Blackfriars Restaurant in Newcastle upon Tyne

Had Sunday lunch which was fantastic, planned on two courses but ended up having three courses as the food was so delicious!

Amazing lunch delicious food , excellent service and a lovely ambiance. Thank you

Loved it, everything was perfect. I would definitely recommend a visit

Visited Newcastle a number of times but how have we missed Blackfriars’s?!? Fantastic unpretentious restaurant with great food, attentive staff and wonderful ambience - if you come to Newcastle you must try to visit

Fantastic time with Emma leading our cookery class in the cookery school. Very informative (and delicious) with things to take away at the end. you get a drink on arrival and drink with your food after you have finished cooking also which made the whole experience even better. I would highly recommend this experience and looking forward to our next opportunity to drop in.

Great venue, excellent staff, tables spaced out nicely. Expensive but you get what you pay for.

A wonderful dinning experience. I had the catch of the day sea trout which was perfect in every aspect. My only enquiry is the sea trout season does not start until April. How was it the catch of the day

The Winter Menu 2025 was really delicious. Allergy orders are taken by a manager, the allergen matrix is super clear to read to easily identify swaps. We had pre-ordered drinks for our arrival which took a short while to arrive, however the wine pairings for our starters/mains were prompt and accompanied by a knowledgeable explanation of origin. A nice chilled out vibe for lunch and fantastically great food. Hope to visit again to sample dinner some day!

Thank you to the team, what a fabulous lunch. It went perfectly thank you

Lovely meal. Lovely location. Wine superb. Food wonderful

Gorgeous food, lovely staff will definitely be coming back

Beautiful place, staff are efficient, attentive and very knowledgeable about their products

Although we arrived very early, we were immediately shown to our table. The lunchtime set menu of two or three courses had a good selection of dishes in each course to suit most palates, including vegetarian, vegan and gluten free, well presented and flavoursome. The wine pairings for each dish are available. We opted for these. The wines were explained to us as they were brought and all were excellent. The service was very good - attentive but not intrusive - and the dishes were served in a timely manner. All in all a lovely lunch.

We received a voucher for Blackfriars for Christmas. Booking was easy online. We arrived slightly early but our table was ready. The restaurant was not busy when we arrived and enjoyed the background music. Service was very good and we asked if we could mix and match between the menu’s and they said it was fine to do that. We ordered the fish platter to share which was really nice. I ordered the fillet steak, it was perfectly cooked to the way I like it and the chips were amazing, I ordered the beef dripping jus which was delicious. My husband ordered the corn fed chicken, again this was delicious. We had no room for desert so can’t comment on that. My husband also had the larger brewed onsite which he said was very nice. Only fault I would say is they put a service charge of 10% on your bill but it is explained it is not mandatory. Definitely will be back.

Great location, service and amazing food, business meal and I’ll be back very soon.

Sunday lunch was fine. Starters excellent. We had the mackerel pate and the goats cheese.

Had Sunday lunch and could only manage two courses as the portions are very generous. The food was very good. The service was welcoming and attentive.

We did the beer and cheese tasting and it was a lovely experience with generous serves!

Lovely food, served by attentive but not intrusive staff, who smiled. We really enjoyed it.

Went with 5 colleagues for a business dinner. Choice of food and wine were great. All 5 of the party ordered something different from the menu and all of the dishes were great.

Beautiful plates of food that tasted as good as they looked. There is an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients and the staff were helpful and pleasant.

Exceptional food, service was great. Would definitely come again to enjoy more amazing flavours.

An historic and elegant dining room with courteous and helpful staff. Food excellent and overall a very happy experience.

Overall this was a very good experience. The food was very good the staff were excellent. Very extensive wine list. Would recommend to friends and family.

The food was great, however the unnecessary rushing of ordering, starter and in to main meant we’d been there for 45 mins and had both courses. The restaurant was not full and the food was obviously near ready to serve. It wasn’t what we had hoped for or expected for a relaxing meal out. We had to ask the staff multiple times to slow things down, which wasn’t ideal. Would be great if this could be worked on as everything else about the meal was great.

