13 Must-Visit Chinese Restaurants in Newcastle
Prepare your taste buds for a trip to the Far East as we explore Newcastle's top Chinese restaurants
Chinese food is perhaps the first ‘exotic’ foreign food to be widely available in Britain, the first Chinese restaurant opening in London in 1908, although it really took hold after the Second World War as returning British servicemen missed the food they’d eaten in Hong Kong.
Many of the dishes were initially adapted for British tastes, and then later made available in Americanised versions (dishes like chop suey and chow mein would probably be unrecognisable in China). These days, there’s a move towards more authentic Chinese food that’s led to a real resurgence and Newcastle has a lot of great Chinese restaurants to explore.
Nudo Noodle House, Low Friar Street
Nudo has been a popular destination since it opened in 2009 (its name is a mispronounced ‘noodles’ as recalled by Nudo’s Anglo-Chinese owner) and noodles are the focus of the food served here – in soups, wok fried or lo mein – but the menu has a lot more going on, some familiar and some really intriguing. There’s a strong gluten free and veggie section and they also offer a lot of sushi (there’s also have a sister sushi restaurant on Northumberland Street).
Little Asia, Stowell Street
This Chinatown restaurant offers plenty of typically Anglo-Chinese dishes with a few surprises – for every king prawn in black bean sauce you’ll find something like tom yum rice or fried gyoza. Everything takes place in a spacious impressive dining area and some of the dishes are served with a real sense of occasion. There’s also a sister hotpot diner too.
Landmark, Stowell Street
Another Stowell Street staple is Landmark Oriental, an impressive dining room in an unprepossessing car park! There’s a variety of menus on offer, and options for things like banquets and special occasions. The food is essentially Anglo-Chinese or Hong Kong based but it’s always high quality and presented with style.
The Little Dumpling House, Ridley Place
This cute and tasty little dumpling house really is a treat, offering an array of really well cooked bao, dumpings and the rest in a relaxed, unfussy environment. The dumplings are the main attraction of course – try the aubergine, Chinese leaf and carrot – but don’t miss the wraps, the bao, the Chinese burgers and the Eight Treasure Porridge. This place is a little treasure.
Dumpling & Bun, Grainger Market
Similarly specialising in all things dumpling and street food is Dumpling & Bun (formerly Nan Bei) in Grainger Market, one of the many recent additions to the market that have turned it into something of a foodie paradise. It's perfect for a busy lunch or a break while shopping: just pull up a stool to the tiny counter and enjoy the tasty, doughy, wonderful little parcels. Excellent Chinese tea too.
Happiness Inn, Percy Street
A veteran of Newcastle’s restaurant scene (it’s been open for more than sixty years), Happiness Inn offers a lot more authentic dishes than many of its competitors – things like stir-fried chicken gizzards with pickled chilli and special fried pig's kidney – but there’s plenty of the more westernised dishes on offer too for the less adventurous. They do spicy hot pots too and Happiness Inn has a reputation for big portions and friendly staff in a laid-back environment.
Wing Kee, Stowell Street
A Hong Kong-Chinese style restaurant in the heart of Chinatown, Wing Kee offers all sorts of things beyond the usual dishes – bubble tea, for example, and Chinese ice cream in flavours like black sesame and red bean. It’s a casual, no frills diner type of place but the food is tasty and cheap.
Sky Chinese Cuisine, Stowell Street
Less than 100ft away you’ll find Sky Chinese Cuisine, a place that has a strong reputation among the Chinese community – always a good sign – and is known for its really good dim sum. Once again it sells plenty of more specialist Chinese dishes among its more Anglicized options.
King Neptune, Stowell Street
Nearby you’ll find King Neptune, a relative Chinatown veteran of nearly 40 years specialising in seafood dishes – plenty of squid, scallops, mussels and turbot – alongside all the dishes you’d expect. There’s a bewildering array of menus – Valentine’s Day! Mother’s Day! – and it’s open every day for lunch and dinner services.
Red Diner, Stowell Street
Focusing on Cantonese and Szechuan dishes so it’s big on spices (and those szechaun peppers are HOT!), everything about the Red Diner menu is appealing. They offer various banquet options starting at £19pp and the set lunch menu is really good value too. All this plus private karaoke booths with English, Japanese, Chinese and K Pop bangers!
Noodle Box, Grainger Market
Another bijou and casual Grainger Market shack is Noodle Box, that specialises in Northern Chinese Shaanxi cuisine – think hand-pulled noodles and plenty of spicy umami flavours.
Infusion, Strawberry Place
Traditional regional Chinese cuisine is the order of the day at Infusion, a popular spot tucked away on Strawberry Place. While its menu features plenty of familiar fare - spring rolls, soups, dumplings and the like - this is a restaurant where diners can get really adventurous and authentic with their food with dishes like sizzling bullfrog leg, spicy pig trotters and stir-fried gizzards.
Bao Down, Grainger Market
Not strictly Chinese, the fantastically named Bao Down keeps it simple: gyoza, bao buns, spring rolls and loaded fries in various appealing options (the crispy tofu and mushroom bao buns are incredible). Perfect for a tasty snack on the move in heart of the market bustle.
Like many cuisines, Chinese food hasn’t always been represented authentically in the UK but that’s starting to change and Newcastle has restaurants to cater for all tastes and wallets, from fiery Szechaun dishes to on-the-move snacks like gyoza. So get along to one and maybe venture into some unfamiliar dishes - you won’t regret it!
