Newcastle has a thriving food scene, and it’s only on the up. A sought after destination for music, art and most importantly, food and drink. Quayside is overflowing with bustling bars, while Ouseburn has some of our favourite pubs of all time. And when it comes to restaurants, Newcastle delivers a seriously impressive roster, with a range of cuisines.
If you’re wandering around a city in search of a bite, what better cuisine to settle on than Italian? It really has it all: bread, meat, fish, cheese, wine. Plus, it’s the home of pizza, pasta and prosecco, the holy trio.
Food in Italy is like a religion. Unlike the UK, Italy has at least thirteen different types of places to eat, ranging from the high dining, formal ristorante to the humble, usually family-owned trattoria. Then there are regional cuisines, starting with hearty mountain food in the North, and travelling South to Sicily, home to some of the freshest fish you’ll find. Not a country afraid to split hairs, regions have subregions and they have their own particular cuisines too. And to top it all off, there are over 350 types of pasta, including the bizarrely named Strozzapreti (priest-stranglers).
With so many dishes, delights and delicacies, making a decision can be hard. That’s why we’ve scouted out the best Italian restaurants in Newcastle, from Fenham to Felling, so you can get on with the good part - eating. Here are our 11 top picks, including menu highlights and where to find them.
Pani’s Cafe, Grainger Town
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What: Pani’s has been a staple since it opened in 1995 as Newcastle’s first Italian street cafe. It’s family-run, authentic and always developing. The menu uses traditional Sardinian ingredients like fregola (think Italian giant couscous) and bottarga (salted, cured fish roe), alongside classic dishes like carbonara and lasagne. Drinks include Sardinian wines and fusion cocktails.
Where: 61-65 High Bridge, NE1 6BX
Book now: Pani’s Cafe
Portofino, Grainger Town
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What: If you’re looking for a more upmarket setting, Portofino has you covered. The restaurant is set in a Victorian Grade-II listed building designed by the same architect as the Natural History Museum in London. This is the perfect place to do a full Italian feast with a wide range of tasters, starters, pizzas, pasta dishes, risottos, meat and fish. Highlights include homemade chicken liver pate, panzarotti (potato ravioli) and surf and turf. Portofino’s pasta and pizza both have gluten-free options available.
Where: 12A Mosely Street, NE1 1DE
Book now: Portofino
Zucchini Pasta Bar, City Centre
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What: For a more casual vibe, or even a bottomless Aperol brunch, head over to Zucchini Pasta Bar. Split into pre-pasta, pasta and post-pasta, the menu has a clear focus and offers quick dishes like pici cacio e pepe, as well as slower dishes like pappardelle with six-hour beef shin ragu. Not wanting to leave anyone out of the feast, Zucchini also have vegan and gluten-free pasta options. Finish your meal with a limoncello and sherbet slushy.
Where: 55 Degrees North, NE1 6BL
Book now: Zucchini Pasta Bar
Prima Ristorante, Quayside
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What: Nestled under a railway arch, Prima has been a Quayside staple for over 20 years and is one of the city’s largest Italian restaurants. The food, wine and cocktail menus are seriously extensive, with happy hour deals extending to pasta and pizza as well as drinks. Highlights include prawn and scallop ravioli and slow-cooked lamb. If you want to be spoiled for choice, look no further.
Where: 40–46 The Side, NE1 3JA
Book now: Prima
Sorella Sorella, Sunniside
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What: As the name might imply, Sorella Sorella is a family-owned restaurant filled with vintage decor and friendly staff. A common theme on this list, the menu overflows with delicious options, including crab and chilli crostini, wild mushroom pizza, Tuscan sausage rigatoni, fish of the day and Italian sorbet. For a truly decadent drink to accompany, order the Sgroppino: lemon sorbet, prosecco and vodka blended with cream.
Where: Street Gate Park, NE16 5LE
Book now: Sorella Sorella
Babucho, Quayside
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What: Babucho isn’t just a New York-style brasserie and bar in the heart of Quayside. This bustling restaurant melts into a lounge club as the evening progresses and the lights dim. While most of the food menu is Italian, it also offers french onion soup, Lebanese chicken skewers and steak frites. To drink, there is a wide selection of Italian and French wine, as well as bubbles, beers and cocktails.
Where: Lower Dean Street, NE1 3JD
Book now: Babucho
La Famiglia, Denton Burn
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What: Perfect for groups of any size, La Famiglia caters to everyone, from couples all the way up to groups of 60. The pricing is extremely reasonable, with a two-course lunch special for under £8. Expect all the classics with plenty of children’s options too. Specials include homemade pate, fish of the day and profiteroles.
Where: 257 Whickham View, NE15 7HP
Book now: La Famiglia
Mascalzone, Sandyford
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What: Located a bit further North, Mascalzone is another Sardinian restaurant that offers some dishes you don’t always see outside of Italy. Crespelle are homemade pancakes stuffed with spinach, ricotta, mushrooms and Parmesan baked in a tomato sauce. Malloredus piccante is a traditional Sardinian pasta shape with sausage mince, garlic, fresh chilli, saffron and courgettes topped with pecorino.
Where: 238 Helmsley Road, NE2 1RD
Book now: Mascalzone
Fuego, City Centre
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What: Housed in Fenwick’s flagship store dating back to 1882, Fuego is an all-day tapas canteen. Aside from Italian classics, the menu also includes a wide range of Spanish dishes like aged manchego, patatas bravas and grilled octopus with mojo verde. Don’t miss the burnt Basque cheesecake to finish. The bar menu doesn’t disappoint either, offering Italian aperitivi, house cocktails and wine, plus a range of spirits and fortified wines.
Where: 39 Northumberland Street, NE1 7AS
Book now: Fuego
Antico, Jesmond
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What: Heading to Jesmond you’ll find Antico, a cosy venue with a great choice of menus, including the extremely affordable early bird three-course deal. Some more rural dishes feature on the a la carte selection, including seared chicken liver on artisan bread, asparagus and saffron risotto and roasted cod with pancetta, peas and dill. Sunday lunch and festive menus are also available, and live swing music is a regular occurrence.
Where: 15 Osborne Road, NE2 2AE
Book now: Antico
Uno’s Trattoria, Gateshead
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What: Another family-run location, Uno’s is the epitome of casual, lively Italian eating and has been for the last 30 years. Expect starters to pass round the table like arancini, wing and ribs, as well as heftier mains like braised lamb shank or chicken au Poivre. The drinks menu includes pitchers of sangria or Pimm's to share with the table and over 30 aperitifs and liqueurs.
Where: 18 Sandhill, NE1 3AF
Book now: Uno’s
Completed this list? Discover the best of the best with our pick of Newcastle's finest places to eat.