I took part in a cooking class put on by Blackfriars over 3.5 hours. Six of us, led by staff member Cathy, learned how to prepare and cook a Malaysian meal, and the experience was wonderful. I will definitely take another cooking class at Blackfriars.

A lovely meal - staff were all very attentive, helpful and pleasant. Always lives up to expectations for a special occasion

The area was cold we sat in beside the door for a table of 2 and also had to query voucher against final bill. Overall food and drinks were excellent

Beautiful venue, friendly and knowledgeable staff and wonderful food.

Mains excellent, desserts not so much, did not have starters.

My wife and son attended the Vietnamese cookery class last Tuesday having been on 2 previous similar courses. They thought the experience was superb and the quality of the ingredients was outstanding. No doubt I will be finding them more Xmas presents for them to enjoy at Blackfriars in the future which is still our favourite restaurant in Newcastle.

Beautiful meal as always. Hearty traditional food with an element of fine dining. Always love it here. Service was excellent and as it was my husbands birthday they brought him his desert with a candle and sang happy birthday to him!

The building is a historical one, beautifully restored and this creates a very cosy atmosphere inside. Service was excellent. They offer a wide choice of food and everything we tried was very good.

Cookery Class was above and beyond what we expected. Will definitely be back

Went during restaraunt week The first course was lovely. It was the fish sharing platter. The beef course was well below average. The beef was dry. It was cooked as requested.pink. However, just poor. The waiter did offer an alternative. I declined as I didn't want to wait for another meal to be prepared. The food looked like it had been thrown on the plate.The Bearnaise sauce was more on the chips that the beef. Making the chips soggy. I could have done better myself. At £22.00 each, it was very disappointing. The staff were lovely. The venue was very pleasant. However, had to go out through the courtyard for the toilet. The temp outside was -2. With no heating in the loos. Yeah.shame about the experience.

Every single person who we spoke to were amazing. Especially our waiter who was so polite, friendly and attentive. Our food was quick and absolutely delicious. Thank you for helping me have a lovely birthday. We will definitely be back!!

Fantastic service and food, couldn’t fault anything. Top quality

Limited choice due to restaurant week.(which I was not aware of when I booked) The vegetables were sent back as they were cold - but never returned. They did take them off the bill but it effects the meal. Starter was delicious but main course (chicken) very average. Wine (Sancerre) very nice

We arrived to a birthday card on our table which was a lovely touch. The wait staff were all very kind and seemed to genuinely care that we had a good experience. The food was excellent as usual! I love that every detail is given a lot of attention. I'd highly recommend!

Fantastic place to eat. Friendly staff, great service and delicious food.

Excellent venue. Food was wonderful. Staff were great! Highly recommend to all

We had a lovely evening . The food is always delicious We started with soup which was beautiful followed by the fish. The food at Black Friars is always very fresh using great ingredients which are in season. The staff are always friendly and attentive.

Went for restaurant week food was excellent particularly the starter sharing board …great value for money.

Excellent staff,food and surroundings. Will return.

Excellent food well served and great customer service excellent knowledge on all the wines very impressive

Fabulous food, great service and very good value.

The historic ambience this restaurant offers in the heart of the city is worth a visit alone , please take some time to soak it in and perhaps look at its history online . And then the food ! What a wonderful experience the staff are impeccable , the food is passionately prepared and if of the highest quality and the surroundings simply are sumptuous and steeped in history. The chefs and staff are clearly so passionate about providing the visitor with an exceptional experience and boy did the reach their goal.

Wonderful lunch with friends. Delicious food, knowledgeable, courteous staff, lovely atmosphere. Highly recommend.

Definitely my favourite restaurant in Newcastle. No where else has the service, ambiance and food as exceptional as Blackfriars. Never disappoints

