Has there ever been a better time to be a foodie in the North East?  I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure the eating out landscape has never been better.  With a panoply of Michelin starred restaurants from the two star Raby Hunt just outside Darlington, House of Tides in Newcastle, to Restaurant Hjem (who recently featured in the BBC2 series the Hairy Bikers Go Local) and Pine (whose Cal Byerly recently competed in the Great British Menu) in rural Northumberland, those seeking a high end fine dining experience are spoilt for choice.  This is without even mentioning the numerous other restaurants in the region included in the guide, such as Coarse in Durham, Haveli in Ponteland, Trakol on Gateshead riverside and Terry Laybourne’s evergreen 21.

It’s not just about the Michelin Guide  though, where sometimes the experience and ‘theatre’ of the food can be enough to bamboozle a diner before even considering the quality.  There are many great restaurants who are delivering great food at what many would consider ‘more realistic’ prices.  Andy Hook’s Blackfriars and Dobson & Parnell have been serving great food for many years and in the last few years have added Hinnies out at the coast to the portfolio.  Mark Lagan’s Earl of Pitt Street for many is a hidden gem in the Newcastle food scene and Dave Coulson’s Peace & Loaf in Cradlewell remains a favourite.

There’s also a thriving street food scene in the north east, with high quality food being delivered at pocket friendly prices.  Outlets like Scream for Pizza and My Delhi (who both featured on BBC2’s Britain’s Top Takeaways) are perhaps the best known, but Acropolis, Redheads Mac N Cheese, Dumpling & Bun, Feds Fried Chicken and La Casa Delicatessen tapas bar, are all staking their claim, with busy stalls in Newcastle’s Grainger Market, which is rapidly becoming somewhat of a street food hub, for hungry diners who want a tasty and filling lunch.

There’s also a busy scene developing in Heaton, in the east end of Newcastle.  Well known as a student location, over the last few years a number of great outlets have opened up including Fork in the Rose, Sobramesa, Flint, L’Ulvio, and Bocquerones.  To compliment this cosmopolitan offering of local, artisan, independent restaurants, Heaton has also seen several MicroPubs established, such as the Heaton Tap, and the Elder Beer Café.  I just wish that when my wife was a student living in Heaton, there had been as many great venues’ to eat in, rather than just the now long gone Café Picasso and its famous Dime Bar Cake.

It’s not just about Tyneside though, the redevelopment and regeneration of the Stables in the Sheepfolds area of Sunderland is attracting exiting occupiers, with Hairy Biker, Si King announcing the opening of his first restaurant venture, alongside Zinc, a new casual bistro from John Calton, the chef patron of Route in Newcastle.  There are of course a number of obvious well established foodie flags in the map in Sunderland, such as Angelo’s in Sunniside and Mexico 70, the brilliant taqueria on High Street West, close to both the Sunderland Empire and The Fire Station, so handy for a quick pre-show meal (if you can get in!). Durham will also soon see the opening of Faru, by former House of Tides Head Chef Jake Siddle & his wife Laura, who are bringing a fine dining experience to the centre of the city.

Another area of strength in the region is the quality of ‘Gastro Pubs’ we have (I know it’s a horrible term), with venues such as The Broad Chare in Newcastle, The Feathers at Heddon and the The Rat at Annick regularly featuring in The Estrella Damm list, as well as the Michelin Guide.  And living in a coastal location, it would be remiss to overlook the great seafood restaurants we have including The Old Boat House, Amble, the Potted Lobster in Bamburgh and The Jolly Fisherman in Craster.

Looking at that platter of restaurants, I think it’s safe to say, we’ve never been better served!