Where Joe likes to eat

I am certainly a fan of eating out, and I try to do so as often as I can.  I like to think it’s because I need a lot of energy; I own and manage my own cycle shop; M.Steel Cycles, and like to cycle for pleasure too!

My absolute favourite place to eat has to be Café Bangla in East Boldon, near where I live.  The thing that differentiates this Asian restaurant from the rest is the unique speciality dishes that they have on the menu.  Chef; Ali Hussain creates his own dishes and I have never seen them on any other Bangladeshi restaurants menu.  The staff are so welcoming there too and as it is only an intimate restaurant, you are always made to feel special, whatever the occasion.

When I feel like crossing over the Tyne into Newcastle, I like to visit Azzuri on the quayside.  This place is very stylish, and does traditional Italian food in a contemporary setting.  There is a lovely bar area where you can happily sit and enjoy a drink while you wait for a table.  Once you’re seated the service is always quick, astonishing when you consider the size of the restaurant, and the staff are always friendly.  The food, including all the Italian favourites, is delicious and arrives piping hot and perfectly cooked every time.

If I’m in Newcastle city centre during the day, I opt for Café 21 in Fenwicks every time; it just has something magnificent about it.  The food is fantastic, and there is something on the menu to suit whatever mood you’re in.  They have a superb lunch menu which allows you to opt for a healthy superfood salad, or treat yourself to club sandwich served with chunky chips.  The food is made all the better when washed down with their Chilean Sauvignon Blanc; an excellent wine and the perfect accompaniment to your meal there.

For a cheap and cheerful homely Italian treat I really can’t fault Gabrielle’s on Seaburn’s sea front.  That place seems to have been there for ever and I myself have been a regular since the early 70’s; so that says how long it has been around.  They serve delicious traditional Italian food and it is really good value for money.  The only down-side (if you can call it that) is that if you don’t book, then you simply won’t get a table.