Babucho in Newcastle upon Tyne

My wife and I visited on Easter Monday. Although the decor and atmosphere is beautiful. The food was a real let down. Being from a fine dining Italian background myself, I can truly say this was the worst Italian food, we both have ever had. Garlic pizza mozzarella. Pale and under cooked. Potato skins with "yogurt dip" and some sort of Asian sweet chilli sauce over powered by Chinese 5 spice. Topped with fried rocket. (Why) Wild mushroom risotto was mush and sticky over powered by garlic and too salty from the amount of "grana padana" used. Would of been nice to have the mushrooms through the risotto, not dumped on the top. Onto the carbonara linguine. What was that. Sauce brown from the pan being too hot when rendering down the pancetta. Pasta was over cooked, cream was reduced too much causing it to split. Pasta was a bowl of tasteless grease. My wife had 3 fork fulls of her risotto and I could only manage to eat 1/4 of the pasta. We both had a cocktail each from the premium menu. Also a let down at £12 a pop. The menu pricing is ridiculous for what it is and ontop of that a 12.5% service charge. Taking the bill to close to £100 for a two course monday lunch. The only service was, to carry plates to our table. There was no actual service and I had to ask for a spoon to to eat my pasta. Come on guys, it's the little details like a spoon to be put down when a guest has a dish with a long strand pasta. The food is back street Italians at most. If it wasn't for the decor and ambience the place wouldn't have as much popularity. (Fact). Babucho has always been nothing but Italian so why now has it started adding in middle Eastern dishes, with bought in packet flat breads, even most Middle eastern takeaways now make fresh flat breads, Confusing but never mind, we will never be back. Food is same level as a sambuca for half the price. If you want good food and don't mind the decor go elsewhere and and save yourself some cash.

We called on an afternoon, after lunchtime and before dinner. The restaurant was less than empty so we didn’t expect to have to wait too long. We were seated fairly quickly near the door. We were handed menus and we waited for the waiter to take our drink order. And waited. We chose our food, and still we waited. As we waited a group of 7 came in, seated straight away across the restaurant. They had their drinks order taken. And still we waited. I didn’t feel like I wanted to shouallowed an off day but when you mention it to the maitre de and are met with poor response that’s when you know they aren’t bothe

Wow, what a gem of a place, lovely welcoming staff, managed to get our family of 4 in on a busy bank holiday Sunday. We had the roast dinner and it was so good. The Yorkshire puds were massive and everything was really tasty! Staff are very friendly and offered excellent service. Many thanks for making our day

Busy, comfortable restaurant, staff were lovely. Very tasty sirloin steak with amazing fries

10 / 10 un lugar encantador! Buena comida. Y un gran servicio. Chica de Cerdeña la queríamos Recomendar Xx Bueno era exuberante tenía frituras de bistec Y pizza de queso yum y los cócteles fueron escupidos

Reservamos y llegamos pronto para nuestra mesa y estábamos sentados enseguida en una mesa larga, casi privada arriba. El edificio siempre ha sido precioso, pero es absolutamente hermoso ahora! Desde el momento en que llegamos allí, el personal era increíble. Jacob nos cuidó y no solo fue atento, personalizó nuestra experiencia y fue simplemente fabuloso. Pedimos desde el menú rápido y todo lo que pedimos no solo estaba caliente, todos comentamos lo increíbles que eran los sabores. Pedimos una variedad de entrantes y platos principales con dos de la fiesta de actualización al bistec y pollo y algunos fueron por dos platos y otros por tres. Bebidas, tuvimos una variedad de vinos, cócteles, cócteles y cervezas sin alcohol. No podíamos fallar nada y sentimos que nuestra comida conjunta de cumpleaños era simplemente perfecto. Personalmente, sin duda volvería y mis novias acordaron que también lo harían.

