We visit Tynemouth, Whitley Bay and North Shields to sample the best of the coast’s delis, cafés, restaurants and food producers
129 Coffee Shop
129 Coffee Shop has something for every day, from quality coffee with freshly baked scones and sweet treats to daily lunch specials. A welcoming place to stop when walking along the coast, it’s easy to spend hours here, savouring good coffee and watching the world go by.
Park View, Whitley Bay, NE26 3RH, tel 0191 253 5963
Allard’s
A must-visit on Front Street in Tynemouth, Allard’s Lounge is home to quality food and drink and a buzzing atmosphere from breakfast until late. During the day, you’ll find a big breakfast menu, freshly baked cakes and cookies, speciality teas and quality coffee, while the excellent lunch and evening menu features tapas, pizzas, burgers and more. Meanwhile, the new Allards on the Quay, at North Shields Fish Quay, is home to tapas, cocktails and the same buzzing atmosphere you’ll find on Front Street.
Allards Lounge, Front Street Tynemouth, NE30 4BP, tel 0191 447 3252
Allards on the Quay, Union Quay, North Shields, NE30 1HJ, tel 0191 296 3973
www.allardslounge.co.uk
Boda Home
We love a mooch around an independent shop full of local produce and unusual goods, and Boda Home in Whitely Bay is a favourite for its wonderful local food, organic wine, craft ales and quirky home accessories. If, like us, you struggle to make up your mind when you’re surrounded by choice, pick up one of the fantastic hampers filled with carefully chosen selections from our region’s best producers.
Whitley Road, Whitley Bay, NE26 2NE, tel 07542 244 716, www.bodahome.co.uk
Cook & Baker
The wonderful Cook & Baker delicatessen is filled with local produce including rustic breads and bakes from the brilliant FAB Bakery, whose range includes an amazing New York deli rye, a wonderful panmarino and cinnamon buns. Fresh produce includes local eggs, heritage tomatoes, fruit and veg, Northumbrian cheese and much more.
Queensway, Tynemouth NE30 4NA, tel 07905 367 457, www.facebook.com/pg/cookandbakertynemouth
The Deli Around the Corner
The Deli Around the Corner is filled with treats, from fresh bread and patisserie to local meats and poultry, cheese and hundreds of carefully chosen products from local artisans. Fresh sandwiches, homemade soups and salad boxes make for lovely lunches while the traybakes, cakes, scones and treats are perfect with afternoon coffee.
Hotspur Street Tynemouth, NE30 4EE, tel 0191 259 0086, www.thedeliaroundthecorner.co.uk
Di Meo’s
Every trip to Whitley Bay must include a visit to Di Meo’s seaside café for fantastic traditional Italian gelato. If it’s a bit nippy for ice cream, this family-run retreat also serves up great food, including a huge menu of proper Italian pizzas. A coastal gem with a proper Italian family welcome, it’s a must-visit.
Marine Avenue Whitley Bay, NE26 1LX, tel 0191 252 3814, www.facebook.com/DiMeosIceCream
Dodgin’s Yard
Dodgin’s Yard Café, Bar and Grillhouse is a fantastic quayside destination with a growing reputation for its buzzing atmosphere, food and drink. It is known for its excellent brunches and lunches, an evening grill selection featuring local produce including steaks and brisket, and its quality cocktails, nibbles, Sunday lunches and stylish dinners.
50B Bell Street, North Shields, NE30 1HF, tel 0191 259 1992, www.facebook.com/DodginsYard
Fisherman’s Bay
This newly refurbished seafront restaurant and takeaway opens April 8 to serve fresh, Atlantic sourced fish and chips and ice cream. This family-run business, headed by the Dhillons, will draw on its fish and chip takeaway experience stretching back more than 20 years to deliver a new twist on old favourites. The new restaurant aims to deliver quality food and is licensed to serve a selection of wines and beers. The team is passionate about the local area, supporting environmentally conscious initiatives including regular beach clean activities while serving all its takeaway food in biodegradable packaging.
East Parade, Whitley Bay, NE26 1AP, tel 0191 447 4774, www.fishermansbay.co.uk
Longsands Fish Kitchen
With the North Sea a stone’s throw from the front door, it’s no surprise that renowned chef Simon Walsh’s restaurant is dedicated to the best of the day’s catch. Simon and his team’s imaginative menus feature the best and the freshest produce of the North Sea, from Lindisfarne oysters to the pick of the day’s catch. Longsands Fish Kitchen is also home to what is officially one of the country’s best traditional fish and chip takeaways, serving up perfect fish and chips to take home or down to the beach.
Longsands Fish Kitchen, Front Street, Tynemouth , NE30 4DZ, tel 0191 272 8552, www.longsandsfishkitchen.com
Nicholson’s Butchers
A Whitley Bay institution, Nicholson’s has been here for more than 100 years. Now in its fourth generation, the family-owned shop, which was one of the first members of the national Butchers Q Guild, is home to the best local produce available and expert advice on preparing and cooking it. The award-winning produce ranges from innovative sausages to pies and pasties while the barbecue selection rivals any in the region.
Park View, Whitley Bay, NE26 3QN, tel 0191 252 5250, www.nicholsonsbutchers.co.uk
PureKnead
PureKnead artisan bakery is a gem, home to artisan breads and cakes and a very warm welcome. The fresh bread – a white sourdough and a focaccia on our last visit – is excellent, as are the cakes. The Square Mile Coffee is outstanding and you can order a custom cake design, should the fancy take you.
Park View, Whitley Bay, NE26 3QW, tel 07964 864 181, www.pure-knead.com
Tynemouth Coffee Co
If you like your coffee, you’ve probably come across Tynemouth Coffee Co’s excellent work by now. This small batch artisan roaster consistently wins high praise for its blends, each of which is developed around ethically sourced beans from Costa Rica, Brazil, Ethiopia, Colombia, Vietnam and Honduras. You can buy direct from the website and you can also book courses for baristas and home brewers, should you want to take your coffee skills to the next level.
The Roastery, Prudhoe Street Back, North Shields, NE29 6RE, tel 0191 260 0995, www.tynemouthcoffee.com
Woods Coffee
Woods Coffee’s three buzzing coffee shops in Tynemouth, Whitley Bay and North Shields are a must-visit for their vibrant atmosphere and relaxed spirit. Offering a warm, cosy hub to be social and drink coffee, you’ll find the team’s own roast blend of coffee, luxury loose-leaf teas, milkshakes, ice cream, and more on offer here at this family of popular coffee shops. On the Broadway in Whitley Bay you’ll find craft beers and gin jars too, plus Woods Yard – an outdoor space perfect for summer.
www.misterwoods.co.uk
