Although Sorrento's may not be the most glamorous (or largest) of places to visit, the food is…read moreabsolutely delicious, the best I have tasted in any Italian restaurant in Whitley and beyond come to that. The two man team are friendly and efficient and the atmosphere is always warm and welcoming (and a little bit wacky sometimes). I love Sorrento's and would recommend to anyone who wants to taste real Italian food at a very reasonable price.

Tuscany is located on East Parade, on the seafront in Whitley Bay. This is a fantastic Italian…read morerestaurant which tends to source it's ingredients locally. I have never been disappointed with a meal from here. The portion sizes are generous and the quality of the food is excellent, very fresh and tasty. The staff there are really friendly and very accommodating we've celebrated a few birthdays there and they have helped us organise surprises. The menu is very varied, not just sticking to the bog standard pizzas and pastas, they branch out into other more interesting dishes, their specialities include roasted monkfish with grilled lettuce, red pepper relish and polenta. Porchetta, a Tuscan-style pork roast with fennel, herbs and garlic, and Tuscan braised beef. I'm a big fan of the pizzas here though. Menu prices are about average for an Italian restaurant and they do also have happy hours. The décor inside is great, very rustic and cozy. A great place to dine.

Pleasant Italian restaurant in the heart of Whitley Bay. The portion sizes were huge and the…read morevegetarian options were great. I can recommend the risotto. It was very busy when we visited on a Saturday recently but the staff managed to keep it together and the service was relatively quick. Would recommend.

Al Fornos is located on East Parade, on the seafront in Whitley Bay. This is a lovely Italian…read morerestaurant which tends to source it's ingredients locally. I have never been disappointed with a meal from here. The portion sizes are generous and the quality of the food is excellent, very fresh and tasty. The staff there are really friendly, the waiters have a great sense of humour, they add a bit of fun to an evening out. I'm a big fan of the food here, the pizzas are especially nice. Menu prices are about average for an Italian restaurant and they do also have happy hours. A great place to dine.

Food was delicious! Portions are huge! We went for a family dinner and were impressed with not…read moreonly the food but the early bird menu is a terrific option. I would say after dinner last week at Bravi's that I now prefer Da Vincis. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a nice Italian dinner.

Brilliant service..our party of 6 - including a 7 yr old were let down badly by another restaurant…read morein Shields at 6.30pm very near to Xmas. We tried two other places - no go - but when we went into the packed restaurant at Da Vinci's we were welcomed at once,. Tables were put together with smiles all round... oh yes and the food was amazing too. Genuine tasty Italian and loads of it- as well as a kiddies menu. We will certainly be back.. and book with plenty warning this time.

Slow service but nice waiters and good food but probably won't go again but you never know still…read morequite a decent place alright prices and when we didn't like or eat our meal they gave us it for free

This restaurant doesn't advertise the fact, but after a phone call found they do a takeaway…read moreservice, food was excellent and service friendly

Cheap, cheerful and busy Italian which does takeaway pizza too. Reliable.read more

Stopped in spontaneously on a Saturday with family - four adults and a 2-year-old. Despite it being…read morethe height of lunchtime, the restaurant wasn't very busy, only a few parties scattered here and there. It feels quite quiet and hidden away as it's below street-level. Despite the small crowds, we did feel service was quite slow, particularly the wait for our food after we ordered. Still, we were comfortable with our drinks, and our kid was supplied with a high chair and some crayons, and bread was brought out fairly quickly to help pacify him (and us?) I didn't really like what they served with the bread - a sort of rough tapenade, looked like mainly chopped olives, but the flavour wasn't very appealing. And then there was a butter of some sort with red flecks throughout - clearly was supposed to be special in some way, but probably would've preferred just good olive oil, as spreading cold butter on the fluffy bread didn't really work. My husband and I split the Fettucine Polpette and the Piccante pizza. Both were perfectly fine - the meatballs were clearly made fresh in house and everyone agreed they were very good. The portion was a good size for the price. I didn't get much kick from the sauce, despite it being advertised as full of chili and garlic, but it felt freshly made and satisfied us. I just would've liked a heavier hand with the seasoning. The pizza was similar to what you get at most neighbourhood Italian restaurants - perfectly fine, nothing special. The crust did hold up well to eating-by-hand, which I always appreciate as an American. And I like that they kept it in long enough for the pepperoni to get a nice crisp edge. But it was a bit greasy, and without any particularly interesting flavour. It's a tough one - it hits the spot if you have a craving for Italian, but also leaves you wishing for a bit more flavour and a bit more zing. It's perfectly fine, but distinctly unmemorable. I'm sure the fact I just got back from a holiday in Italy has made me a harsher critic, but there you are.