We were really looking forward to trying Babucho’s new Gosforth location, but sadly, the whole experience was a letdown. We actually visited a few weeks ago, for Sunday roast around 5pm as a group of four. The only reason I’ve not posted this review sooner is because their new location didn’t have a TripAdvisor page set up at the time. I’ve been checking back every so often, and now that reviews are starting to appear here, I wanted to share ours — because honestly, it wasn’t great. The problems started pretty much straight away. Our food arrived — but with no vegetables. We waited… and waited… and eventually had to chase them up ourselves. When they finally arrived, our meals were already getting cold. Staff told us the veg was freshly cooked to order — which sounded like a good thing, except it made no sense why everything wasn’t brought out together. It just felt badly organised. The roast dinners were dry, there was barely any gravy, and the gravy we eventually got after chasing (again) was thick, overly salty, and clearly made from granules. My husband’s smoked salmon pasta was also extremely salty and had started drying out from sitting around. My friend’s roast chicken was so dry it was genuinely unpleasant to eat. Service didn’t really improve things either. It was hard work trying to get anyone’s attention. We ordered a second bottle of wine which took so long we had to remind them. One server who seemed quite new, walked past our table, blatantly ignoring us, while he fussed over laying a completely empty table that stayed empty the whole time we were there. Desserts weren’t much better. My sticky toffee pudding was dry and lacked sauce, and my friend’s chocolate mousse turned out to be about 80% whipped cream with barely any mousse underneath. To be fair, the waitress noticed we weren’t enjoying them and kindly took them off the bill — probably the only highlight of the service. But just when we thought things couldn’t feel any more rushed or disjointed, the bill was suddenly plonked on our table without us even asking — while we were still finishing our drinks. We actually wanted another bottle of wine, so we told them, and they amended the bill… but then immediately brought the new bill over again — still no wine. It started to feel like they just wanted us gone. Different staff members came over with the card machine multiple times while we were still sitting there, waiting for the wine we’d ordered. Looking back, I think I can guess what happened. It was probably a really busy lunchtime service, and by the time we arrived at 5pm, it felt like we were being served whatever was left sitting around. The food tasted tired, overcooked, and dry — like it had been hanging about for hours. And the staff honestly seemed knackered and over it by the time we were there, which might explain the poor service and lack of attention. Either way, it made for a really disappointing first visit. We won’t be rushing back.

Mo looked after us brilliantly, great food and fun atmosphere..

Very good service and top staff We will be back this year in May because dinner on the terrace was great, would recommend to everyone and a lovely atmosphere

Visita con compañeros de trabajo en una fiesta de 10. No podría fallar en absoluto. Nos dieron una mesa de comedor "privada", que era muy agradable. La comida y el servicio estaban en el lugar. Con dos cursos por 19 libras (o tres por 22 libras ) , era muy buena relación calidad-precio.

First time visit today. Very lovely atmosphere and setting. The food was really good and great value for money. The waitress was friendly and attentive.

Food and service outstanding as always. The staff are always very attentive and fantastic with the kids.

Lovely building and nice food but highlight was the outstanding service from all staff, second to none

A fancy but really good Italian restaurant. The arrancini is good. The prawn is fresh. The sea bass and toffee dessert are amazing. To be very picky, the starters are mainly fried food. Lack of fresh (green leaves, and light food).

We stopped in for cocktails, £5 each! Not great service at the bar, but nice cocktails.

All round fabulous . I enjoyed the delicious Italian pasta and Pizza , the ambience and the service was excellent . There is a particularly genuine warmth from the staff and especially the young Italian Fabiana who was exceptionally attentive and made us feel at home and Alex behind the bar makes a fab cocktail .Well worth a visit .

Out with work colleagues for dinner, I was very impressed with the food and staff. Menu was unusual in that it was largely Italian dishes but with other traditional specialities. Give it a try...

Excellent food, value for money really good and great service, we will be back

My family of 6 went for lunch on Friday. The service was excellent and the food was delicious. The atmosphere was relaxed in lovely surroundings. We can’t wait to return.

Love it. Nice place. Great food. Excellent service.

Arranged my mams 60th birthday here 6/3/25 and the staff went above and beyond. I can not praise them enough. My mam and her friends said the atmosphere was enjoyable and the food was amazing. Thank you all very much.

