Christmas 2023: 12 Must-Try Festive Menus in Newcastle
Our round-up of some of the most tempting festive menus in the city
Every now and again, the papers will run a story about some loveable eccentric who has eaten nothing but Christmas dinners every day for 35 years or something. They’ll normally include the total sum of sprouts eaten for some perspective.
We don’t recommend that, but in the run-up to Christmas plenty of Newcastle’s finest restaurants offer excellent seasonal menus so there’s no reason why you couldn’t eat quite a lot of festive food this December.
And it’s not just the standard turkey and stuffing either - there are some appealing and inventive international spins on Christmas dinner too. Here’s our round-up of some of the best Christmas menus in NE1.
City Tavern, Northumberland Road
Much loved Newcastle institution The City Tavern is well known for lots of reasons - including its love of dogs - but we can add a love of Christmas food to the list too. From 15th November, they’ll be offering three Christmas dinner options – a main course for £18.95, two courses for 24.95 or the whole three courses for £29.95. From parsnip & spiced apple soup to a salted caramel Yule log via some splendid main options – turkey of course but also ox cheek, baked salmon fillet and a vegan-friendly dish of parsnip, butternut squash and cranberry wellington.
Blackfriars, Friars Street
There can’t be many more evocative places to enjoy a seasonal feast than the decidedly olde world environment of Blackfriars. From 27th November to New Year’s Eve (excluding Christmas and Boxing Day), their Christmas menu costs £45 per person and includes a glass of fizz, three courses, mince pie and tea or coffee. It’s a pretty special menu too – options like home-made black pudding, potato & truffle pan haggerty, butter-roasted breast of turkey and some actual figgy pudding. There’s a fine seasonal cocktail list too.
The Vermont Hotel, Castle Garth
The Vermont has got so much going on this Christmas, they’ve even produced a shiny brochure! Available every day in December there’s a special festive afternoon tea, served from 12;30pm till 4pm. This seasonal spin on their popular afternoon teas can be taken in the Vermont Lounge, Redwood Bar or Maven Restaurant. £24.95 per person gets you all the sandwiches, baked goods and hot drinks you could want (and there’s a ‘gentleman's’ option too). And from 20th to 22nd December, there’s a brass band too!
Cote Brasserie, Grainger Street
Old school French brasserie Cote has a delicious-looking 'Menu de Noel' available from 23rd November Christmas Eve which manages to capture the best of both Christmas and France. For £34.95 per person, you can dine on three courses that bring a Gallic twist to seasonal dishes: duck rillettes, turkey paupiette, mushroom bourguignon and spiced crème brulee for example. A rustic French Christmas without leaving the city.
The Alchemist, Eldon Square
The Alchemist brings its potions and wizardry to the festive season with a Christmas menu available from 20th November to 3st December. Offering three courses for £35 per person (and a two course option for £27.50 from Sunday to Wednesday), guests can enjoy some appealing and unusual dishes like cheddar and shrimp toastie or sea bream and whisky panna cotta, although there is a traditional turkey available too. There are all manner of extras too, from a £55 per person option with a ‘liquid livener’ and a signature Christmas cocktail.
21, Trinity Gardens
Keeping it simple but refined as you’d expect, 21’s Christmas menu (available from 28th November to New Year’s Eve, for lunch or early evening) offers two courses for £38 per person or three for £45. From the terrine of Northumbrian game or smoked salmon croquettes, through main courses like butter-roast turkey and ballotine of Northumbrian pheasant to desserts such as French dark and white chocolate yuletide log and sweet mince pie and Chantilly cream, this is a classy Christmas feast.
Pleased To Meet You, High Bridge
Available from 20th November to 29th December, Pleased To Meet You is offering both a festive lunch and festive dinner menu (not including Christmas Day itself). The lunch is £22 per person for two courses or £26 for three and includes starters like game terrine and clementine winter leaf salad, mains such as the PTMY turkey or vegetable wellington and PTMY Christmas pudding and smashed brownie as some of the dessert options. Dinner is £28 per person for two courses and £33 for three for dishes like turkey hash cake, oxtail soup, Northumberland nettle tart, monkfish tail and whiskey-soaked clementine trifle. Both menus offer all the sides and trimmings you could want too.
My Delhi, Clayton Street
Indian street food specialist My Delhi is offering a tasty-looking 'Christmasala' menu this year, from 1st to 24th December. Priced at £19.95 per person for lunch or £24.95 per person for dinner, and available for a minimum of four, they’re offering some sub-continental spins on Christmas traditions like tandoori stuffing balls, as well as the usual dishes like Railway Station Lamb Curry and Grandma’s Aloo Matar.
The Earl of Pitt Street, Pitt Street
The Earl Of Pitt Street has a well-deserved rep as a good pub serving great food, and their Christmas menu – available from 28th November – doesn’t look like it would disappoint. It’s £30 per person for two courses or £36 for three, and that means you can enjoy dishes like wild mushroom risotto, spiced roast parsnip soup, sesame salmon with rice noodle salad and apple and cinnamon crumble. As well as, of course, turkey and Christmas pudding. Plenty of tasty sides and extras available too.
Banyan, Monument Mall
Banyan has several Christmas options available and its festive bottomless brunch is certainly tempting. Running until 3pm, it costs £39.95 per person and offers a classic brunch dish (a few with a festive twist too!) plus 90 minutes of unlimited drinks. Enjoy Christmas cocktails like a berry crumble or passionfruit and ginger spritz while eating breakfast hash or poached eggs in various ways or for a small supplement, try dishes like you could try and Alpine chicken schnitzel or a brie, bacon and turkey melt.
Hard Rock Cafe, Sandhill
Hard Rock Café is a relative newcomer to Newcastle's bar and restaurant scene but is already a hit with people who like a little rock’n’roll with their drinks. Their Christmas menu is £23.95 per person for two courses and £27.95 per person for three and keeps it simple but tasty. Starters like festive Hard Rock sliders or chicken liver pate are followed by mains like smoked turkey burgers or mushroom nut roast and desserts such as Christmas pudding. There's some festive shakes to wash it all down with too!
Miller & Carter, Mosley Street
Even though Miller & Carter is a shrine to steak, their festive menu – available from 30th November up to Christmas Eve – does include a hand-carved turkey in its options. For £36.95 per person for three courses, you can enjoy starters like chicken liver and brandy parfait, mains such as some fine cuts of steak but also root vegetable wellington and of course the aforementioned turkey, and desserts like a mixed fruit and kumquat pudding - plus all the trimmings and sides.
Tomahawk, Quayside
We know we said 12, but here's an extra special one on us. Whether you want a traditional turkey with all the trimmings, or a swanky steak with beef dripping chips to celebrate the festive period, Tomahawk have a Christmas Menu to please everyone (including the veggies!). Starting from £34.95 per person for three courses, it's a menu filled with Christmas classics and Tomahawk specialties. Oh, and they have a white chocolate Baileys cheesecake too...
So there you have it: twelve recommendations for great Christmas menus, from the traditional to the exotic, the rock’n’roll to the Gallic. A perfect way to celebrate Christmas with friends and family in Newcastle during the season without having to wash up.
