Newcastle's Top Tasting Menus: Fine Dining in the City

Solstice, Side

Kenny and Abbie Atkinson run two magnificent, Michelin-starred restaurants in the city, and both offer a take on the tasting menu tradition. The first is Solstice, on Side, which only opened a couple of years back but earned its Michelin nod in 2023. Served in their bright, airy dining room, the tasting menu celebrates British cuisine with international influences and focuses on seasonal produce (and sustainability) to provide around 15-18 dishes, usually with the briefest of descriptions – Lobster, Pear, Honey, Tamarind etc. Starting with snacks or amuse bouchées, through savoury dishes (usually a combination of fish and meat) and onto desserts and petits fours, the menu costs £175, and there are wine pairings available at a surcharge. You’ll need to allow at least 2.5 hours to properly enjoy this wonderful experience.

House of Tides, Close

House Of Tides – Solstice’s big sister, having been open for a decade now – also has a Michelin star and a Four AA Rosette and is housed in a remarkable Grade 1 listed building, formerly a 16^th century merchant’s town house, with an atmospheric interior and excellent views. And the food has an incredible reputation, which extends to a selection of tasting menus on offer, all of which vary by season. Midweek, House of Tides offers five-course lunch and seven-course dinner tasting menus (priced at £85 and £135 per person, respectively), and on Saturdays there's a seven-course dinner menu for £140 per person. Wine flights are available, starting at £75, and you can expect to enjoy such tempting dishes as cured and confit sea trout, salt-aged Yorkshire lamb and desserts like the intriguingly dubbed 'Forced Rhubarb'.

Hotel du Vin, City Road

In its wonderful building perched on the eastern edge of the city above the Tyne, Newcastle’s Hotel du Vin has an excellent reputation for fine dining and great service and this is bound to be equally true of its tasting menu. Its 'Taste du Vin' menu costs £59.95 per person (with a minimum of two diners) which includes wine pairing and runs to five courses, which might include such appealing dishes as chicken liver parfait, beef cheek bourguignon and a cheese plate. There’s also a fabulous vegan option - a relative rarity in the world of tasting menus - with delights like spelt risotto and grilled vegan halloumi.

Mantra Thai Dining, Forth Banks

Widely regarded as one of the city’s finest Thai restaurants, Mantra Thai is a great place to visit any night of the week but on Thursdays they offer a tasting menu that’s not to be missed. This carefully structured eight-course journey through Thai cuisine has a series of dishes telling a story about Thailand and its rich food culture. Costing £85 per person (£125 with wine pairings), you should allow around 2 ½ hours for a menu that will include such specialities as Tamarind Kissed Duck à la Phetchabun, Pad Ka Prao and something that promises to be a ‘symphony of vanilla’. There’s also a very tempting vegetarian version with dishes like the Tom Kha Hua Hin Zen Bisque (pumpkin, mushroom, and tofu bisque imbued with Thai spices).

21, Pandon 

Part of the 21 Hospitality chain, flagship restaurant 21 is a brilliant place to eat with a fine location just off Quayside and a relaxed but classy atmosphere. Its Bang in Season tasting menu does exactly what the name suggests – it focuses on local, seasonal cuisine with the menu changing monthly to reflect the best produce available. Available from Tuesday to Saturday at both lunch and dinner sittings, the menu consists of six courses and costs £70 (with a wine flight for an additional £55). Dishes might include everything from Dorset crab on toast to loin of veal, cheese with candied walnuts to Amalfi lemon tart and the whole thing looks remarkably tempting.

Tasting menus really are a terrific way to experience the very best a restaurant has to offer, especially when they’re curated with care and thought, reflecting seasons or cuisines across the series of dishes, and Newcastle city centre has a handful of must-tries. Whether it’s for a special occasion or just a treat for the foodie in your life, a couple of hours spent with some of these menus is a genuine delight!