Been a few times to this restaurant, & it never fails to deliver. Service fantastic, food delicious & brilliant atmosphere. The staff cant do enough for you. A big thanks to the hard working chefs. Our party of 15 all got our food together & all were spot on. I cant praise this restaurant enough. Our favourite.

Lovely Food, Very Tasty, Great Service Design & Atmosphere are Fantastic, We were a Party of Six for Birthday Enjoyed and Will go Back 🤗

Food was amazing. Service was first class. Visited for my birthday and will definitely be back next time I’m at the quayside.

Enjoyed dinner here. Got lovely pizza and even lovlier chips with it. It was super busy but they were able to fit us in after a short wait at the bar with a g +t. Good service. Wish id been able to fit in a starter and side too because they looked good. The only downside is the toilets could have been cleaner but then it was a busy friday evening...

Great restaurant, friendly staff but could have been more attentive, good food choice, only complaints were the spiciness of the chicken wing starter - it was so spicy it hurt your mouth, and lamb calzone was predominantly lamb covered in cumin, mentioned to waitress but no comment made by her, we just wanted her to mention to Chef! Other food we had was delicious! Early evening menu was good value

My husband had his 30th Birthday dinner here. The staff seemed used to serving large groups of people and service was slick. Food was good. Nice atmosphere. I would recommend.

Great find! We were staying in a hotel on the quayside and looked for something close by. It was mobbed for a Sunday night! The food was fantastic. Didn’t think to take photos as we were enjoying it so much. Waiter was great…sorry we didn’t get his name! We travel….a lot…and this place was fab. I’d def come back next time in the toon 😍

Fabulous evening at Babucho. Not only was the food delicious but service was also impeccable. A really well organised team and very friendly.

Very pleasant surroundings, staff were very friendly and helpful. All meals very good.

Loved it. Took my girlfriend for Sunday lunch and the food and wine were first rate. Quite a classy place

Been a few times over the last week with family and also with friends. The food is 10/10, the slow cooked beef is the best piece of beef I’ve ever eaten 😍 cooked to perfection, good portions, the cocktails and drinks are unreal. All the staff are friendly, smiley and chatty with fab service skills. Couldn’t recommend this place enough!

Finally got to try the crispy fishcakes, sauce was fantastic. Husband loved the pizza. As always great service. Will visit again soon.

Went for dinner, food was delicious, staff were really nice and prices were great value too

Great atmosphere, excellent service from friendly and knowledgeable staff. Food was delicious! Would recommend and will be back soon.

Lovely food, atmosphere and Service. What an addition to Gosforth High Street!

The food was really nice and tasty, as well as the drinks/cocktails. The atmosphere of the restaurant was great and the staff were very kind and attentive. I would definitely go back.

Not a first visit to Baboocho. We've been there a couple of times and always happy. We got there to try the restaurant week menu. Very nice food, massive portions couldn't finish the mains. Service was a little bit slow not sure as it wasn't that busy. Drinks were ok we've had a few cocktails but they were not the best compared to the ones we've had in the past. We will be back in the future 😊

My son and I went in around 8pm Friday evening we were met with a warm welcome and although we didn’t have a reservation they managed to squeeze us in. The restaurant was nice and clean, the staff were really friendly and did everything they could to make our visit a great time. They were really busy and it was appreciated how well they looked after us. I opted for the Lebanese chicken skewers and my son got the pepperoni picante pizza minus the peppers. The skewers and fires were great! My son made a bold claim that it was the best the pizza he’s ever had, and believe me he’s had a lot and he’s very fussy! He ate every last bit including the crusts which is a first.

Fantastic service and a big thank you to Robby for being so accommodating to my brother during a difficult time—it really meant a lot to us. The food was excellent as always, and the staff made us feel so welcome. Highly recommend Babucho for great food and exceptional hospitality!

