10 Best Comfort Foods To Try In Newcastle, England

The classic Northumberland dish of pan haggarty is a simple, yet delicious recipe made with thinly sliced potatoes, onions and cheese. It is thought to have become popular during the early 20th century as an affordable means of filling the hungry bellies of hardworking miners and shipyard workers. You can get a delicious version at Blackfriars – one of the city’s top restaurants. This place is set within a beautiful former Dominican friary dating back to 1239 and highly recommended from Harden’s Restaurant Guide. The version here comes with a poached hen’s egg, spring cabbage and mustard cream sauce.

Wylam Ale Sausage Sandwich | The Sausage Emporium

Forget your typical greasy spoon fare – The Sausage Emporium takes the hallowed sausage sandwich to a whole other level. Devoted the handcrafted sausages, this popular Newcastle eatery makes all its products from scratch and for a local twist on the classic British comfort food, look no further than the Wylam Ale sausage sandwich – infused with beer from Wylam Brewery in neighbouring Heddon-on-the-Wall, served in a hearty seeded bun and available with toppings including avocado salsa, red onion or gherkins and sauces such as chipotle chilli ketchup and whole grain mustard.

The Sausage Emporium, Arch 6, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, +44 0191 340 3082

The Dirty Longhorn Sandwich | Courtesy Longhorns Barbecue Smokehouse

It might be more of an American classic comfort food, but Longhorns Barbecue Smokehouse’s gargantuan Dirty Longhorn sandwich is bound to put a smile on the face of any local lovers of meat. The sandwich is packed with a smorgasbord of the restaurant’s delicious meats – all of which are sourced locally from across Northumberland and Durham, spice rubbed and slow cooked over hickory wood for up to 24 hours. This Dirty Longhorn includes badass brisket, Memphis smoked hog butt, Andouille sausage, hog rind, fries, slaw and Hey Zeus sauce all stuffed in a brioche bun.

Another popular restaurant serving classic American-inspired barbecue in the heart of Newcastle is Bierrex Smoke and Tap House. All of the restaurant’s barbecue meats are cooked in its wood-fired Fast Eddy smoker imported all the way from Ponca City in Oklahoma. One of its most delicious offerings is the pulled pork plate: pork shoulder rubbed with house spices, smoked over apple and oak for 12 hours and served with dill pickle and garlic toast. This is perfect when washed down with one of Bierrex’s 31 on-tap craft beers.

The traditional dish of pie, peas and mash is a staple of Northern cuisine and for a gourmet take on an old classic, hungry Geordie diners should look no further than The Red House – a lovely gastropub set within a gorgeous old building on Newcastle’s Quayside. All of The Red House’s delicious pies are handmade by the award-winning Amble Butchers in Northumberland. They are available in flavors including steak, minted lamb and chicken, gammon and leek and served with mashed Desiree potato, peas (choose from mushy, minted or pease pudding) and a healthy splash of gravy.

Perfect comfort food for hungry diners with a sweet tooth, The Butterfly Cabinet is a cute, bohemian cafe. It is filled with art created by locally based artists that models itself on the classic New York City diner and serves some of the best pancakes in the city. Go for breakfast and opt for the much raved about triple chocolate pancakes – a stack of four hearty American-style chocolate pancakes smothered in chocolate sauce. Perhaps not the healthiest start to your day, but a perfect sweet treat for fans of chocolate.

A truly quintessential British dish, the humble fish and chips is one of the nation’s most beloved foodstuffs. Usually consisting of battered cod or haddock and deep-fried chunks of chipped potatoes, the classic dish became popular in the mid-19th century. A particularly tasty version is served at Jam Jar – a hip, quirky place specialising in comfort food classics located in the lovely Newcastle neighbourhood of Jesmond. It consists of beer-battered codling served with a side of chips, mushy peas and tangy tartar sauce.

Sunday Roast | The Forth

Every Sunday across the nation, many Brits gather to eat a Sunday roast – a simple, but beloved dish of roasted meat, Yorkshire puddings, vegetables and gravy. The Forth on Newcastle’s historic Pink Lane serves one of the best Sunday roasts in the city. Choose from Norfolk pork with crackling, West Country beef or Shropshire chicken served with roast potatoes, seasonal vegetables, Yorkshire pudding and gravy and other sides including cauliflower cheese and creamed leeks.

The Forth, Pink Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, +44 0191 232 6478

Pasties | The French Oven

Though perhaps more traditionally associated with Cornwall, pasties have found a home in Newcastle thanks in part no doubt to the long-standing locally based national bakery Greggs. For a gourmet take on the classic, head on down to Grainger Market – a gorgeous Grade I listed covered market dating back to the 1830s – where you’ll find popular bakery The French Oven. Here there’s a range of pasties to choose from, stuffed with fillings like peppered steak with rich beef gravy, goat’s cheese and roasted vegetable and chicken and mushroom with white sauce.

The French Oven, Unit 27-28, Grainger Market, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, +44 07921 082 953

Conveniently located just a few steps from The French Oven in Grainger Market, Pet Lamb Patisserie is a popular bakery stall set up in 2009 by two locally based ladies, Kay Winder and Katie Deacon. These women share a passion for sweet baked treats. Among Pet Lamb Patisserie’s many layer cakes, cookies and brownies is a vast choice of the classic comfort food dessert cupcakes. Choose from lovely homemade varieties, available in regular or giant size, including double choc or. red velvet. There are also specialty versions like the Elvis – a banana and chocolate chip sponge topped with peanut butter frosting.