10 Best Student Restaurants in Newcastle

By Student Cribs | July 14, 2022 | Reading Time: 7 minutes

Believe it or not, Newcastle is one of the best places for food in the UK. The city boasts an abundance of eateries from budget to high end, meaning you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to deciding where to dine. Here’s a round up of the top ten best student restaurants in Newcastle that will delight your taste buds and your student pockets.

The Cluny

This is an excellent venue for food, drinks and music. The Cluny doubles up as a pub and a music venue so it’s a great place to go if you want to soak up some live music whilst eating great food and drinking amazing real ales. They serve freshly cooked food daily, and most things are under a tenner! It’s located in the heart of Ouseburn and the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed but it can get very busy,. So for a quicker service and quieter experience, go during the week to enjoy one of the best student restaurants in Newcastle.

The Ship Inn

Located at the bottom of Stepney Bank, this pub is also in Ouseburn and offers a fully vegan menu – yes you heard that right! Ouseburn is a peaceful, village-like place only 20 minutes walk away from the centre of town. You wouldn’t think you were in a city, with a farm and riding stables only metres away! Some of the things they offer include vegetable curry, falafel, burgers and all-day breakfast, truly of the best student restaurants in Newcastle.

The Bridge Tavern

This cosy pub is located near the quayside, tucked away under the North East’s most iconic landmark, the Tyne Bridge. They offer a great selection of classic pub food (their fish and chips is to die for) and their menu also features a comprehensive vegan section, so there is definitely something for everyone. If that wasn’t enough, this place also has its own microbrewery making a visit here an absolute must whilst you’re in Newcastle. Although it’s pub comfort food, it comes in at the slightly higher end of the budget, so go here when your student loan drops!

Find out more on our Top 10 Student bars in Newcastle!

Queen’s Street Café

If poached eggs, avocado and sourdough toast accompanied by an oat milk latte is more your thing, then this probably isn’t the place for you. However, this little café packs a punch with its breakfast menu – a breakfast muffin stack comes in at under £3! Sometimes a no frills, back to basics traditional café is all you need on a cold day in Newcastle. Great for a hangover at one of Newcastle’s best student restaurants!

The Wild Trapeze

A real must whether you’re on a flying visit to Newcastle or here to stay for a while. Enter a room full of eclectic art and miss-matched furniture and enjoy a variety of breakfast, brunch and lunch options. It’s located in Heaton and there’s plenty of free parking nearby or it’s a short taxi ride away. The cheap and cheerful menu and friendly atmosphere makes it great for students. (The artist himself may even serve you!

Dabbawal Jesmond

If you think you’ve had the best Indian, think again. As you step inside one of Newcastle’s best student restaurant in West Jesmond, it’s love at first whiff as the aromas of killer Indian cooking permeate the air. It has a low-key street-food vibe but that’s not to say it’s lacking in sophistication. The menu is clearly marked to indicate gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian and vegan options and there’s definitely something for everyone here. For the spice snobs amongst you, you may be surprised at how much you enjoy the mild yet wonderfully flavoursome Seabass Makalia. Slightly pricier than other Indian restaurants but great for a birthday treat!

The Broad Chare

With outstanding food and great real ales on offer, this is not your average Newcastle pub. Inside the beautiful quayside building, you feel like you’re experiencing a slice of Newcastle’s history whilst enjoying hearty comfort food made from the finest local and seasonal produce. If the budget is looking a bit tight, then just pop in for a drink – you’ll be welcomed with open arms.

Zucchini Pasta Bar

If Italian soul food is what you’re after, then this establishment will certainly fit the bill. As the name would suggest, pasta is its strong suit and it would have even the carb-fearing amongst us flocking from afar. They pride themselves on using Northumberland farmed free-range eggs to make their signature fresh pasta daily on site and also offer takeaway – what’s not to love. Their message is that ‘life’s too short to eat bad pasta’ and we couldn’t agree more! All pasta mains come in at less than a tenner so it’s a great spot for some budget carb loading.

Cal’s own

This multi award-winning pizza place is not to be missed. Wood fired, sourdough pizza cooked in a traditional, Italian pizza oven are on offer here with an abundance of toppings to choose from. It’s no more expensive than the usual pizza chains, but the pizzas are so much better! If you live in Jesmond then this is a great option for you to enter one of Newcastle’s best student restaurants, as that’s where it’s based. If the hangover is hitting and you need a takeaway fix, look no further. They offer great takeaway deals on 20” pizzas!

Sushi Me Rollin’

The clue is in the name right? This trendy sushi joint can be found in Newcastle’s answer to Shoreditch: Stack. At one of Newcastle’s best student restaurants, this shipping container sushi bar, every piece is rolled to order and it’s the brainchild of three friends who were set on drawing huge flavours from fresh local ingredients. They have a ‘build your own’ menu priced at a very reasonable 4 piece for £6 or 8 piece for £9 making it a great place for nigiri novices and those already mad for maki.