Lovely birthday meal, served by Callum who was so friendly and helpful. Rest of the staff were also fantastic and sang happy birthday for us. Food was amazing :)

Lovely service from start to finish and an amazing meal. Would recommend 👌

My cousin and myself just had Sunday lunch it was gorgeous starters black pudding mash potato and peppercorn sauce, and tempura prawns and sauce, Sunday dinner with three meats, and crispy duck with mash, sticky toffee pudding all gorgeous , staff and service 10/10 will be returning

Food was disappointing not nice at all, poor quality. Staff was lovely on the positive note.

The design and atmosphere at Babucho in Newcastle are fantastic, creating a great vibe. The staff are friendly, and the service is quick, which is a big plus. However, I found the food to be quite average. Overall, it’s a lovely spot for the ambiance, but the dishes didn’t stand out as much as I’d hoped

Just had a great lunch. As it has been in the past this again was brilliant. The place has excellent food excellent staff and excellent management. I have used this restaurant for over 14 years and had some important birthday celebrations for all the family and every time they hit the spot. Took my daughter and son for their 21st Birthdays and lots of others and sometimes visited as a couple too and each time it's great. Just had 20 people there for a birthday meal and it was as good as ever. Don't hesitate - get it booked.

Great food brilliant service nice atmosphere will be back on our next visit to Newcastle

Had our works Christmas meal here. The food was okay but the service and the atmosphere were excellent.

There for Christmas party. Absolutely fab.

Beautiful food, very reasonably priced cocktails and very intentive staff. We will be back.

Booked quite last minute for a works Christmas lunch for 11 people. From the very first contact, communication has been prompt, friendly and very efficient. Having been today I can’t believe how lucky we were to get booked in so near Christmas as everything was just perfect! We mainly had the Christmas menu (£21 for 2 courses, £26 for 3) but also a few GF items. The set menus very varied and fantastic quality. The food was without exception absolutely delicious! And the service the best I’ve experienced in a very long time, so such warm, friendly and professional! Can’t wait to come back! (The pics really don’t do justice to the fantastic flavours of all the dishes.)

Exceptional service from Christiano the manager for my 3 course birthday meal. My partner spoke to him to arrange a lovely surprise for me during the singing waiter evening last Wednesday. Christiono is always so lovely and helpful and a credit to the restaurant. Can’t wait to go back.

Unfortunately the normal menu wasn't available during December (which I would have preferred) but the Sunday Roast was one of the best we've had, very tasty. The value overall is good but was caught out on the extra charges on the roasts. We both loved the goats cheese and mushroom starter. 2nd visit and would return.

Phenomenal food is all I can say and good service

Very accommodating, didn’t have a reservation, but we were found a table, even though the restaurant was full. Excellent service, amazing food. Plus excellent value.

great food at a good price, nice atmosphere, dark light

First time visting here, food was lovely. Wasn't overly busy but I did feel like we were being rushed off the table. It's beautiful inside would definitely recommend.

Ok restaurant for a Sunday roast Large venue pleasant staff huge Yorkshire's but not the best I have had just not quite like my mum's! 😂

We had an absolutely amazing time celebrating my friend's birthday! The experience was fantastic, and we had a wonderful chat with our waitress, Tess—she was super friendly! The other waitstaff were also great! I would definitely recommend this place!

This is hands down the best Sunday roast I’ve ever had—not just in West Castle but in the entire UK! They even offer Halal chicken, which was a big plus. A special shoutout to Fabiana, who took amazing care of us and made our experience even better. The vibe is fantastic, with a lovely atmosphere that’s perfect for a cozy date night. Highly recommend!

. . . The restaurant became very busy, so we were lucky to get a table. Fabiana looked after us and worked very hard as more and more diners arrived; a large booking arrived and they required immediate service for everything so we felt a little overlooked towards the end. The house wines were delicious and reasonably priced, and we thoroughly enjoyed our mains of Cajun Prawn Skewers and Rigatoni Salmon.

This place really suprised me! It was a superb choice for a 2 course meal. The prices are worth the high quality food that you get. The food was absolutely amazing and the staff were super kind. The only thing I’d say is that the mojitos were watered down. Cocktails were amazing though! 10/10, will defo be back. I came all the way from London for a weekend stay …

Brilliant place - great food and fantastic staff

The food was excellent especially the massive Yorkshire puddings.

