Excellent Vietnamese cafe with an attached as in supermarket. Was there in the peak of lunch hour…read moreand was surprised that few have found this gem. Enjoyed a rich bowl of beef pho, prawn summer rolls, and a Vietnamese ice dropped coffee. They also have Bahn Mi sandwiches but I was too stuffed to order. While we sat and ate, lady came in and made her own take away meal deal with spring rolls, canned drink, and snack from the supermarket for just over £5. Definitely worth coming to and would come back if I weren't from out of town.

Absolutely the worse Bahn Mi sandwich I ever had worldwide. Got the lemongrass chicken. The bread…read morewas nicely toasted. The slaw was watery and flavorless aside from the slap of sugar. The chicken was absolutely disgusting; it had the rubbery chew of second day microwaved chicken and absolutely no flavor to redeem itself. I literally took one bite, barely choked it down, examined what was going on here, and walked out leaving the full sandwich on the table.

Love The Golden Pearl!…read more This Asian market has everything you need. Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese - things from virtually everywhere. It is a lifesaver when you want to avoid the fake Asian grocery items at Tesco and want the real stuff. They even have a great freezer section with rare fruits/vegetables and things like fresh kaffir leaf and seafood. Aside from food they also sell things like rice cookers, woks, chopsticks, etc. More recently Golden Pearl has also added a little cafe section with a menu serving mainly Thai food. They have a selection of usually 4-5 daily specials and a little seating area so you can seat and eat while reading a book or watching people walk down North Road. I would say this is definitely the best Thai food you are going to get in Durham. Sometimes some of the curries can be a bit broken, but each time I go here they seem to be getting better and better and really nailing things down.

Very reasonable for the money. The first meal I've enjoyed in Durham. The menu has a few constant…read moreitems, but changes daily meaning there's lots of variety. The market section of the shop is also pretty great. Note: they do accept credit card, however only on orders more than 10 pounds so it'd be wise to bring cash. The regular size portions of the daily specials are 3.95. They can be upgraded to a large or to include a beverage for an additional pound.

The location is very easy to get to - it's just behind Dance City or Central Lofts, depending on…read morewhich way you're coming from. The decor is great - it's very homely and very comfortable inside. Low lighting and asian ornaments that look like they've been accumulated over time allow you to relax and breathe in a relatively well-thought out asian atmosphere. They normally ask if you've reserved a table and it can get quite busy, so if you're thinking of going even after this review, then be sure to give them a call first. So far so good, but the elements that let this restaurant down are the following: - speed of service - food - customer service - price You might be thinking "that's everything apart from location and decor"... and you'd be right. We only ordered two main courses (smallish servings which most probably have pre-prepared ingredients) but we found we waited for around 30 mins or more to see them arrive. When we dugg in, the salt levels in one of the dishes was just completely overwhelming. Our tongues were literally humming with the sodium in the food. We were in a rush to see a movie on the other side of town, so the dish was not sent back. Instead I mustered the courage to eat most of it - else it would have gone back immediately. We complained as we were asking for the bill, but the waiter just nodded his head and didn't give much of a response at all. Similarly, when the manager came over to take our payment she did not mention the issue at all. Instead it was swept under the rug and left there presumably to fester for the next unexpecting guest. Which brings me on to the final point - price. The most expensive main course is around £18 and the least expensive main course is about £10. I can get a much better tasting, much larger meal just a block down at "Utong" which is a Thai restaurant with seafood and hotpot as its speciality. What you end up paying for is the relatively different interior and not much else. To be completely fair, if Barn Asia's food had much less salt in it, it would taste delicious. Eat here if you have a good heart. If you don't, I'd not risk it!

Amazing food, very reasonably priced. Not really designed for people with very simple and…read moretraditionally English tastes - as the name suggests, this is Asian food. Because it is not a Chinese restaurant, or Japanise, or Korean, there is more variety than you would usually find in any one of these. Some dishes have alternative versions, based on the different cooking styles of different Asian countries. But the food is not only interesting, it is also of very high quality. If you find the menu a bit confusing, the staff are very helpful, and knowlegable if it's advise you're after. As some of the best bars in town are near the Central Station, and this isn't too far from there, it would be a great place to start a good night out with friends.

