The Lubber Kitchen, a new entry to Newcastle's Restaurant Week, has been praised as one of the best venues since the event began in 2011. The tucked-away cafe on Blandford Street offers a family-style dinner deal that impressed reviewers.
An extension of the Lubber Fiend, an inclusive grassroots music venue that opened on Stepney Bank in Ouseburn in 2022, the kitchen followed in November last year, serving a "frequently changing menu inspired by European cookery." Its evening Restaurant Week deal is designed for sharing, which suited the reviewers who worried about agreeing on dishes.
A Feast of Flavours
The meal included a light, fluffy home-made focaccia and panelle (chickpea fritters) with a fresh pea, lemon and oregano dip, followed by braised and barbecued courgette with sunflower seeds. An unexpected favourite was a salad with heritage tomatoes, nectarine, ricotta and fermented chilli, rounded off with borlotti beans with rainbow chard and basil, and a chicken liver and nduja meatball with fresh corn polenta.
The sauce on every dish was so good that the reviewers asked for more focaccia to mop them up. Dessert was a dark chocolate and olive oil mousse with maraschino cherries and little bits of salt.
Service and Atmosphere
The reviewers praised the attentive service, noting they were never left without wine or water. The chic kitchen-style restaurant, with stone floors and stainless steel tables, soon filled with people and conversation.
They highlighted that unlike some venues doing the bare minimum or charging hefty supplements during Restaurant Week, Lubber Kitchen used the event to showcase its chefs' best work, encouraging diners to return throughout the year.
Deals Continue
The Lubber Kitchen's Restaurant Week deals continue today and tomorrow, with a two-course lunch for £15, a three-course lunch for £20, or the dinner served 'family-style' for £25 per person.
