- Play Hard
- 24th Jul 2026
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21 of the best dishes we ate in the North East this month
Some months it’s easy to eat well. This one, it was almost impossible not to.
From coastal cafés to countryside hotels, here at High Life North we’ve been chasing our region’s best plates – and honestly, we’re still thinking about half of them.
Here’s everywhere (and everything) that earned a spot on our radar this month.
P.S. We guarantee you’ll be feeling hungry after reading this…
The ham and cheese croissant from Cullercoats Coffee Co.
The ham and cheese croissant here has become a full-blown obsession. Buttery, golden and generously filled, it’s the kind of pastry that makes a coastal coffee run feel essential.
Steak and spring salad from Cloister at Matfen Hall, Hexham
A steak paired with a spring salad that struck the perfect balance between country-house indulgence and something fresh and seasonal.
Loaded crips at Wildfire City, Sunderland
Wildfire City’s loaded crisps have been all over Instagram, and we had to try for ourselves. Two layers of cotto, ricotta, Parmesan and seasoning, finished with Torres crisps, pecorino and olive oil – an ideal snack for grazing your way through the menu.
A charcuterie board at Fat Unicorn, Sunderland
A charcuterie board built for sharing (in theory). In practice, we didn’t share much at all. Perfect for a day lunch paired with a glass of cheeky vino.
Homemade focaccia, arancini and 18-hour slow-cooked lasagne at Vito’s Osteria, Sunderland
This one deserves a mention three times over. The homemade focaccia with wild garlic butter is the kind of bread basket you’d order as a main course. The crispy arancini is crunchy, molten and gone in seconds. And then there’s the lasagne – 18-hour slow-cooked short rib layered through pasta so rich it borders on decadent. Simply put: the lasagne.
Breakfast flatbread at Ruhe, Roker
A breakfast flatbread that’s one of the best ways to start a seaside morning after a walk around Roker Park.
Stonebaked Pizza at Three Tanners Bank
Proof that you don’t need a huge menu to make a big impression. Just really, really good pizza.
A cacio e pepe from Shapes, North Shields
A cacio e pepe done with real restraint: peppery, silky and confident enough not to overcomplicate a classic.
Anchovy toast and loaded dipping oil from North, Seaburn
The anchovy toast is bold and briny in the best way, but it was the loaded dipping oil that stole the show – rich, herby and dangerously easy to keep coming back to with more bread.
Oysters from Riley’s Fish Shack, Tynemouth
Fresh, briny oysters that hit exactly the note you want from a coastal plate with the best views.
Yorkshire breakfast from Little Drummer Boy, Richmond
Recommended to us while staying at Hewn Yorkshire – a hearty Yorkshire breakfast, unfussy in all the right ways and tastes even better alfresco.
Oysters from Seaview Restaurant, Saltburn-by-the-Sea
More oysters; this time we head south with another stunning sea view. Few things beat fresh shellfish with a coastal backdrop.
Tenders from K-Bird at Freight Island, Newcastle
Tenders coated in a garlic soy krunch and finished with their Seoul Bird sauce. Sticky, spicy and thoroughly moreish.
Hummus and pita from PITA at Freight Island, Newcastle
Simple, done brilliantly: fresh hummus and pillowy pita that reminded us why the classics endure.
Pistachio and ricotta fried ravioli from Milano at Freight Island, Newcastle
A dish that sounds indulgent and tastes even more so. Crisp on the outside, molten and nutty within.
Sunday lunch from Seaham Hall
A Sunday lunch that leaned into every bit of its country-house setting: comforting, generous and exactly what a Sunday should feel like. Of course, finished off with an afternoon in the new 1m Zen Garden spa.
Pistachio curry from Savoy Le Raaj, Morpeth
A creamy pistachio curry that layered warmth and spice with a subtle nutty richness – a menu highlight for anyone after something a little different.
Pan-fried halloumi from ARLO, Jesmond
A dish that reads like a love letter to a plate. Hot honey apricots, smoked almonds and chimichurri sit alongside a sweet potato and butterbean whip, roast artichokes, pickled veg and warm flatbread. It looks almost too good to eat – almost.
From coastal cafés to countryside estates, this month proved the North East’s food scene has range: unpretentious classics, Instagram-baiting small plates, and slow-cooked comfort food all sitting side by side comfortably.
If you’ve only got time to try one thing off this list, make it the lasagne at Vito’s. If you’ve got time for two, add the halloumi at ARLO. Either way, you’re in for a very good month of eating.
Rachael Ellis
Head of Content
After gaining a first in her BA Media and Journalism degree at Northumbria University, Rachael worked at Newcastle’s leading regional newspaper with her stories being picked up in national and global newspapers. She spent two very successful years giving a voice to those communities across the North East who otherwise…
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