21 Restaurant in Newcastle upon Tyne

Well ….. what can I say? Ate the most delicious meal we’ve had in years in a restaurant. I honestly had started to believe that whilst many places are good - or even very good - most of the time I can make better at home! Tonight’s dinner proved me wrong and that you can find scrumptious food and wonderful service. We had the Tournedos Rossini tonight. Fillet steak as soft as butter on a crouton that had soaked up the excess juices, topped with fois gras (which I’m sure would have been ethically sourced), topped with black truffle, served with a rich Madeira Sauce, tender mushrooms, perfectly cooked green beans and a buttery mash potato. Absolutely yummy. I had crème brûlée for pud. The topping was thin and cracked perfectly to reveal the creamy custard beneath. It came with almond brown butter cake which wasn’t necessary but was thoroughly enjoyed. The staff are welcoming, really friendly, whilst staying efficient and professional. All in all we had a wonderful evening and can highly recommend this restaurant.

Very Relaxed Family Easter Sunday Lunch. Admittedly not the cheapest Sunday Lunch but it was worth it because of the standard of food and service. An upmarket environment, relaxed atmosphere and attentive service without being intrusive. Would recommend if you’re looking for something a little bit special. Will be returning.

We booked for Sunday lunch whilst visiting Newcastle. We booked for 5pm but arrived early and they were able to accommodate us. The food was nice but when we compare to a fixed price Sunday lunch at a restaurant near us for a similar price, there is a massive difference in quality. It was average but nothing more than that. Service and staff were great and friendly.

Anniversary meal from start to finish a 100% experience. The staff were all amazing without being over the top. Kate especially took care of us. The food was perfect Need I say more

This is a restaurant that does things that matter really well. The staff are smart, efficient and friendly. The tables formally set with actual tablecloths. Bread and butter arrived without having to be ordered. A good selection of wines is available as a 500ml carafe and by the glass (mainly 175ml). The menu features classic dishes and seasonal ingredients. The Provençal Fish Soup had a good depth of flavour and classic French accompaniments; my partner’s crispy Tempura Prawns were enhanced by a delicious sauce. For mains we had a perfectly cooked piece of Skrei cod and an excellent portion of local venison from Kielder. We shared a Tarte Tatin with vanilla ice cream – sounds ordinary and potentially heavy but was anything but. Lots of soft yielding dark caramel-imbued apples with a delicate flaky pastry and super smooth ice cream flecked with real vanilla. The whole tarte was served at the table in a cast-iron pan; we helped ourselves to seconds. We were here for a special occasion and last visited 21 when it was in Queen Street – perhaps 25 years ago. So pleased to find 21 is still going, doing so well and every bit as good as we remembered.

Living at the other end of the country from my siblings, it's nice to be familiar and confident with a restaurant that can offer well presented and delicious food. Our experience starts with an aperitif in the reception area of Cafe21. This may not be everyone's strategy, but if your party is getting close to, or exceeding double figures, this allows for synchronized luncheon sitting, for early birds and late comers alike. This prelude also allows Cafe21's Team to acclimatize to the foibles and eccentricities of the particular party they are serving. The luncheon has its own pace with waiters and waitresses seemingly appearing when being sort, it's an art not to hover over the proceedings. Which brings me to Cafe21's Team, who meet all our expectations, I can only presume that much planing and preparation goes into the service they offer. They are; cheerful, knowledgeable, and helpful. The meal itself are my penultimate thoughts, that said, the food was delicious. But if I may offer a slight criticism it is this. I like seafood, which I know is less popular than things that grunt, moo, or baa. So the challenge for all restaurants who offer seafood dishes on their bill of fare is to get it right. In a perfect world, a bowl of muscles or crab as a starter would take prominence. I shan't bleat on! In closing if you lunch or dine in Newcastle and you haven't frequented Cafe21, I truly wonder, where have you been. Don't forget to tip. Kind regards Robert

Difficult to effectively review this as each guest had varying experiences. 3 stars because one meal was over salted, extensively so. This was the confit duck. Whilst it needs to be salted it tasted salty right through the dish. I had oysters very good but not a lot can be done to make them poor. Fish soup was rather bland, needs a little seafood to brighten up the flavours. Cheese soufflé starter looked delicious but my partner would not give me any? Blade of beef was very tender but just a little over salted, still enjoyable - just. Service was a little slow, felt like the kitchen needed some time. Desserts were a treat, very nice although the description of doughnut should read profiteroles. Would I go back, think it’s a maybe.