The bar where we opted , as usual, to have our pre-lunch drinks was very noisy- the noise being made by the staff carrying large boxes in and out as well as drinks for the restaurant. It felt more like a warehouse than a cocktail bar. The we were served the wrong gin accompaniments. They arrived with grapefruit when they were supposed to have blackberries and raspberries. We went them back and they returned with ONE blackberry and no raspberry ( none available, apparently) We demanded ( and got) a second blackberry. The staff in the bar should not make mistakes like this! Having moved into the dining room, we were handed the menu and spotted a minor but crucial difference from the menu on the NE1 voucher for Blackfriars which , happily, we had with us. The fish dish was slightly different on the Blackfriars menu and , crucially, did not have the sauteed potatoes itemised on the NE1 menu. Our waiter took away our NE1 voucher and came back with the story that NE1 had used last year's voucher in error. I asked if this meant that Blackfriars had exactly the same menu as last year except for the one dish that I was choosing. He went away and a senior manager came to the table, apologised and offered us a free portion of fries ( otherwise only available with a supplement!) This resolved the situation instantly and amicably and we proceeded to have a very nice lunch with excellent food and wine. NE1 visitors need to beware this inconsistency if they are choosing the fish dish. My wife and I are very regular Blackfriars customers- indeed one of our sons had his wedding there- and this is the first time we have been let down twice in the same visit

We took advantage of the RESTAURANT WEEK menu and thoroughly enjoyed it. The place is amazing, very cosy, very walm and welcoming. The staff were brilliant. The only negative point is our table position. It was right next to the till and there was one staff member standing there most of our night, he was overseeing the restaurant which I know has to be done, but the position of that table meant that we felt he was standing at our table the whole time. We would definately go again for sure but we would insist on a different seat.

Food was nothing wow but nice to have gluten free options

An excellent evening with good food and excellent service . A positive and enjoyable experience.

Visited for Lunch as part of Newcastle's Restaurant Week - a popular promotion as the restaurant was very busy but not too noisy. The starter of corned beef hash was full of flavour helped by the horseradish sauce. This was followed by the succulent chicken breast on a lovely bed of honey and mustard mashed potato. Great service with great food

Food and service were good and despite the restaurant being quite busy service and arrival of food were both prompt with no waiting. As it was busy it was a bit noisier than usual.

Restaurant Week lunch - excellent menu choices., too many in fact, made it difficult to choose. All washed down with the on site brewed pale ale.

Great location, great food and great service. It is a hidden gem!

We arrive early but staff were great in accommodating us. Cocktails great. Food excellent, wine list extensive. Nothing more to add other than we’ll return as soon as we are back in the area.

Great Sunday lunch, lovely place. Pork belly wasn’t quite how we imagined it would be (more like a wrapped stuffing) but enjoyable meal.

Excellent food and service couldn't fault anything

We loved the Middle Eastern cookery day. Emma was a brilliant teacher and we made some delicious food. Highly recommended!

A very cosy buzzy place with a great atmosphere. Food very good, service excellent.

Went to Blackfriars for a wine an and tapas tasting night.m, it was absolutely delicious. The guide talking us through all of the different wine and why they were paired with the food was excellent and very well informed, so well educated on wine and could answer every question. Plus all of the food that we had was delicious, well made and beautifully presented.

No further comments, a fulfilling first time experience.

Nice surroundings but very cold, staff very nice and attentive and the best feature, there was a varied menu, starters were ok but overall very average considering reputation and having dinned existentially and able to compare, my food temp was too cold ,roast veg tepid and overcooked, lots of salt used, in summary over priced for what is served, with so much competition on offer we wouldn’t want to return.

Always fabulous food, service and surroundings. Brilliant with dietary requirements.

Food was delicious and really good VFM portions. Only tiny niggle was the chocolate sauce with the tiramisu was barely chocolate-y. Drinks overpriced but that's how it is everywhere these days. Attentive and knowledgeable servers, without being pushy. Very nice experience on my wife's birthday.

Great place for Sunday lunch in a lovely building. Roast sirloin was perfectly cooked with plenty of trimmings with sticky toffee pudding to follow! Would definitely recommend!