Lovely setting even if only for a pizza

We visited as a family for a birthday celebration. The service was average. We requested a veggie menu but this took so long, I ended up going to locate one myself so we could order. We asked for water, and this didn't arrive and had to be requested a second time. The portion size for the pasta was on the small side, especially for adults. Although the food itself was delicious. I did note on the reservation it was my children's birthdays however, there was no acknowledgement of this. I appreciate that there is no expectation for restaurants to offer anything additional however, most reaturants would mention a special occasion.

Went there to celebrate a family birthday. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meal. I had a roast beef dinner, BEST I've had anywhere! The staff were very welcoming and attentive. Thoroughly recommend ti's restaurant.

I went there as a part of a large group with work. It is a really nice place, the service was really good and they managed the group perfectly. Everyone really enjoyed the food and thought it was good value for money and I will definitely visit again when in Newcastle.

Fast & friendly service ..food very nice

Came here for a birthday meal. The food was excellent, and we were given a good table out of the way of the main restaurant. The only minor issue was being hurried at the end to leave, as in the end the table didn't seem to be needed, and the server didn't seem in any hurry to get the bill. Will definitely return, as the food was the best we've had for a while.

We used Babucho a couple of times on our recent visit. A very welcoming place, the staff were all very friendly and efficient. The food was excellent and couldn't fault it.

Best Sunday dinner I've ever had and the starter tempura king prawns was to die for

I had a fillet steak and it was cooked to perfection, service was amazing throughout the night and I’d like to give a huge thank you to the staff who managed to get us seated even when we didn’t have a reservation on a very busy Saturday night

Great Italian restaurant Great booking for parties

Upscaly restaurant, kind staff. Food nice

Slightly above average Italian. Had a problem with fruit flys, hope they have got it sorted. Won’t go again.

Restaurant manager came out causing a scene screaming and having a tantrum because an Uber eats driver parked for a minute on the road by the restaurant. Racist and unprofessional behaviour. The food was undercooked, small portions for a big price, do not eat here

Excellent food. Great service a gem in Newcastle.

Excellent food, great atmosphere and superb service.

One of the best restaurants in Newcastle. The lasagna is top tier. Never had one better.

This is a beautiful space, an atmosphere with beautiful decor and space; in the heart of Newcastle's nightlife. Food was mid to better.. needs a little elevation and service needs pulling into standard, as barely trained staff do their best, however need grounding in best service standards.... could be better but lovely anyway. I wasn't paying the bill

Great selection of dishes and drinks. Water was sweet but resolved easily, young people serving very chatty and pleasure to talk to

The restaurant is lovely and staff attentive. Sadly the food let everything down. Had Sunday lunch, I had vegan bake which was disappointing very little flavour and no seasoning. The carrot were so overcooked I felt ill trying them and the mashed potato was like something out of a school canteen also the swede mash was like baby food without the flavour and seasoning. Roast potatoes were also tasteless and very disappointing. Will not be coming back. If this is what the north east considers good food. Then they are sadly mistaken. The only good thing was the mushroom and goats cheese starter someone got that right.

Anyone been to Baboucho on Quayside, they have what they say is an OPTIONAL SERVICE CHARGE OF 10%, but they don't ask you....THE AUTOMATICALLY PUT IT IN YOUR BILL... not at all good practice, nor as I will find out if it's legal... Then when the bill was payed..... wait for this, the waitress said.....WILL YOU BE WANTING YOUR CHANGE, WHICH WAS £4.20, what an absolute disgrace....I will be looking in to this ... BUT NO MORE BABUCHO for me...🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

Great! A wee bit tired but good atmosphere

Really great place to eat … cocktails were great fun also. Food above average Italian. Only issue is the fruit fly infestation …… While you are eating your are buzz bombed by small little flys ( like mosquitoes!! ) that become annoying at times. The restaurant say they are dealing with them !!! And have been for weeks .. … if they can’t deal with this infestation once and for all what else are they putting up with