The atmosphere was lovely and the service was good. However, the food was disappointing. 1 guest had a dairy allergy and the options were very limited and plain.

We visited this restaurant whilst visiting our granddaughter what a wonderful place the staff are so friendly nothing is too much trouble for them they do so much for you taking your coats pouring you drinks we must mention molly such an amazing person she looked after us so well thank you for a fantastic evening the food is another matter it was absolutely out of this world highly recommended the tuna starter the beef for main baked alaska for pudding delicious hubby tempura prawns beef and cream brule cannot wait to go again thanks so much 21 restaurant

We have been going to 21 for several years and it is consistently excellent. The service is efficient and we love the food. The early evening dinner is particularly good value, although for a special occasion the a la carte menu cannot be beaten. There is always a fantastic selection of options available although I struggle to resist the Spinach and Cheddar Cheese soufflé for starters. This is a very reliable restaurant in Newcastle and we always know that we are going to enjoy our evening there.

I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough. Fine dining at its best. The food is exquisite and cooked to perfection. It has a wonderful, relaxed atmosphere and doesn't feel too formal or stuffy like some posh nosh places do. The staff are so attentive yet aren't overwhelming. I cannot find with anything. Certainly one of my faves and already counting down to my next visit.

Nom nom nom nomma nom nom....nom

The atmosphere was poor, we were pretty much eating in the kitchen. The food was good but not great. Took over 45mins for the food to arrive. They didn't have all the drinks on the menu. Overpriced and average experience. Would not recommend.

* Took a hit at Blackjack or ‘21’ if you will • Quite the win at this table * Despite only living within several hundred yards (as the kittiwake flies) of ‘21’, I had yet to set foot in this eatery… Newcastle’s January ‘Restaurant Week’ proved the catalyst. The place was packed to the rafters. Admittedly, I was a little anxious about a dilution in quality given the crowd. What a silly presumption. We were shown to our table which was nestled within the classier end of the establishment. The ‘big hitters’ had arrived, they no doubt thought. One of my fellow companions was raving excessively about the bread pre-visit. Baked on site, word has it. He was wolfing it down and the baskets kept on being replenished. Dry January has put a bit of a spanner in the works whilst out socialising this month. I was pleased however that there were non-ethanol based options on the menu. Good work. My two comrades ordered the cheddar cheese and spinach soufflés to kick things off which were a sight to behold. No skimping on the portions. They were nearly comatose afterwards mind you. I opted for the lighter terrine of local Geordie deer and a German turnip (‘Kohlrabi’ if we are being pedantic). When full consciousness had been regained the mains were thrust upon us. 2 glorious plates of substantial pork belly with gorgeous red cabbage and a Spanish black pudding. How very continental. The bread fanatic opted for the beef medallions which also looked a treat; I’m not a ‘mushroom sort of guy’ but even the fungi across the table were tempting me, as they lounged seductively on top of the meat. It was then time for the desserts to take centre stage. I flirted with an orange tart (from Seville). Very sophisticated however. The ginger cake with toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream also looked delectable. The 3 courses we received for £25 were just formidable. In our current heavily inflated world this was the finest music to my ears. The service was impeccable too and even drew a tip from myself, which is a rarity these days. Genuinely impressed. ‘21’ absolutely aced it!

Cannot praise this amazing establishment enough. Food was outstanding - husbsnd had cheese and spinach souffle and then we had roast beef sunday dinner - outstanding - pudding was marmolade pudding ( highley recommend and rhubarb sorbet - just perfect- from start to finish all amazing - thank you so much😁

First time at 21. Although we often go to cafe 21 in Fenwick. It's restaurant week and we didn't know what to expect. Well let me tell you it was absolutely amazing. My wife and I both had the souffle starter. Excellent. I had the pork belly main with red cabbage, and black pudding in a quenelle type affair and loved it. My wife had gnocchi and you know how that can be hit or miss. Well she adored it. My dessert was White Chocolate Chiboust with Tropical Fruits. Lovely,light and refreshing. My wife had ginger pud with toffee sauce and ice cream which almost finished her off 😁. Delicious. The service was impeccable and a special shout out to the girl working our station. We were table 5. Incredible value. We will definitely be back soon.