We couldn't help but smile upon entering Settle Down. This is the place you want to have lunch, it…read morereally is. It's strikingly cosy, the food looked delicious and fresh, and the staff were bright and cheery. Not to mention, the swinging jazz music which welcomed us, which was a quirky addition. We knew we were on to something good when we entered to the most pleasant of aromas. 'What is that smell?!' - We just had to ask. It could have been a mixture of numerous delicious tasty concoctions but the overwhelming warm scent of 'the tangy Thai soup' oozing from the kitchen teased our hungry lunchtime bellies. With quite the selection of herbal tea, including some interesting loose leaf options, it's the perfect spot for tea in the toon. There's also fresh milkshakes too! I opted for a pot of apple and mint tea based on the waitress's recommendation and I wasn't disappointed. Mmm! We took a seat and awaited lunch whilst admiring the homely and bright interior. It wasn't long till I was in Thai soup heaven with a delicious bowl of thick, creamy, just-the-right-amount-of-spice tasty tang! Accompanied by a delicious tuna, cheese, olives and caramelised onion sandwich, it made for a fine lunch. Seriously yummy stuff and a mega bargain at just £4.50! This was a definite highlight of our time in Newcastle, for sure. And if Newcastle is on the cards again, I've no doubt that it'll be Settle Down that calls me back for lunch. Settle down and enjoy!

The Settle Down is a cafe which shares space with a great independent record shop (alt vinyl) and a…read morecutting edge contemporary gallery (satellite) in the centre of newcastle upon tyne. the cafe serves toasted ciabatta sandwiches, great salads, homemade cakes, hearty soups, simple breakfasts and great coffee and tea. eat in or take out- great service from friendly staff. this tiny place is a beautifully styled cafe- old school chairs, battered wooden floor, nice bits of original art on the walls, nick-nacks spread about the place, a toy kitchen for kids to play with, cool lighting, a couple of stylish old macs providing free internet access. also great (and usually pretty obscure) music provided by the record shop. the opening hours are 8am-7pm, so it's one of the few places in newcastle where you can actually get a decent coffee and a lovely bite after 5pm. breakfasts are simple and cheap. everything's pretty cheap, in fact. set on a pedestrianised square, it's just a couple of minutes from central station, so the whole city is within easy reach and transport links are excellent. also nearby: premier apartments hotel, dance city, carling academy / o2 academy, journal tyne theatre, the centre for life / the life centre, tilleys, the forth, newcastle arts centre, black swan yard, hair mechanics, discovery museum, the salsa club, china town / stowell street, the gate, blackfriars, newcastle arena, st james park, westgate road, fenham.

I simply cannot rate this place highly enough! Fabulous food, great friendly service, reasonable…read moreprices. If you are in the area drop by and see what I mean, you won't be disappointed!

OKAY, being the only "official" vegan friendly restaurant in the city centre, Scrumpy Willow also…read moreprizes itself of being the one with the worst service. Honestly? They have ONE person working the cash register and the tables upstairs and downstairs. That person is never hospitable or nice, but hey, I would be crabby and rude too, if i had to serve the whole cafe myself. They really should stop being cheap and hire a second person, or at least hire staff that can actually hack it. In general, I find vegans and vegan establishments really nice, down-to-earth, and always good to their patrons. Probably because us vegans/ vegetarians are a rare breed and we feel the need to look after one another. Scrumpy feels differently though, to be fair, they're not entirely vegan, but from what I have been told, they are the "vegan" place to eat in town. I would never come back here again. They give vegans/ vegetarians a bad name. Also, my hard earned cash should not be spent on establishments that don't appreciate my business and are super rude to me. I also know of other places in town that serves vegan friendly dishes, albeit they're not officially vegan.

This is a lovely cafe to go to when the weather is cold and miserable, it's got a very cosy homey…read morefeel to it. The staff were friendly and very chilled and we all really enjoyed our food: my omlette was so tasty and filling, and my sister's hummus and fallafal plate went down a storm! I really liked this place as a whole but the reason I docked two stars was because of the really really bad quality of their drinks; I had the house wine which was nothing short of vinegar-esque, my sister had the "smoothie" which was nothing more than a half-filled glass of watery fruit juice with a thick layer of foam at the top, and our friend went for the milkshake which literally looked like a glass of milk that had been jiggled around for a bit (no trace of any ice cream in the mix) My advice with this place is go here when in search of good value, filling food, but don't waste your money on the beverages!..

The interior is super cute! Very simple menu, but a bit of a…read morevariety - I know, it kind of negates itself, but if you see the menu, you know what I mean. Enough to not be upset but not enough to have your choice of anything. There's no flavors so I chose the cold brew with whole milk. I was not disappointed. It mixed well enough that it wasn't an overly coffee flavor. I'd be back.

