Great place to get breakfast or brunch. Breakfast is served until 2 pm. They had a veggie version…read moreof the full English breakfast which was great. Very filling and good portions. Variety of tea and coffee and homemade scones were also available. If you prefer lunch, the sandwiches are displayed behind the counter and looked like good portions. Comfortable place and convenient.

Blake's is one of my regular hotspots in the city centre. Situated amidst the plethora of modern…read morebars lining one of Newcastle's most prestigious streets is this quirky traditional coffee house offering fantastic home cooked food and of course......caffeine! Quirky décor with a mish mash of wooden tables and chairs with some on slightly elevated positions near the window where you can soak in the hustle and bustle of the city centre. The food is fabulous! I often take advantage of the breakfast menu which is served until 2pm....the pancakes with bacon and maple syrup are highly recommended. They also offer a range of sandwiches, jacket potatoes and cakes. No WiFi frustratingly so I do have to move on if I am intending to do work for any length of time. The staff are very friendly however and I have been here so many times recently I am only one coffee away from my free drink using my stampcard! Finally don't miss out on Blake's monthly comedy night after hours and each Friday they showcase live music so don't be fooled into thinking Blake's is just a coffee house open in traditional hours!

Good price for the incredibly large portions of food. Service was okay but generally a little dull…read more Very student oriented, some artsy drink presentations but they're more inconvenient rather than impressive.

I was very excited to go to a new brunch place, that had some items not seen on a normal menu…read more Breakfast can be so same-y, so immediate points for ambition and creativity. The place feels hip and buzzy, and was packed on a Saturday morning. You get your table first, and order at the counter, which I confess I like as it speeds the whole thing up and you aren't waiting about. High chairs available for little ones, and it's pleasantly noisy enough that if your kid moans a bit while they wait for food, it probably won't bother anyone. Another plus! I was so excited to order fried chicken and waffles, NOT a thing you can normally find in this corner of the world. And they were really close, but it pains me to admit the dish fell short of expectations. The chicken was fine - not too dry, good level of breading (Cornflakes do give it a good crunch!), but tragically underseasoned. I suppose the maple and honey hot sauce was meant to carry it through, and it did help, though I think it was a bit overpowering. The waffles were more soft than crisp, but nice and faintly sweet. The sweet/savoury combo worked well for me, and it satisfied a craving despite being a little underwhelming. The blueberry pancakes were okay. They were served with one of those novelty syringes full of maple syrup, but that's a bit silly and doesn't really work well in like, a functional way. The pancakes themselves were a bit style over substance. They didn't have the best flavour, nor were they as fluffy as you hope American pancakes to be. The compote tasted mainly of frozen blueberries, and the vanilla ice cream just sort of melted all over the whole thing and frankly could've been left out of it. This sounds very complainy, but honestly it was fine - it just looks like it will be SO GOOD and then it's just perfectly fine, and that discordance leads to disappointment. I wouldn't object to giving it another go as I really liked the atmosphere and I just appreciate having something a bit different for a change, but I do think the look of the food managed to eclipse the taste, which is a bit of a shame. We ordered a side of sausages, mainly for my husband and son's benefit, and my husband reported them to be pretty awful. He was really annoyed about that. I have to say though, prices of the dishes were £8.50 and £7.50 respectively, and that's a very good deal for a hip-looking place in the centre of town. Maybe they will continue to find their feet and I think it is worth another try - probably wouldn't order the sausages though.

Consistently amazing food from here with some excellent craft beers on tap too…read more Friendly helpful staff in a quirky atmosphere. Cannot recommend this hidden gem enough. Try the hash bowl and a Bloody Mary. You won't be disappointed

Finally gotten around to having brunch at Ernest this morning and so glad I did! It's quite hidden…read moreaway so think you have to search it out rather than stumble across it. I ordered the scrambled egg and asked for chorizo too. The portion was huge and I didn't even manage to finish it which is a rarity for a foodie like me. The eggs were cooked just right and were so flavoursome with the chorizo adding that extra bit of umph. My friend ordered the chorizo hash bowl which was equally generous and satisfying. It can get quite busy with lots of tables reserved so it's worth getting there early. On a nice day like this morning however there was also ample seating outside. The service was pretty slow I have to admit and the staff don't seem too eager to go the extra mile but I would definitely return for the quality of the food alone!

This food was so good that it made me sad I don't have an Olive & Bean where I live (US). Attentive…read moreservice and a quaint, cute atmosphere.

We were craving tea and cake halfway through a competitive treasure hunt, and this turned out to be…read morethe perfect stop. Our eyes were like (teacup) saucers taking in the many sweet treasures on display. Numerous rocky road options and many tea pigs on offer - this boded well. To maximise the tasting experience, we decided to share a slice of lime and ginger cake and a popcorn rocky road. Hand on heart, the ultra sweet, gooey rocky road rendered us virtually speechless - we couldn't stop sighing and exclaiming, "mmmmm". That's all there is to it. Order one. The cake was fine, but I found the icing very sickly, so I'm glad we shared it. Plenty of upstairs seating for a large group. Just make sure you get there well before 5pm - you don't want to miss out.

Exceptionally good. Days later, I still find myself dreaming about the breakfast omelet with…read moremarinated tomatoes and grilled brie.