Great restaurant week experience - we hope to return

We booked for Restaurant week and it was just a delight from start to finish . I was so impressed by the Maitre de who was so so polite and helpful he is a credit to the organisation . After enjoying a pre-meal drink in the bar area we were shown to our table and their the opulence the Restaurant is known for was all too apparent beautifully crisp linen table cloths and napkins , table perfectly set and then the food! Despite it being a special promotional event the food showcased what this restaurant is all about sheer quality of the food and the service . The staff could not have done more and the Chefs are clearly so passionate about the ingredients and the food they produce . I thoroughly enjoyed each of the three courses . I observed many other dishes being delivered to other tables and they simply exuded quality. The balance of the flavours was perfect . I had locally sourced Roe Deer terrine served with a complimentary relish and a really refreshing kohlrabi and Sugar snap pea salad just perfect. The main of perfectly prepared cod with Morecambe Bay shrimps, samphire and cream potato was a sheer delight , perfectly white flakes of cod , simply melt in the mouth flavoursome food. Hard to choose but perhaps the dessert was the most accomplished and favourite dish I experienced . A white Chocolate Chiboust [I had to google it before I attended the Restaurant] was very light and delicate perfectly complimented with some tropical fruit lychees, mango , passion fruit , a quenelle decorated with gold leaf balanced on top just perfect. Finally I would like to thank Rachel who ensured this was a such wonderful experience , nothing was too much of a problem and Rachel went that extra mile to make sure this was something to treasure . A huge thank you to 21's staff for making this a wonderful day out.

An excellent meal to celebrate my wife's birthday. I had duck as main course which was superb, i have only given 4 stars as we had to ask for the vegetarian menu despite being given an ensemble of other menus on being seated which in my view should include the vegetarian menu.

We went to celebrate a Birthday which is always a bit tricky so close to Xmas but were aware of the Xmas menus, so that was fine. Always look forward to a visit to Café 21 but on arrival this time, it was a lot...

As per usual another delicious lunch. The service was excellent as always apart from asking for a dairy free pudding and as it was placed down before me I was told by the waitress that it wasn’t dairy free, I ate it and it was...

repeatedly goodfood and wine served with knowledgeable staff. fillet steak always perfectly cooked, awesome onion rings. hard to beat for high quality service serving high quality food and possibly the greatest desserts. williams pear with baked salted caramel ice cream remains my favourite ever! ps oysters here are immense

They had us in and out in 40 mins 2 courses) and £112 light. Food was ok and everyone polite but expect more for the money. Could of been in KFC longer

We decided to have lunch at 21 after Christmas Day. A good decision, they had modified the Christmas Fayre, replacing Turkey with Duck and improving in our opinion the Cod. All agreed our different choices were at least very good with some excellent. With attentive...

Great festive menu at 21. Wide and interesting choice for our party of wide age and tastes. We particularly enjoyed the cheese souffle, pheasant, the chestnut pie (v), fresh doughnuts and chocolate souffle with caramel sauce. Good selection of wines. Pleasant atmosphere and full of diners. Excellent all round.

We had such a special time for our anniversary. Thank you for the delicious food and brilliant service 👏 😀

Food is amazing. Staff are excellent.

Booked for a special birthday but available Menus were Christmas food themed, we wanted the taster menu, as shown on the website but it wasn't available. Food was pretty average at best. Service was a bit slow. 35 minutes before order was taken.. Half the...

I am absolutely disappointed. My husband booked us a place here as we enjoy fine dining and had visited blackfriars on Wednesday during our week stay at the Vermont hotel. I want to say that the service is better that blackfriars but the food is...

Always a great experience to dine at 21.

Great place, excellent food. Try the liver.