I got the whole grain wrap with sweet potato pakora, spinach, hummus and cous cous for takeaway…read moreSaturday and for £4.20 was quite pleased with the portion and taste. It also came with a chili sauce on the side and the spice was a perfect compliment to the sweet potato. Even my meateating husband was satisfied! Like someone else said on TA though the staff wasn't the friendliest, which I was surprised at, considering most of those I have encountered in Newcastle have been friendly.

Well, it was a Sunday evening, and I was walking around Newcastle looking for a cheap bite of food…read more I wanted something in the price range of fastfood, but it had to be something more homegrown. The Town House fit the bill and was excellent! I spent 3.25 GBP there, and the amount of food was enough to fill me up! I ordered the cheese burger with chips (fries). The burger and chips were made to order, and they were both better than the greasy food I was expecting. They also sell pizza and kebabs at dinner time. They sell sandwiches at lunch time only. They have candy bars, and they sell beer. Overall, the atmosphere of the place was cheap, but I'm not going to complain. There was a large television playing Sky sports, and probably twenty seats. A good fast(ish) food pitstop, the joint is located close to the Central Station. An awesome value for some tasty fastfood, the place gets a respectable four stars from me. I'd go back, especially if I ever need a quick bite before/after travelling by train.

I'm working close to the Central Station, so the location is perfect for me (also handy if your…read moretrain is late and you fancy something good and affordable) At the moment they're having a deal on pizzas during the week on lunch time. 10" for £2.50! And to my surprise, is not only plain flavours! Good toppings all around, including some good seafood and prawns. Quality is really good, everything look very fresh, people working there are great and with this price, I'm definitely becoming a local!

This is a superb library in Newcastle, and I would recommend anyone to check it out. We arrived at…read moreabout 12:30 on Saturday, half an hour before closing time, but the staff were so welcoming and told us we were welcome to roam around the whole place, including on the balconies. I was surprised at how welcoming it all was, and was slightly worried it would be a bit too elitist for us lowly tourists to visit. I was wrong. It's a quiet place, but certainly not a silent library, and murmurs of chat were heard all around the interior. People were reading newspapers, drinking coffee, catching up with friends, and generally relaxing. It was a lovely atmosphere. The interior itself is gorgeous, with vast collections of old books, music scores, and more. Arranged over two levels, access to the balconies is by some spiral staircases, and they offer a nice view over the library. It's completely free (though you can donate or buy some memorabilia), so please pop in for a visit if you're in the area.

Listen, ever since I was a schoolboy, the Lit&Phil was a desirable and mysterious place where you…read morewere guaranteed to get set texts for O and A level exams - the public libraries were good, but your name was just put on a list. The only problem was that the Lit&Phil was a private library and you had to pay to be a member. That gave it a mysterious caché for a struggling schoolboy. Eventually, I could afford to buy my way in and my only regret was that I didn't do it sooner. If you like to work surrounded by stacks of books, this is the place. It has a long pedigree of prestigious past presidents including Armstrong and Stephenson whose ghosts greet you on the stone staircase as you come in. We get student visitors from the other universities' libraries. Because it's good to see young people in a library, I always ask them why they prefer to be in the Lit&Phil. They always say, "It is so much quieter!" In fact there is an even quieter space downstairs in the Reference Section - almost too quiet unless you appreciate pure silence. I could go on for ages about this "Club," about how it has a special room just for the ladies, the legendary little hatch where you get cups of tea or coffee, the staff who know everything, the musical, poetry and literary events that are part of its regular programme, but all I'll say is that if you want a social meeting place in the middle of town, a place you can work and have serious conversations, and are able to enjoy its in-built charm, then the Lit&Phil is the place for you.

Consistently amazing food from here with some excellent craft beers on tap too…read more Friendly helpful staff in a quirky atmosphere. Cannot recommend this hidden gem enough. Try the hash bowl and a Bloody Mary. You won't be disappointed

Finally gotten around to having brunch at Ernest this morning and so glad I did! It's quite hidden…read moreaway so think you have to search it out rather than stumble across it. I ordered the scrambled egg and asked for chorizo too. The portion was huge and I didn't even manage to finish it which is a rarity for a foodie like me. The eggs were cooked just right and were so flavoursome with the chorizo adding that extra bit of umph. My friend ordered the chorizo hash bowl which was equally generous and satisfying. It can get quite busy with lots of tables reserved so it's worth getting there early. On a nice day like this morning however there was also ample seating outside. The service was pretty slow I have to admit and the staff don't seem too eager to go the extra mile but I would definitely return for the quality of the food alone!