out. We were not rushed at any stage in the evening in fact the lengthy waits between courses and the table being cleared just added to a fantastic relaxing evening. Staff appeared to be genuinely concerned that we enjoyed our evening and especially the food. I would recommend this restaurant to everyone.

DELICIOUS! This…read moreplace is stunning! Awesome BBQ food! Very good deal! Firstly, it's hard to get a table. My suggestion is just go there wait the 15-45 minutes It may take for a table. Ask to have a beer from the great selection! While you wait enjoy the small of BBQ ... Let it soak into your clothing. Have a browse around of all the cool decor and great beards that come in! Once you get your table you to be apart of something special. The food is delicious. It's about £4.50 a beer and £10 for the board of meat. £10 two meats and two sides. Trust me it will fill most people. Deliciously smoked. Great hot sauce also! YEEEHAWW!

This place was terrible. The only good thing about it which would warrant me giving it a 2 star…read morerating is that the waitresses and waiters were very friendly and pleasant. Firstly, they had run out of stuff on the menu at 7:30pm on a Tuesday night. Secondly, when the mains came, they arrived without the slaw that was promised with them and also without the sauce and my sweet potato fries. My dinner companion asked for chilli fries with the chilli on the side, however when it came it was all over the fries and also cold. When we told the waitress, she did come and give us the slaw and sweet potato fries and was very apologetic. However for the money we paid - not good, not good at all.

Bierrex opened on the old Popolo site at the end of last year and underwent a huge refurbishment to…read morecreate a craft beer bar and smokehouse. The new decor in my opinion lacks an interjection of colour and character that I would have hoped for but it's simplicity may appeal to others. Sampled the food here on a couple of occasions and it was nice but nothing to shout home about. It is also quite quiet during the week and can sometimes lack in atmosphere. That said....the staff are all very friendly and helpful so cannot find fault there. They also have a fantastic selection of beers on offer so a good destination for any craft beer fans out there. Absolutely LOVE the 'poison cabinet' room downstairs that has a prohibition style feel to it, open on weekend nights only. These sort of rooms appear to be all the rage in Newcastle at the mo! You have to head downstairs as though you are heading to the toilet (strange I know) and it is hidden behind a black door! Definitely worth a visit!

I've eaten at Bierrex two or three times now, including at their launch party, and I think our…read moreoverall opinion is that it's really a better place to drink! They have a great, sunny bar area with a huge chalkboard menu of interesting beer options. I've been here for drinking events, and the atmosphere is great. They also have a tiny, hidden back patio with heat lamps, and some kind of secret downstairs bar too. I don't know why it isn't busier when we go - people are really missing a trick if they're skipping this place for drinks. Last time we came, we got two BBQ combo plates. You cannot argue that this is an amazing deal - two meat and two sides for £10! Between us and our two plates, we got brisket, St Louis ribs, chicken wings, and pulled pork, as well as mac 'n' cheese, collard greens, super slaw (which has lots of healthy things in it, yogurt instead of mayo, beetroot, etc), and sweet potato fries. Our overall impression was - better than Hop N Cleaver, and MUCH cheaper, but still leaving something to be desired for an American and her BBQ-loving Brit. I'd argue the sides are the best bit - love the mac 'n' cheese, it's got four cheeses in and smoky bacon bits and you can really taste complex, interesting flavours. It isn't just noodles and cheddar. Makes a massive difference. The collard greens are excellent but always too salty - we keep forgetting to ask if they can turn that down a notch, they'd be perfect otherwise. I like the nice healthy slaw, much more creative than the usual. The meats were less impressive, sadly - they were fine, but a little dry, a little plain. Chicken wings a massive improvement on Hop 'n' Cleaver though. It just isn't as good as it should be. Service can be touch and go - a bit inattentive at times. We spilled a glass of wine almost immediately after it was brought, and while they cleaned it up and offered me another glass, they totally forgot to bring it. It wasn't even that busy in there, people walked by my table loads of times without remembering. So there's some room to improve on that front. Come here to drink though, and you've definitely got the right idea. They get an extra star for being a great bar. Wish the food was just a bit better! I still think it's the best BBQ in Newcastle, mainly for the sides, but I've tried all the competition and haven't really been wowed by any.