Very, very solid. Really enjoyed it, but just a touch off where I'd have hoped food-wise. Lovely space. Excellent layout. Seems very popular so goodly amount of pleasant hum of happy diners. Accessibility is good and single level. Restrooms were immaculate. Staff seemed nice, unobtrusive but appropriately attentive to requirements. Well trained, respectful and polite. Makes it all the more disappointing that I was slightly underwhelmed by the food. My steak Tartare starter was a bit too enthusiastically seasoned with tabasco to taste much else. Onto the main and my venison was supposed to be served pink, but in reality was a bit over that. Relatively small things, but things a place like this should get right. The crab lasagne however, which sounded weird, was some sort of delightful soufflé-esque concoction and absolutely excellent. Speaks to a quality and talent in the kitchen. Generous quantity of food provided, certainly didn't leave hungry. For the setting, the price and the general excellence of everything else, I did expect top quality to arrive on my plate, and it fell slightly short of that. Taittinger by the glass. Oysters were Lindisfarne and of excellent quality. Hefty wine list. Various price options catered for. We went with a French Malbec that was just about in the upper end of the more reasonably priced options and it was quite the treat.

Incredible. It's not often you take your first half a bite and you're in food heaven. At "21" you are. Excellent team, very friendly, great advice on food and wine pairings. I had the scallops, roe deer and creme brulé - couldn't fault any of them! Absolutely delicious. Will definitely be back. Great for special occasions, business meetings, or a romantic dinner.

The restaurant does have a really good vibe about it & the staff are lovely. The food is good too.

Great lunch in August. My friends and I are regulars here and booked for a Xmas lunch months ago. Then out of the blue this weekend i received an email demanding a non refundable of £60 to be paid by card over the phone or...

We were warmly greeted and offered prosecco when we arrived for the 90th Birthday celebrations. Once seated in the private room the meal was superb and the service was excellent. A totally memorable occasion!

simply fantastic. The three course fixed option is tremendous value and food of the highest quality. Dessert doughnuts to die for!

Once again a very good evening at 21. It was a menu set around wagyu beef, & it was fab. From the wagyu cottage pie onwards . The wine pairing was very nice as well. The only gripes I have was that the room seemed...

Amazing food and great staff but there always one drunk idiot who is so loud they spoil it for everyone in the place as everyone is in pretty close proximity to each other. I'm sure the atmosphere would be great on a quieter night. Or staff could remind people to have some respect for all their other customers.

The Waghu beef night was outstanding with amazing wine flight to accompany the food. What more can I say?

We had the 5 course seasonal menu with accompanying wine flight which was all delicious. The chef was also able to substitute or modify some dishes to cater for allergies in the party. Service was all excellent and the whole meal was nicely paced with breaks where needed. We also opted for the optional cheese course with port.

Fabulous food and service. Brilliant!!

Fantastic service and food, most enjoyable evening made special by the staff...

Great food, had an amazing Sunday roast with my friends. A bit expensive but worth it! Atmosphere is nice and the service is excellent! Will definitely come back

Just the best. An institution that has kept its place as one of the best places to eat in the north east. The quality shines through, no single dish to highlight as they are all so carefully crafted. A big shout out to the staff who are always most welcoming without being over the top.

The food was absolutely delicious, the monkfish was cooked to perfection, I hope this won’t ever be taken off the menu!! Can highly recommend the chocolate and hazelnut mousse for dessert. The service was great, friendly but not overbearing and the courses came out at a good pace. Don’t miss this place!

Absolutely amazing The price for the 3 course meal outstanding Best food I've had in a long while

Visited early on Tuesday evening. Didn’t think we’d need to book, but very glad we did as was very busy. Had a tasty meal from the set menu. Highlights included the ceviche and slow cooked beef. Was excellent value and service was great. Highly recommend...

Every time I eat at 21, I wonder why we don’t come here more often! The food here is always lovely, I’ve never had a bad meal here which is something I can’t say about many restaurants, and the service is just perfect. So many...

Think l chose the wrong day to pop in full of baby buggies and children noisy , uncomfortable to the point l left didn't drink my coffee and didn't finish my scone. I won't be going back.

A lovely quiet spot to have a romantic meal, and some champagne - the waiter service was incredible and they were very friendly

First time dining at 21, and extremely impressed by the professionalism of front of house staff as well as the quality of food so hats off to the kitchen also. Were seated 30mins after our chosen time of 19:30, although this didn't spoil the night, we did wonder whether there comes a point where a complimentary beverage might be offered even though our purchased drinks had been provided. Tables were available for us to be seated so can only surmise that they weren't able to cater for a full restaurant that night. Anyway, amazing food and evening for our Birthday celebration!