One of the many chains that are popping up in the North East this is the original on front street…read morein Tynemouth. It's your typical italian however I haven't been in ages so me and my friend opted to go here one lunchtime. Unfortunately as we went on the weekend their early lunch menu wasn't applicable. Undeterred I stocked up as I was heading out on the town that night so I got as many carbs in as possible! I started with the pate which arrived with a little pot of tasty chutney and plenty of toasted bread. Tasty enough... For my main I opted for the calzone with Bolognese. It was a huge portion and I ended up getting half of it boxed up (which I will admit got eaten at 3am...) Filled with chorizo, ham, chicken and plenty of cheese sauce it was yummy - however it wasn't filled to the brim like most calzones and the meat was sadly few and far between. Overall the meal was lovely however it did lack a bit of a kick...there are other far more superior Italians in town which are better value for money! Compliments to the waiting staff who were great with the small talk and ensuring we we're satisfied...if this menu had been part of the lunch deal I would have been more than happy but at full price i'm not so sure. I do need to try the new Divanti's in the metro station which is apparently step above the original now!

We visited Sopranos one weekday lunchtime to take advantage of their £7 a head 3 course lunchtime…read moreoffer. It's a traditional looking Italian restaurant located on Wallsend High St. The interior is decorated with frame pictures from Italian Mafia movies. For £7 a head you might be expecting average food, but we were really impressed by how tasty our dishes were. Really very enjoyable, by any standards! The atmosphere of a lunchtime here is quiet, with friendly service from staff. We enjoyed a couple of glasses of Red Wine with our 3 course meal and the total bill came to around £22. An absolute bargain! We'll definitely be returning here for lunch again.

Average Italian fare. Had the special, came with chips...just like in Rome. Meat was slightly over…read morecooked but generally not bad

I have been to the original sambacas on the fish quay and in Whitley Bay plenty of times in the…read morepast. For both their cheap lunch menu and for an evening meal I have always been impressed with the food they can offer at such low prices. Granted the atmosphere is a tad loud with the waiting staff singing happy birthday at odd intervals however the food has always been spot on. I have never been into the Cassia restaurant so having arrived on a rainy Saturday evening I couldn't wait for some comforting and filling food. Unfortunately I was setting myself up for a big disappointment. First I opted for the deep fried calamari which was the biggest mistake of the meal. It arrived prompt as usual and with a side of rubber I feel. As I was hungry I dived for the thinly sliced squid and that was half palatable. When the waiter turned up to take our plates away he asked what was wrong with my half eaten plate and suggested it was because I had let it go cold and thats what would make the texture inedible.... (need I add nothing was taken off our bill) Swiftly moving onto the main and I mean swiftly as it arrived seconds later...I mean there is fast and there is too fast? I had the fillet steak with peppercorn sauce and handout chips. The chips and peppercorn sauce where bang on. The steak was perfectly cooked (medium-rare) however didn't look hugely appetising as it looked like it was covered in fat it was a bizarre cut of beef I think. Given what we paid with wine and soft drinks you wouldn't think I had a leg to stand on being so picky...but this place really has gone down in my expectations! Such a shame Sambuca - get your head back in the game!!