I had an awesome day getting work done at Flat Caps today. They met and exceeded my expectations of…read morea coffee shop. Plenty of good options to choose from for food and drink. I personally ordered a latte with almond milk, the avocado on sourdough(Mexican) with an added 2 poached eggs. After breakfast/lunch I went back and got a pour over(filtered?) coffee that was out of this world delicious with no milk! I just love when you can get a coffee and enjoy it for the simple pure taste of it. I would order it every time. I also stayed hydrated with the water they generously provide at the front(that they never let run out). The bonus to it all was the dark chocolate selection they have. I went for the 100% dark of single origin, just like their coffees by the way. On top of all that, the bathrooms were clean and well stocked. There were plenty of tables and even some with outlets. There were lots of pastries to choose from that I did not try, but that is what subsequent visits are made for! The staff were really friendly and nice. Someone is obviously on top of it here in organization. It is not easy to make a business look and run this good. So do yourself a favor and go try this place out.

Initial Reaction: Being that we were unexpectedly staying for the night due to the weather further…read morenorth, through my Yelp search, I found some cocktail lounges to check out. The Botanist was an excellent find when we stayed the night in downtown Newcastle. Located on Monument Mall, you have to up three flights of stairs or take the lift (elevator) to reach the main bar and lounge that has a strong botanical garden theme that is quite beautiful, especially with the location being under a dome. The dome is gorgeous and really enhances the botanical garden and atrium effect. The cocktails are very good as well. I ordered a buttered coconut old fashioned that was quite rich and creamy, but very satisfying with the toasted coconut and butter-washed Makers Mark bourbon with homemade salted honey syrup. My wife enjoyed her Botanist Ultimate Gin & Tonic as we took a table with these plushy lounge chairs. The bartender was fantastic and friendly in making us the cocktails. Really nice guy who made us feel at home. Additionally, they have a rooftop balcony to enjoy the drinks; however, on this evening, it was windy and cold (at least for us Floridians) to where we decided to stay warmer inside. But we would return in a heartbeat.

Best kabobs eve! The peri peri chicken was moist and had tremendous flavor. Incredible atmosphere…read morein the main atrium. Save room for the shared cookie dough; one of the best desserts I've had!

I am in our Newcastle all week again with work so time to try out some of the new cafes hanging…read moreround and about the Central station. After strongly stating I wasn't going to subway, burger king or any other chain I eventually got the suggestion of this little gem round the back of the station in the archways. I nipped round early on lunch and scrutinised the menu which was HUGE! With a dozen sandwiches, toasted wraps, paninis and jacket potatoes it took me a while to narrow down my choice! I went for a special which was a toasted wrap loaded with chicken, cheese, red onions and lashings of sweet chilli sauce. It only took a few minutes to warm up so I used the time to peruse the small space. They had a few bar stools for those wanting to sit in with numerous leaflets for round and about Newcastle and Gateshead with events and offers on show. That is when I came across the wonderful Christmas menu whereby you can order a selection of festive sandwiches and get them delivered to the office on your selected lunchtime. At only £5.80 ahead it looked like great value. After taking my wrap and crisps back to the office (steal for the wrap at £3.10) I was definitely satisfied. The sweet chilli sauce oozed out and covered the moist chicken but without making a huge mess over my desk (extra points!) There really is something for everyone here with the addition of a breakfast menu. £2 for bacon or sausage sandwich and £3 for a breakfast wrap (including hash brown and cheese)! Definitely worth giving this place a go for a quick lunch if you are travelling or having a hectic day in the office!

I had an absolutely delicious maple roasted butternut squash and kale and goat cheese salad here…read morelast Monday (Bank Holiday weekend). The menu is fairly priced, it's a cute interior and it's dog friendly. The waitress was also really nice! Lots of tempting-looking sweets and cakes on display as well. It's small so your might have a little bit of a wait but this is a gem tucked away on the Quayside. My husband said his flat white was weak though.

Lovely food, definitely a must for any foodies visiting Newcastle…read more Prices are reasonable for the quality & quantity. Nice staff, relaxing atmosphere to enjoy your meal in peace.

Amazing! Probably one of the best meals I have had in the UK. Admittedly I ordered items that are…read moremore about the sourcing but the preparation needs to be raved about as well. All of the small details shined along with the clearly great sourcing mastermind behind this establishment. I started with the oysters. I was amazed with them their freshness and buttery taste and texture as well as a brilliant horseradish sauce that didn't overpower but rather added to the experience. As a main I had the rib-eye with a peppercorn topping. If there was any negative it only would be to the imagination of the sides which were chips /fries and onion rings with some salad leaves. But do not misunderstand me here the main star was clearly the ribeye. Not only cooked to perfection but the sourcing of the meat was incredible. This is no understatement as I eats steak multiple times a week, always ribeye and most of the time US prime. However this steak was incredible and the peppercorn sauce again did not overpower the steak but rather complimented it. I finished with the cheese plate and a glass of port. The cheese selection was spot on and I exceptionally enjoyed the blue. The chutney was probably the best accompaniment for the cheese selection. Crackers were ok and I could have used a toast but it didn't matter. Service was impeccable, even in a rushed setting it was perfect. All suggestions were spot on, never felt rushed and it always felt friendly. I would highly recommend this restaurant and I would definitely come back and go out of my way to come back.

Really cool spot on the river. Can't get any closer for a drink. The front entrance is the first…read moredoor, not the second and if you gone past that you reach a cool cafe with a bike shop in the rear. Tons of tables and I believe there is a food market that opens up certain days for food options besides the restaurant that's there. The wood pier has wide gaps so don't drop your card, wallet or phone or bye bye to the river. Recommended on a lovely day

From the owner: By The River Brew Co. is a unique container community with a strong spirit of independence. Craft…read morebeers are brewed on site. Trakol, our nose to tail open flame restaurant is fiercely seasonal using the finest local produce. Cycle enthusiasts will enjoy the Backyard Bike Shop where we custom build and service high end road bikes and operate as a cafe serving delicious brunches and coffees. At weekends you can enjoy our street food market (HWKRMRKT) and sample the finest independent street food.