Although the food was excellent & the barman mixed a great negroni unfortunately the rest of the service was extremely poor. We had the 3 course set menu at lunch time but the only staff contact was when the food & bottle of wine was...

A beautiful course in a beautiful setting. The staff were amazing.

21 is a terrific restaurant - connected somehow to Cafe21 and the Saltwater Fish Company at Fenwick's - this place is down close to the Quayside hidden round the corner. It is fabulously luxurious and highly atmospheric. The food is really excellent to say the...

Pleasant surroundings .Went for lunch with friends ,staff friendly and helpful . Would have given full stars but we had to wait a long time for desserts and didn't think they were worth the price paid.

21 is a smart restaurant with high quality food. We enjoyed the food and wine. It did lack in atmosphere being a little frantic. Maybe we were unlucky.

Great service and the food was really well presented and tasty. Not the cheapest or quickest service but not enough to take away the 5* for how friendly and kind all the staff were.

Very attentive staff who are well presented, courteous and professional. Food quality was exceptional and they were more than happy to adapt any dish for allergies where possible. We were there for a celebration and they provided some free drinks and dessert.

Managed to get here at last! Worth the wait. Fabulous food, atmosphere and staff. Early bird menu was very good. I'll be back. 😋

Molt bon restaurant, a la zona del Quayside, la gent que circula pel carrer a la sortida del restaurant no seria la millor de la ciutat…

It has been a long while since we last visited this restaurant and it will be even longer before we return. My starter was crab lasagne with lobster cream sauce apparently, unfortunately the two things I could not taste in this dish was either crab or lobster. Luckily though I did manage to bite into a piece of shell/ligament and when I pointed this out to the waitress her reply was quote “at least it proves it is real crab” unquote, something I did not find amusing at a cost of £22. My wife’s starter of scallops and black pudding was not much better the scallops were gritty and oil was oozing out of the black pudding. My main was Masala spiced Monkfish. What I was expecting was a nice piece of fish with a hint of masala and lime unfortunately what I got was rubbery fish with a mishmash of flavours none of which enhanced the dish, the fragrant rice was very nice. My wife’s Roe Deer was very well cooked but that was the only saving grace of the whole experience. The manager did offer us free desserts which we declined as we simply wanted to leave.

Great venue for small events. Fab food and service.

Fantastic, from the initial booking the customer service and quality of the food at 21 was exceptional. All the staff were professional and friendly and the quality of the drinks and food exceeded our expectations. We hope to return again in the future.

Staff nice. Pavlova not bad £18 okay Rest was a rip off Tiny portions so tiny I was shocked. Masala Monkfish had no masala no spice none. Note First two bites were fish 3rd bite was a very hard big bone. 4th bite was a slice of lime 5 th bite was freezing cold crème fresh. Really! for £32? Well Rich footballers might be ok with this but I was starving. How can you charge £5:50 for a ramekin with 3 halves of a lettuce leaf. Again £5.50! For 6 half potatoes. £102 for Chateuxbriand., only enough for one. Nothing elaborate. No serious cooking. Five of us. 3 single alcoholic drinks 1 coffee 2x puds. 4x main 1set price 2 course @ £28. 3x starters. Measly portions £320:25 plus service charge!

One of the best experiences I've had in my locale. Everything from the food to the service was simply exceptional. The team working that evening certainly had their work cut out with us since we were quite unconventional in our ordering (and moving tables). We'd all been to plate day, so we're already a bit sozzled and maybe a bit louder than we ought to have been (sorry if we upset anyone). The team I'm sure we're ready to get home, but at no point forced us out and it was getting quite late. So thanks to all for a great experience! 10/10, highly recommend.

Świetne ryby i owoce morza. Dobry klimat.

Just been for my Birthday Food excellent ~ service spot on ~ atmosphere lovely ~ this restaurant always delivers on every level

We visit on fathers day food as ok not what I expected as a couple of our family has visited before and they recommend it.

Great lunch. Mackerel with homemade picallilli

Great food excellent service and fantastic location.

Excellent food, fabulous atmosphere, a great place to celebrate an anniversary or special occasion.

