A Geordie weekend brunch is serious business, so be prepared for some next level scran with killer portion sizes that will set you up for the day. From perfect pancake stacks and French toast to spicy Shakshuka and Eggs Benny, morning food reigns supreme here and the local love for hash browns is real!
Here are some of the best places for an all-day breakfast fix in Newcastle upon Tyne…
Aidan’s Kitchen
Let’s start with a banger… Aidan’s Kitchen is one of my favourite brunch spots not just in Newcastle, but anywhere! This petite cafe on the corner of Starbeck Road in Sandyford is dedicated solely to breakfast and brunch and draws a big crowd every day.
Chef Aidan Jackson takes a creative approach to classic morning dishes and uses top ingredients from local suppliers including Northern Rye. You can enjoy delights such as Jalapeno eggs royale, Shakshuka, French toast and unreal pancake stacks.
Favourites are the rich Beef shin ragu on toasted sourdough with tangy salsa verde and a fried egg and the indulgent Braised ham hock with sautéed field mushrooms, buttery scrambled eggs and smooth hollandaise sauce on toasted sourdough. The full English breakfast is also hard to beat.
It’s essential to find some room for Aidan’s signature pancake stacks loaded with dulce de leche, bananas, chantilly cream and chocolate shavings. They also come in half portions (still monster-sized) so you can share some for dessert.
Gosforth folk can now also get a piece of the breakfast action at newly-opened Little Aidan’s – it’s petite but just as yummy!
Cook House
Local favourite Cook House has long been the crown jewel of Newcastle’s Ouseburn Valley and now it has the ultimate recognition from the critics, gaining a prestigious Michelin Plate in 2021.
Chef, author and restaurateur Anna Hedworth started Cook House in two converted shipping containers, after leaving a career in architecture for the kitchens of London’s Rochelle Canteen and Quo Vadis and hosting regular supper clubs.
Cook House now has a permanent home at Foundry Lane Studios, set across two floors with a provisions stores, garden and sunny outdoor terrace. It has a cosy, rustic feel with a striking wall mural, dried flowers and a roaring wood burner. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Cook House’s menu follows the seasons and highlights the best local produce.
We visited for brunch and were impressed with the sizzling skillet of Baked eggs in cream with ham and curried leeks with sourdough toast – so unique and satisfying. We were also wowed by the lighter yet heavenly Spiced pancakes with apple compote, sultanas, almond crumble, Greek yoghurt and honey.
We washed them all down with a flat white and fresh mint tea and they also make home-made shrubs, cordials and syrups.
Kiln
Another Ouseburn gem is Kiln, an all-day cafe, bar and restaurant set in a former car garage just moments away from the canal. As the name reveals, Kiln also houses its own ceramics studio, where potter Jun Rhee creates pots, vases and tableware for clients including the UK’s top Michelin-starred restaurants.
Kiln’s dishes are a mix of Middle Eastern and Northumbrian cuisine – creative and richly-spiced, using ingredients by top local producers and bread made in-house. The menu changes frequently, but we can highly recommend the delicious Flat iron steak with fried egg, salsa verde and sourdough and Sea bass fillet open sandwich with cherry tomatoes and garlic aioli.
The Kiln team have also recently opened Patina, an ambitious restaurant, cafe, bakery and arts space in Edinburgh – one to add to your list for any Scotland trips.
BURDS
BURDS is one of the best places to enjoy brunch in Jesmond, whether it’s on the glorious, leafy sun terrace in the summer or in the cosy Gatehouse cafe during the colder months. Chef Ross Sinclair’s dishes are always super indulgent and generously-sized, using the best local produce from the likes of Charlotte’s Butchery.
Everything we’ve tried at BURDS has been next level, so you can’t go wrong with the Eggs Benny, an induldent grilled cheese with cherry cola ham, shakshuka or my personal favourite, The Muff – a luxury McMuffin dupe with a homemade pork patty, crispy bacon, golden hash brown, fried egg, American cheese and ketchup on a toasted English muffin.
If you have any room left, the counter is filled with delicious baked goods from Pet Lamb Patisserie and nearby Cake Stories.
Smoke & Sear Kitchen
Smoke & Sear Kitchen started as a local food truck and then took up residency at the Quayside’s HWKRMRKT. Its new home on Heaton Road may look like a cute caff with wood-panelled decor, but it is in fact a temple to live-fire cooking over wood and charcoal.
