Toon

• Colonel Cuts the Mustard - Colonel Porter's Emporium Review

  Ever heard of Colonel Porter? Apparently he invented Newcastle Brown Ale in the 1920’s and travelled around the world distributing it. We paid a visit to the “Tavern, Botanical Garden and Rhum Bar” named after him to check out the grub on offer.

  Continue Reading >>
• Good Honest Grub - Dog Leap Cafe Review

  Where is the last place you’d expect to find a chef with a Michelin-starred background setting up shop? I’d say a Cathedral café is pretty high up the list. But that’s exactly where Dean Eccles is turning out deliciously hearty home cooked grub.

  Continue Reading >>
• Island Life - Turtle Bay (Newcastle) Review

  The minute you walk into Turtle Bay you’re hit by the party vibes and island-life atmosphere. From the bar serving a multitude of cocktails (they have a selection of over 40 rums from across the Caribbean) to the reggae music and genuinely cheerful staff, it makes for a great first impression. We were shown to […]

  Continue Reading >>
• Pleased to Meet You - Pleased to Meet You Review

  The other day we decided that it was about time we checked out one of the Newcastle restaurants that has been on our list for a while now – Pleased to Meet You. The popular gin bar expanded last year and opened a new restaurant with top chef David Kennedy at the helm. We took […]

  Continue Reading >>
• Crowning Glory - Hawthorns Review

  Stephenson Quarter is fast becoming the place to be in Newcastle. The area behind Central Station has gained a foodie following thanks to the Boiler Shop Steamer (closed for refurbishment – come back soon please!) and last year welcomed the Crowne Plaza hotel to the Toon. Keen to embrace local traditions and ingredients, their restaurant Hawthorns is […]

  Continue Reading >>
• Turkish Delight - Ottoman Review

  Ottoman Turkish Restaurant is housed in the former home of Black Door on Clayton street (and has been many things over the years – Indonesian, pub grub, Asian fusion). Turkish seems to have been the most popular though, and it’s a nice place to grab a very reasonably priced lunch. The story goes that the […]

  Continue Reading >>
• Not Bowled Over - Lane 7 Review

  Sometimes you want more than just good food, you want to let your hair down and have some good old fashioned fun. In Newcastle we’ve got somewhere that aims to combine the two – Lane 7, the ’boutique bowling’ alley. Open for nearly three years and a staple part of newcastle’s hipster scene, if you’ve never been […]

  Continue Reading >>
• Street Spirit – The Boilershop Steamer

  After a week’s self imposed quarantine due to a poorly Little Dude we had some major cabin fever and were raring to get out. The perfect way to celebrate getting rid of his virus was a trip to check out the street food on offer at the Boilershop Steamer. The monthly event is held in the atmospheric […]

  Continue Reading >>
• Alchemy and Gastronomy - The Botanist Review

  We thought it high time we checked out the bar and restaurant that everyone in the Toon is talking about to see if it lived up to the hype. With a name like ‘The Botanist‘ we were looking forward to lots of fresh herbs and other plant-based ingredients. My friend SK and I turned up for dinner […]

  Continue Reading >>
• Turning Japanese - St. Sushi Review

  When it comes to food I think that variety is the spice of life. While its nice to have comfort foods and favourite restaurants I do like to mix it up, hence making a pact with the Mr to try new restaurants, the basis of the Toon Lunch Club. This also applies to the meals […]

  Continue Reading >>