Beautiful food excellent services

Still got it. Brilliant service, food and ambience. Benchmark for the best in town.

One of my favourite restaurants in the world. Have been eating here for over a decade and it never fails to impress (food, atmosphere, service, friendliness, prive)

Had a great meal here service was excellent staff were really nice especially Eddie who looked after our table my only reason for 4*was we were sat next to the window and it was quite cold , which wasn't good when your sitting having a meal , but everything else was very good .

Nice enough restaurant but I don't really understand the hype. The food was quite average and really overpriced. I had smoked salmon to start which was just a pile of smoked salmon and some quite hard sourdough bread. The butter was nice though. Fish cakes for main were quite nice but not enough sauce so felt dry. Chips were like McDonald's french fries.

Absolutely lovely...fantastic everything

Outstanding! Quality food. Impeccable service. Every aspect of the venue was top-notch. It made the dining experience perfect for me and my guest. If you want to make someone feel special and a VIP, then this is your venue.

Everything was outstanding, from the time we arrived to our departure. Thank you.

Superb! Excellent service, ambience and the food was fantastic. Highly recommended

Lovely lunch with friends , food was very good service excellent as always . The reason I didn't give 5 stars is because my meal wasn't hot and I had to ask for it to be reheated .

Well worth a visit, good food and very attentive staff.

I happened to visit Newcastle during the restaurant week. Despite being very busy, I received an excellent service by Isabella. She was full of energy with customers at every table. All courses are tasty so it’s a must-visit place!

We ordered the cheese and spinach soufflé which was outstanding. The sea bass was very good especially with the grilled shrimp and olive oil and tomatoes. The roe deer was juicy and I liked the winter fruits with it. Isabella, our waitress, is the sweetest and offered excellent service!

Convenient location for some tasty food. Our server Isabella was great, recommending us the cheese soufflé and deer which were both delicious - a must visit in Newcastle!

Fabulous food and excellent service. I had the calfs liver and it was amazing.

The best food, team and atmosphere. Always such a goof experience

Great service, food and ambience.

Have eaten here perhaps 10 times. Fortunately never on my own credit card. On the plus side I can say the baguette is often excellent. Overall it is certainly a decent restaurant. There's nothing bad about the place but nothing exceptional to merit its prices or reputation. This appears to be the canteen for the "1%" of Newcastle's top earners & their professional servants. If someone else is paying the bill you should definitely go. The oysters are often excellent as is the signature souffle starter. Despite the high price, the steaks here are merely 'fine' (even the flawed steakhouse chain Miller & Carter exceeds the steaks at 21) so I'd try something else. The lemon sole & halibut neither justify their price premium so I'd advise another choice as well.

Beautiful Sunday dinner, excellent service and a lovely relaxing atmosphere. Will definitely be returning

High quality food, great service and intimate atmosphere. Prices reflect this.

Sampled the seasonal tasting menu Enjoyed the food and experience. The restaurant was very busy (I think it always is) staff were efficient and engaging. Fantastic food washed down with a nice 🍷 wine. Perfect fine dining Definitely on my list of great places to eat in Newcastle

All round excellent! Beautiful, thoughtful, complex food in a great environment. Service perfectly pitched- attentive, not over-formal

Experience was lush. Booked it online and was seated at a nice table. Time from order to food on table is great. Waiting staff was courteous and food was good. Definitely recommend attending.

Exceptional service, quality and atmosphere. Still Newcastle’s premier restaurant.

Always a pleasure to dine here food is amazing and the staff are great with good service and a smile.

Service efficient but lacked empathy or engagement...bit of a production line. Souffle starter was pleasant but mains far too salty. Lovely dessert. Atmosphere very raucous...noisy, braying man on table next to us drowned conversation. Unlikely to go back.

We visited 21 for our anniversary dinner, and had the September "bang in season" menu with wine flight. Each dish was incredibly well executed, and paired brilliantly with a glass of wine (or port for the cheese course). Service was excellent throughout. Portions were the perfect size and we left feeling as if the whole thing had been a true experience rather than just a meal. Particular standouts were the almond panna cotta dessert and the grouse pie. Highly recommend for a special occasion or celebration.

All I can say is wow. Our server Krzysztof was absolutely amazing, and the food was out of this world! Could not recommend it more.