High-welfare meat is sourced from legendary butcher Block + Bottle, just a few doors down, and given the Smoke & Sear treatment in a Josper charcoal oven and wood-fired smoker.
I was wowed by the Steak and eggs – strips of flat iron steak with fried eggs, sweet fire-roasted red pepper sauce and house green sauce. Equally delicious is the Steak supper – strips of bavette steak in signature Newcastle Brown Ale marinade with garlic butter, apple slaw, salsa verde, remoulade sauce and home-made triple-cooked fries. A side of crunchy, salty home-made hash browns is also a must, to scoop up all of those yummy home-made sauces.
Beyond steak, the menu is full of tempting dishes like coconut prawn sandwich, Toon pastrami on Northern Rye sourdough, beer-braised short rib burger and mac ‘n’ cheese bombs.
Harvest Canteen
Harvest is a chilled out coffee house with plenty of outdoor seating on St George’s Terrace in Jesmond. It’s the flagship cafe from Ouseburn Coffee Company (OCC), whose expertly roasted coffee can be found at food markets around the north east, as well as the coffee bar in Fenwick Food Hall.
The Harvest all-day breakfast and brunch menu isn’t huge, but you can find poached eggs on toasted sourdough with a range of toppings, Avocado smash, toasted crumpets, honey granola with yoghurt and berries and scrumptious pancakes with fresh strawberries, ice cream and chocolate sauce.
Cafe 21 at Fenwick
Since opening in 2006, Cafe 21 at Fenwick has been known as Newcastle’s ‘fashion cafe’, tucked away in the corner of the department store’s French Salon, among rails filled with Roksanda, Ganni, Stine Goya and Proenza Schouler.
It’s the more casual daytime offering from Chef Terry Laybourne’s popular restaurant group, which includes the Quayside’s acclaimed 21, St. Vincent and The Broad Chare pub (with a Michelin Bib Gourmand), plus Porterhouse Butcher and Grill and Saltwater Fish Company at Fenwick Food Hall.
They do a fantastic, authentic Croque Madame loaded with gooey cheese, bechamel and honey-roast ham, served with a dressed green salad and cornichons. I usually order it with a side of crispy French fries and a pot of Rington’s Earl Grey Tea. It’s also worth trying the delicious truffle burger, steak frites or the signature Cheddar cheese and spinach souffle.
Flore
For the prettiest brunch in town, look no further than Flore. This dreamy cafe and patisserie in historic Central Arcade has a Parisian feel with pastel pink interiors, hand-painted wall murals, marble counters and chequered floors.
Brunch is varied and generously sized with fluffy foccaccia sandwiches, breakfast tacos and Eggs Benny with pink Hollandaise and Dutch baby pancakes. There’s also an extensive range of colourful lattes and hot chocolate to go with colourful layer cakes, brownies and cookies.
Don’t miss out on the yummy Sirloin steak and fried eggs with caramelised onions and chimichurri on sourdough.
Quay Ingredient
There’s nothing better than a hearty breakfast at local institution Quay Ingredient followed by a brisk walk along the Quayside. It’s a small, cheerful coffee house nestled under the Tyne Bridge, offering well-priced brunch dishes with a few surprises.
The Full English is an epic feast with all of the fixings and should only be attempted if you bring your appetite. Otherwise, go for a traditional Geordie stottie filled with bacon and a fried egg, Dutch pancakes or their creative versions of Eggs Benedict with tempura tiger prawns or confit duck and plum Hollandaise.
Be sure to leave some room for a gooey, molten Nutella brownie, it’s definitely worth it!
Grey Owl
You really can’t miss Grey Owl, as its numerous glass chandeliers bathe elegant Grey Street in a warm, golden glow. This stunning cafe and cocktail bar in a former jewellers next to the Theatre Royal is the little sister of nearby high-end restaurant Hibou Blanc. It’s a stylish spot to start the day over a tasty breakfast, refuel during a shopping trip or enjoy after-work Negronis with a charcuterie board and fresh oysters.
The brunch menu is quite concise, but we found the Eggs Benedict and Turkish Eggs to be high quality and perfectly cooked.
Have you been to any of these Newcastle brunch spots? Where are your favourite places?
All photos by Chérie City
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