Michelin Star Restaurants in Newcastle: Where to Book

Quick answer: which Newcastle restaurants hold a Michelin star right now

The Michelin Guide's 2026 United Kingdom selection lists Solstice by Kenny Atkinson, at 5-7 Side, with one star. House of Tides, at 28-30 The Close on the Quayside, also holds one star and three AA Rosettes according to its own site. No other Newcastle restaurant should be described as starred until the guide says so.

Both are small, chef-led rooms serving set menus rather than à la carte, so a starred meal here means committing to a sequence of courses and a block of time. If what you actually want is a good dinner without the ceremony, our best restaurants in Newcastle guide is the better starting point.

What a starred meal in Newcastle actually costs and how far ahead to book

Neither kitchen publishes a fixed figure you should plan around: House of Tides describes a single tasting menu built on British produce, and prices are confirmed at the point of booking rather than advertised as a flat number. Budget for a long evening with wine, and check the current menu price and any deposit terms directly with the restaurant before you commit a celebration to it.

On timing, the practical move is to book as soon as your date is fixed, especially for Friday and Saturday dinner, which are the slots both kitchens reserve fastest. Small dining rooms mean few covers and little room for late changes, so treat a booking as the anchor of the trip and arrange travel and accommodation around it rather than the other way round.

If your dates are flexible, midweek is the easier ask, and lunch is generally the gentler introduction to a starred kitchen. Check the restaurant's own booking page for the days it actually serves before you plan a journey around it, since opening patterns change with the season.

Solstice by Kenny Atkinson – one star on Side

Solstice sits on Side, the steep street running down towards the Quayside, which puts it within walking distance of Central Station, the Quayside and the city-centre hotels. That central position is its main practical advantage over the Quayside kitchens: you can walk to and from dinner without a taxi.

Kenny Atkinson is the north-east chef behind the restaurant, and the Michelin listing is the only recognition you should quote for it; the guide awards one star, not more. Expect a modern, produce-led tasting format rather than a traditional three-course dinner, and check the restaurant's own site for the current menu, dietary policy and booking calendar.

The trade-off is straightforward. You get a starred meal in the middle of town, close to transport and other places for a drink afterwards, but you also get a small room where a table for two on a popular night disappears quickly. Book early and confirm directly rather than relying on a third-party listing.

House of Tides – the Quayside tasting menu, lunch versus dinner, and the days it opens

House of Tides occupies a converted merchant's house on The Close, a short walk along the Quayside from the Tyne bridges. It serves one tasting menu only, drawn from produce across the British Isles, which keeps the decision simple: you choose lunch or dinner and whether to add wine, not which dishes to have.

The opening pattern is the thing to plan around. As published, lunch runs Friday and Saturday from noon to 2pm, dinner runs Thursday and Friday from 6pm to 9pm and Saturday from 5.30pm to 9.30pm, and the restaurant is closed Monday to Wednesday; Sunday is bar service only. Check current times with House of Tides when you book the day you want to visit.

Lunch is the cheaper and shorter way in, and it leaves the afternoon free for the Quayside, while dinner is the fuller experience and the one that needs the most notice. Because Thursday to Saturday is the entire dinner week, a Friday or Saturday booking is the hardest to secure and a Thursday is the realistic alternative if your dates are tight.

The accepted trade-off is the closed start to the week. If your trip falls on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, House of Tides is not an option and you should look at the alternatives below instead of bending your itinerary around it.

If you cannot get a starred table: Dobson & Parnell on Queen Street

Dobson & Parnell, at 21 Queen Street on the Quayside, is the sensible fallback when the starred rooms are full. It is a modern British restaurant in a restored Victorian warehouse with an open kitchen, and it serves lunch and dinner Monday to Saturday plus Sunday lunch, so it covers the days House of Tides does not.

The value case is clear: its own menus page advertises three plates for £19.50 at Monday to Saturday lunch, alongside a Sunday lunch menu and a separate children's menu. That makes it a realistic special-occasion booking for a group, a family or a couple who want a proper lunch without committing to a tasting menu.

Note that it closes on most bank holidays, including Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Easter Monday and the May and August bank holidays, though it opens on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. If your visit lands on a holiday, telephone Dobson & Parnell to check that the usual hours apply.

For a cheaper daytime meal in the same part of town, our cheap eats Newcastle guide is the place to look; save Dobson & Parnell for the evening you want something more formal.

Which to choose by occasion: celebration, lunch, Sunday, or a first fine-dining experience

For a landmark celebration, pick the starred kitchen whose available day matches your trip rather than the one that sounds grander. A Thursday to Saturday evening suits House of Tides, whose Quayside setting gives the walk along the river a sense of occasion; a midweek date or a lunch points towards Solstice on Side.

For a first fine-dining experience, a starred lunch is the lower-stakes route: shorter, cheaper and easier to fit around a day in the city. If the idea of a multi-course tasting menu is daunting, Dobson & Parnell's three-plate lunch is a gentler step up, and you can still book its Sunday lunch if a roast is what you actually want.

Sunday is the awkward day. House of Tides serves the bar only, so a Sunday booking means Dobson & Parnell's Sunday lunch or somewhere in the city centre. That single constraint decides more itineraries than any question of which kitchen cooks better.

Booking, dress and dietary practicalities worth sorting before you go

Neither starred restaurant is formal in the old sense, but smart-casual is the safe reading for a tasting-menu dinner. More important is telling the kitchen about allergies and dietary needs when you book, not on the night: set menus are fixed, and a vegetarian version usually has to be arranged in advance.

Before travelling, confirm three things with the restaurant directly: the current menu and price, the day and time you want, and any deposit or cancellation term attached to the booking. Then use our guide to what to eat in Newcastle to fill the rest of your day with the city's own dishes rather than a second heavyweight meal.

Which starred table should you book?

Book Solstice by Kenny Atkinson if you want a starred meal in the centre of town with the easiest transport and a midweek date to play with; book House of Tides if a Quayside evening on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday is the point of the trip. If neither has your night, Dobson & Parnell covers the gap with a set lunch price the venue publishes itself.

Whichever you choose, book early, confirm the menu and the day with the restaurant, and keep one flexible meal in your plan so a full dining room does not derail the whole weekend. For the named pubs and food stops with a guide of their own, see Newcastle pubs and food landmarks.