Chef was unable to cook a medium rare steak. First steak came out medium well, plucked up the courage to let the staff know the steak was overdone. Second steak came out, had been seared on the outside and was still blue on the inside; so for my steak main, I ate chips and peppercorn sauce because I simply could not bring myself to send the steak back for a 2nd time. We ordered 1 £17 scallop and crab starter, expecting a good sized portion, we were disappointed when 3 scallops and a crab/lemon puree arrived at the table. The waiting staff were very friendly and apologetic regarding the incorrectly cooked steak, however we were still presented with a £108 bill at the end of our mains, despite not eating one of them. We had been given a £100 gift voucher for Christmas - we were really looking forward to going, as the restaurant advertises it was won food awards! Unfortunately, we didn’t experience the award winning food I’m afraid. Overall a very expensive meal for what it was - was extremely disappointing, and the Saturday night vibe was so squished we didn’t bother staying for pudding and went straight back home instead of enjoying the venue. Also take a coat, or a jacket to wear inside, especially if you’re sat next to the single glazed windows, with no heating. Was a little brisk to say the least, despite the electric heaters. Only positive for me was the friendly waitress who couldn’t have apologised enough as she cleared out table and said goodbye to us.

Easily the best dining experience in Newcastle. This is a gem of a place which is a must for dining. There is a set menu for those on a budget which is outstanding quality and choice. Or if you are in the mood for more the a la carte is a great option. The selection of dishes are seasonally based and cater for all diets - you will not be disappointed. Service and ambience are a delight and as soon as you walk in you are made to feel welcome and important. We are not from Newcastle but every time we visit (this is now our third dining experience) we make a point of going here and will definitely return.

Delicious food, great location and friendly staff.

Small table in a bad spot, uncomfortable setting. Table full of forks and menus and glasses all over. Food was just ok. I liked my scallops but everything else was pretty normal pub food. We paid £130 for 2 (3 courses) and we didn’t even drink alcohol. We will not come back. Service was efficient and polite though.

We've been coming to Blackfriars for New Years Eve for many years now and both agreed the food this year was among the best we've had here. We were glad that the restaurant reverted to its usual three course menu with choices after last year's less successful (imho) tasting menu format. All our dishes were excellent but special mention must go to the scallop starter, turkey roast and trout. We were also very appreciative of the fact that the cost of the scallops was taken off our bill as an apology for a delay in serving them. This was a delay we really hadn't minded at all, but it shows the commitment to great service here.

Requirements for table were clearly considered. Staff were attentive and polite without being overbearing. Service was quick. We ordered soup, ham hock terrine and scallops as starters. Scallops were magnificent. Yum We all had Steak Wellington which was divine. Sticky TP was ordered. All good. Sadly, due to antibiotics, I could not enjoy a glass of red but the complimentary NY Eve arrival drinks were a nice touch. Price for 3 at £180 was good. This included 2 small alcoholic drinks only. Would return and recommend.

Beautiful old building romantically lit for Christmas, attentive and friendly service and delicious British food, beautifully presented. Not cheap but worth the money. Restaurant deserves its high reputation.

Fantastic attention to detail, friendly staff and excellent knowledge and procedures regarding allergens. Always enjoy going for a special occasion and even just for a treat.

The food was magnificent. The staff were attentive without being intrusive. The atmosphere was calm. We all had a fabulous time.

Excellent for Christmas Eve, even for solo traveller

We had the set Christmas menu. The starters of goats cheese and soup were adequate but nothing special. My wife said the nug toast was nice. I had the pan haggerty which was disappointing with herb encrusted potatoe and red cabbage. The walnuts tasted exactly the same as those that came with the goats cheese starter. It did not feel good value for a main. We both had the apple and almond crumble which was terrible. Sour apple and powder on top….not a crumble. Service was just about adequate but not professional. E.g we were asked if we wanted water and were provided with a large hub filled to the brim with no slice of lemon. The waiter kept calling me mate! Fine for a cafe /pub but not what you expect from a supposedly top restaurant. Overall generally very average food which is not good value.

Gezellig restaurant. Lekker eten en super vriendelijke bediening

We had a lovely meal and experience with one notable exception. Each of the 4 people who ordered the Pork main course were disappointed with their meal. We had expected a roast pork meal. The offering was altogether too firm and the plate entirely brown. This was a big disappointment to half of our party. The other half of the party were entirely happy.

A fantastic dinner - setting was wonderful, service was exemplary and the food amazing. This is somewhere that I would go again to for a very special occasion as it’s quite expensive, but you do get excellent high quality for your money.

