If there’s one week when Newcastle’s restaurants don’t worry about empty tables, it’s Restaurant Week.
What began as a simple idea to encourage diners through restaurant doors during traditionally quieter trading periods has grown into one of the city’s biggest hospitality success stories. Fifteen years after its launch, Newcastle Restaurant Week returns this August with its largest line-up yet, bringing together more than 130 restaurants across the city.
Running from 3 to 9 August, the event will offer specially created menus priced at £15, £20 or £25, giving diners the chance to experience some of Newcastle’s best restaurants without the usual price tag. That means for food enthusiasts, this event is a perfect chance to try various appetising meals without burning their pockets.
Launched by NE1 in 2011, Newcastle became the first city in the UK to introduce a Restaurant Week. Since then, the concept has been adopted nationwide, but Newcastle’s remains one of the country’s most established and successful.
The impact has stretched far beyond restaurant bookings.
Last summer’s event attracted more than 59,000 diners and generated an estimated £1.1 million for participating businesses, turning what was once one of the quietest weeks of the year into one of the busiest.
For restaurants, it means guaranteed bookings and full shifts for hospitality staff. For diners, it’s become an annual excuse to revisit favourite venues or finally try restaurants that have long sat on their wish list.
This year’s programme also reflects Newcastle’s increasingly diverse food scene.
Among the restaurants joining Restaurant Week for the first time are Cocochine, an Asian tapas restaurant on Queen Street, Kozle, a Turkish halal grill restaurant on Clayton Street, and 12 Muqam, which serves traditional Uyghur cuisine on Stowell Street.
Many of the city’s long-standing hospitality names continue to support the event, including 21 Hospitality Group, Blackfriars and Dabbawal, all of whom helped launch the original Restaurant Week in 2011.
For newcomers like Cocochine, the event offers an opportunity to introduce themselves to thousands of potential customers.
Owner Hoa Nguyen said Restaurant Week had been on their radar even before opening. “We had heard all about NE1 Newcastle Restaurant Week even before the restaurant opened and were really keen to play our part,” she said.
She added that the restaurant hopes visitors who discover it during the event will return long after Restaurant Week ends.
For restaurateur Jaf Ali, whose businesses include Dabbawal, Khai Khai and DOOD, Restaurant Week has become about more than discounted dining. “For two weeks of the year, Newcastle’s restaurant community comes together to celebrate the city’s outstanding restaurant scene,” he said.
“With NE1 managing the promotion, we can concentrate on creating exceptional menus and welcoming guests. The event encourages people to try our restaurants for the first time while rewarding loyal customers.”
This year’s event is also partnering with Tyne and Wear Metro, encouraging visitors to use public transport when travelling into the city.
Rachel Fenwick, Head of Marketing and Events at NE1, said Restaurant Week continues to provide benefits for both diners and businesses. “For diners, it’s the perfect excuse to try somewhere new or revisit favourite restaurants at a fraction of the usual price,” she said.
“For restaurateurs, it provides an opportunity to welcome new customers and generate additional revenue during what would traditionally be a quieter trading period.”
She added that as soon as Restaurant Week dates are announced, “WhatsApp groups go into a frenzy” as friends, families and colleagues begin planning where to eat.
For Newcastle, Restaurant Week has evolved into something much bigger than a food promotion. It has become a celebration of the city’s hospitality industry and a reminder that some of the strongest community traditions can begin with something as simple as sharing a meal. As the streets grow busier, so do restaurant bookings, turning the city into a dining destination where the flavours of the world are just a table away.
