There’s been no shortage of new openings across the North East lately, but alongside chasing whatever opened five minutes ago, I’ve been ticking off a few places that have been sitting on my list for far too long.
Faru in Durham is the first restaurant from husband-and-wife team Jake and Laura Siddle. The name comes from the Old English word for ‘journey’, which feels fitting for a restaurant built around a constantly changing, seasonal menu. We went all in with the tasting menu, which runs over a couple of hours and starts with a selection of snacks before moving through a series of courses. This is very much food where every element on the plate has been thought about. Beautifully presented and equally delicious, each course completely contrasts with the last and with the open kitchen, you can see just how much care and attention goes into each dish. If you’re in search of a new dining experience and not just a dinner, I can’t recommend Faru enough.
From one end of the dining spectrum to the other, one of Newcastle’s most exciting recent openings is Bandstand! The former Urban Green café in Exhibition Park has been given a new lease of life and a new concept from the team behind Deep North. By day, they serve everything from speciality coffee and matcha to wood-fired pizzas, small plates and ice cream; in the evening, the space comes into its own with natural wines, cocktails, craft beer, DJs and live music, and honestly, it feels like exactly what that spot has been crying out for. Exhibition Park is already one of my favourite green spaces in Newcastle, but there’s something particularly nice about seeing an existing building being brought back to life by an independent North East business. Rather than just recreating the café that was there before, the Deep North team seem to be treating it as an opportunity to create a destination in its own right.
Next, Café Eldon sits right in the middle of Newcastle but somehow manages to feel removed from the endless chain coffee shops surrounding it. Entering from the streets of hippy green it feels like taking a step into a Parisian café, serving brunch, lunch, cakes, drinks and incredible afternoon teas, it’s the kind of place suited to any time of day. Komel and her staff always give a warm welcome, and if you fancy a visit, I highly recommend their stacked French toasts.
Sometimes you want the full experience. Sometimes you want pizza in the park. And sometimes you just want a bloody good café after shopping on a Saturday afternoon.
Thankfully, the North East continues to deliver on all three.
Laura Capon – AKA Geordie Scran on Instagram – shares her food experiences from Newcastle and beyond.
Follow Laura @geordie.scran