Had Sunday lunch and some excellent wine. All round highly recommended

Went here on a Sunday afternoon for Sunday dinner. We waited a small amount of time at the front desk but were then shown to our table. Lovely set out table with wine glasses and cloth napkins (always on to something good when cloth napkins are involved). Ordered the 3 course meal (only got a photo of the starter, many apologies). I went with the Roasted mushrooms and goats cheese, the beef dinner and then the chocolate truffles. Excellent portions, but more importantly the quality was phenomenal. I will definitely be returning. Although I still give 5/5, my only negative was the noise. It was very busy but I do believe it was unnecessarily loud at times. Absolutely not the venues fault whatsoever, it’s the fault of parents that let their children scream and shout etc without telling them otherwise. I noticed the restaurant had curtains placed around but we’re all tied up. Maybe these could be utilised in future to help with the noise issue.

Could not fault. Excellent service and food beautiful.

The customer service is excellent. You are made to feel very welcome from the moment you walk through the door until you leave. Drinks and food orders were handled very well and the banter with the team was entertaining. My starter of tempura prawns was excellent, plump prawns with a tasty dipping sauce and salad: if I go again I will have them. I had the prawn skewers with fries and salad for main course - tasty and nothing to complain about but I should have known better than to have two course involving prawns! I was with a table of 11 people and everyone enjoyed their meal.

The customer service is excellent. You are made to feel very welcome from the moment you walk through the door until you leave. Drinks and food orders were handled very well and the banter with the team was entertaining. My starter of tempura prawns was excellent, plump prawns with a tasty dipping sauce and salad: if I go again I will have them. I had the prawn skewers with fries and salad for main course - tasty and nothing to complain about but I should have known better than to have two course involving prawns! I was with a table of 11 people and everyone enjoyed their meal.

Came here last minute without a reservation and were kindly given a table which we greatly appreciated. We ordered the mushroom and goats cheese for starter which was beautiful and dessert we ordered the banoffee tart which again was lovely. However we were let down by the mains, my step dad ordered a chicken Kiev pizza and although it has the potential to be nice you could not taste the garlic at all. I ordered the penne diavolo and the first thing I noticed was the portion size seemed small for the price we paid, secondly it was nothing like the description on the menu which was ‘spicy sausage with ragu’, I was expecting a bolognese type sauce with n’duja sausage but instead I received a basic tomato pasta sauce with pepperoni. It is a shame because the restaurant is gorgeous with lovely staff. Another tip would be to have a guest wifi as there is no signal unfortunately! That all being said, we would still return in the future.

Great food, great service and great mocktail..

Beautiful food friendly service calm and happy friendly atmosphere reasonably priced

The most incredible dinner and best cocktails I Newcastle! Also excellent Gluten free options.

We came for my girlfriends birthday meal, we were seated in a lovely area in the corner where nobody was walking past or interrupting. The £5 strawberry daiquiri was absolutely amazing, drinks are quite reasonable overall. For starter I got the mushrooms with goats cheese this was absolutely stunning if you like mushrooms you must give this a try 9/10. We also got a garlic bread to share which was lovely thin and crispy the garlic butter was gorgeous. For my main I got the spicy sausage pasta which was also lovely 7.5/10 my girlfriend tried the carbonara which was lovely as well. The staff also brought over some small truffles and cream on a plate which said happy birthday which was a lovely gesture free of charge. Overall lovely place to eat and we will be returning.

Absolutely lovely. Staff so friendly. Food delicious. Great selection. Will definitely be back. Thank you so much.

Fantastic restaurant….. the service is second to none and the food was out of this world

Boyfriend booked for my birthday and they organised 2 truffles for us free of charge! The staff were so nice and sang too. The food & atmosphere were great.

Beautiful restaurant with a great selection of dishes. Attentive but not intrusive staff who were happy to chat. Both the gluten-free and standard mushrooms with goats cheese on toast started was spectacular - I could eat it all day long. My friend said the gluten-free pasta was the best she had ever had. Mine was tasty and filling, too. We will definitely return to try more of the menu.