Small group of 4, work's Xmas meal out. Service was absolutely outstanding. The atmosphere was great, and it's a lovely historic building. Food was excellent. 2 of us were driving and their non-alcoholic options were great. And we weren't rushed out the door either. Yes it's more expensive, but I'd say it's definitely worth it, especially when you consider how overpriced mediocre food/drink can be at this time of year. Thoroughly enjoyed it and can't recommend it highly enough.

It felt very rushed.. so much I was sick when I got home .. But the food was lovely

We have a Christmas lunch at Blackfriars every year in the week prior to Christmas & it has always been very good. This year - the turkey dinner was utterly tasteless & more like a school dinner - obviously pre prepared & reheated (badly). Very poor for the money paid as it is not cheap! Starters & desserts were OK although not startling. To add to the poor food - we were hustled out after 1 hour 50 minutes as another table booking had arrived. We were told we had 2 hours then that the table was required by 2.20pm (we had a 12.30 booking). We had a very different & much more pleasant experience in terms of food quality & overall ambience at Hinnies (Whitley Bay) - where we will be dining in future!

We have had exceptional meals in the past and for the cost we expected more. Which is a real shame.

We, being a party of 4, returned once again for the lovely Festive delights this restaurant offers every Christmas. Again, it didn't disappoint, the food is of a very high standard, well presented delivered in a timely manner and even the plates, for the main meal, were lovely and hot. This year there was two choices for a drink before the meal and tea or coffee after the meal, superb..........a lovely atmosphere bringing back a bit of that Christmas Cheer, which has been missing for a while. Well done all.

Ambience was beautiful staff caring and attentive food was sublime always seasoned to perfection and I really enjoyed the glass of complimentary fizz thoroughly enjoyed my festive meal

Staff very professional, helpful and personable. It was the Christmas Menu and our selections were overall either good or very good. Couple of points to note: Turkey was a little dry and the Pavlova was rather disappointing ~ meringue did not have a soft centre so quite dry and just two small pieces of fruit which looked rather mean. Easily sorted and I would be more than happy to come back to the restaurant.

Lovely restaurant, great staff and very welcoming ambience Our table was near to the bar so got quite loud We had the festive menu and unfortunately I was disappointed with my Monkfish It came with gravy and mash potatoes I know it’s personal taste but the monkfish was about three mouthfuls it’s was tough and gravy and mash did not compliment it I think I would probably try the restaurant again , but not over Christmas

I hate it when restaurants put a discretionary service charge on. I pay it but would tip anyway if the food and service are value for money.And a further point is the Employer should be paying decent salaries without staff having to rely on tips for their living.

Wonderful place We had the Christmas meal which was amazing. The beef wellington was stunning

Food was ok at best, lukewarm, coffee served before the dessert. Service was rushed with the head waiter rushing round like they were high as a kite in drugs. Poor showing from one of the top restaurants in the town.

Very expensive for VERY sub standard food. £46 per head with £5 extra for veg which we ordered ( 7 sprouts, 6 roast pots & still waiting for the root veg which had run out but still charged for ) . Pork so tough couldn't cut it , black pudding so over done couldn't cut that either.Scallops £6 extra & size of 5 pence piece , 30 mins between courses & had the cheek to say we needed to vacate the table before waiter had even taken order for puddings which were included in price. If you charge these prices & give a 2 hour slot per table GET YOUR SERVICE up to scratch. Very disappointing & not worth the money at over £51 per head.

Nice restaurant with ambience. Although not for the fussy eater but for someone who enjoys a spin on meals.

The cookery school experience exceeded my expectations. Very well organised. Excellent teaching, including bringing the whole group together in a lively inclusive way. Delicious food, well looked after by all the team. Huge thanks to Emma leading the session, sharing her knowledge and expertise in a calm down to earth approach.

Always have a great time at Blackfriars. Well worth it. Would recommend.

I would read our experience on Saturday as distinctly mediocre. For a credible restaurant to not be able to serve vegetables with a Christmas menu on a Saturday afternoon is just not acceptable. The service was quite slow and I am not sure I would rush back. We should’ve complained at the time but when you are with friends, it can be embarrassing and we shouldn’t have been in a position where we were left disappointed. 

Fantastic food and service. Well worth a visit.

The food was delicious, excellent service, friendly staff and ambience superb. A beautiful venue with very tasty food. Staff were all knowledgeable about the food and wines