Why has it taken me so long to eat here?? This place is amazing!!!!! Arguably not the best option…read moreif you are a vegetarian but the name and countless chickens in the window give that away. It has a great vibe as you walk in with modern yet old style industrial lighting and open plan dining. The staff are all super friendly and explained how it works....chicken,sides and more importantly which sauces you want to try. There are a couple called 'nuclear' and 'evil' that I would be tempted to try when I'm feeling brave! Generous portion sizes and reasonable prices too! I couldn't fault this place....give it a try!

This restaurant has been open for about three months now and it is absolutely amazing. The menu in…read morethe restaurant is what I wish places would be like. Its very short you have the option of a quarter, half or full chicken. The big decision is what go for. the waitress helped us a lot by telling us that we could order more if we ran out during our meal. We ordered a number of different shots to try and get a variation of hotness. And were some of them hot! The sides pretty tasty too we ordered one of each to eat between four of us and it was quite sufficient. Overall an excellent lunchtime out. The staff were very attentive chatty and knowledgeable about the products.

A whole bunch of us went to dine for the first time for five of us in August. We were in Newcastle…read moreto visit our daughter. A small and lively place full of young people and an energetic staff. The order was for diverse dishes: sautéed glass noodles, fried dumplings, prawns, some beef and seafood platter. All this accompanied with soft drinks and sake The check came to £150, a bit on the expensive side. An enjoyable evening. I would return here when I visit Newcastle again.

While I am quite shocked that we need to pay for side dishes, the food was pretty okay. I went with…read morea group of friends and 2 ordered a vegetarian fried udon dish and really enjoyed it. The rest of us shared a meet platter, ordered side dishes (kimchi , bean sprouts and radish). The meat was pretty good. However, out of the 5 meats on the platter (chicken, pork belly marinated, pork belly not marinated, marinated beef and beef), I enjoyed the marinated beef and marinated pork the most. The side dishes were good. If I decide to go back I wouldn't reorder the meat platter. I think it might be a better idea to just share #71 instead. You get marinated beef and chicken. 2 bowls of rice with 2 side dishes and friend dumplings. I've never tried their fried dumpling though :)

This is your classic Hong Kong Style Cafe. Service is fast and efficient, so you should know what…read moreto order when you sit down! We had a bowl of wonton noodle soup, beef noodle soup, and a plate of crispy belly pork. Also had an iced lemon tea and kumquat tea. Soups were really nice. Pork very crispy but too salty. Lemon tea too sweet and kumquat tea finished with a pile of undissolved crystals on bottom of cup. Overall a little strong on the flavours but worth returning to.

A restaurant can be judged in spades by walking in and asking what do you recommend. Here I got the…read moretypical english treatment in a very Chinese environment. Not a bad thing at all and the food they gave me was tasty enough Chinese tea is plentifull, muchly welcomed as the lonely contractor in another city. It has that city cafe feel that calling it dingy would be unfair as it's clean and well looked after if not the most stylish cafe ever. A chinese restaurant that serves food to the chinese has to be a good placed to eat with plenty of traditional dishes including chicken feet etc. No alcohol is served here but there are other places for that and I would be more than happy coming here for food on a regular occurance. Careful tho as it's cash only, so don't get caught out like I almost did and the pricing was great as well. Highly recommended

Initial Reaction: Being that we were unexpectedly staying for the night due to the weather further…read morenorth, through my Yelp search, I found some cocktail lounges to check out. The Botanist was an excellent find when we stayed the night in downtown Newcastle. Located on Monument Mall, you have to up three flights of stairs or take the lift (elevator) to reach the main bar and lounge that has a strong botanical garden theme that is quite beautiful, especially with the location being under a dome. The dome is gorgeous and really enhances the botanical garden and atrium effect. The cocktails are very good as well. I ordered a buttered coconut old fashioned that was quite rich and creamy, but very satisfying with the toasted coconut and butter-washed Makers Mark bourbon with homemade salted honey syrup. My wife enjoyed her Botanist Ultimate Gin & Tonic as we took a table with these plushy lounge chairs. The bartender was fantastic and friendly in making us the cocktails. Really nice guy who made us feel at home. Additionally, they have a rooftop balcony to enjoy the drinks; however, on this evening, it was windy and cold (at least for us Floridians) to where we decided to stay warmer inside. But we would return in a heartbeat.

Best kabobs eve! The peri peri chicken was moist and had tremendous flavor. Incredible atmosphere…read morein the main atrium. Save room for the shared cookie dough; one of the best desserts I've had!