Indian Restaurants in Newcastle: Where to Eat Curry by Area

Khai Khai, Quayside: heritage cooking over fire and smoke

Khai Khai sits at 29 Queen Street on the Quayside, a few minutes' walk from the river and handy for an early evening before or after a walk along the Tyne. The kitchen builds its identity on heritage Indian comfort food cooked with fire and smoke, and the menu follows regional dishes back to their original recipes rather than blending everything into one generic sauce base. It is the place to book when you want the meal to be the main event of a Quayside night.

Because the cooking leans on smoke and char, order across the menu rather than settling on one curry: a grilled or smoked starter, a regional main and something from the breads side gives you the range the kitchen is set up for. The restaurant also publishes a cocktail list built on Indian flavours, so a drink before dinner fits naturally here if that is your sort of evening. Book ahead for weekend evenings, when Quayside tables go first.

Khai Khai does not publish its hours or prices in a form you can rely on from here, so check its site or ring 0191 261 4277 before you travel, especially for a Sunday or a Monday. If you are weighing up how curry fits into a broader eating plan, our guide to Newcastle food and the dishes worth seeking out gives useful context.

Simla, 39 Side: a family-run Quayside classic for a calmer dinner

Simla is on the pedestrianised stretch of the Quayside at 39 Side, and it has been in the same family since 1981, with a full renovation and refreshed menu in 2016. That history shows in the room and the pacing: this is a sit-down, linen-napkin sort of evening rather than a quick turnover. It suits a birthday, a catch-up with people you have not seen for months, or anyone who wants a quieter Quayside dinner.

The kitchen describes its food as modern Indian cooking rooted in historically significant dishes from across the subcontinent, presented without gimmicks, and the setting is a relaxed, refined dining room. Order a starter and a main apiece and share breads and rice, which is the sensible way to cover the menu as a pair. It also serves beer and signature gin cocktails if you want a drink with the meal.

The key practical point is that Simla opens for evening service only: Tuesday to Thursday 5.30–11pm, Friday 5.30–11.30pm, Saturday 4–11.30pm and Sunday 5.30–11pm. That rules out a weekday lunch and means a Saturday booking can start earlier than the rest of the week. Prices are not published in a form worth quoting here, so check the menu on the day, and book ahead for Friday and Saturday.

Mowgli, 8 Nelson Street: street food in a grand city-centre room

Mowgli Newcastle is at 8 Nelson Street, NE1 5AW, in the city centre rather than the Quayside. You enter through grand old columns into a room styled on a historic colonial building in Calcutta, with tree roots winding through the space. It is the most casual and most central of the three, and a good fit for a pre-theatre plate or a meal that does not stretch to three courses.

The cooking is Indian street food, and the team favourites give you the shortcut: Yoghurt Chat Bombs, crisp puff breads filled with chickpeas, spiced yoghurt, tamarind and coriander; Sticky Chicken in a chickpea batter with a molasses glaze; and Aunty Geeta's Prawn Curry, simmered with Bengali five spice. The chaat-style dishes are the point here, so build a meal from several small plates rather than one main. Ask about vegan options when you order, as the site flags a vegan version of the chat bombs.

Mowgli opens Monday to Thursday 12pm–10pm, Friday and Saturday 12pm–11pm and Sunday 12pm–10pm, so it works for lunch or an early dinner when the Quayside kitchens are closed. Bookings are taken online and go through a booking partner for larger parties. The one hard rule for families: under-18s must leave the restaurant before 9pm each evening under its licensing conditions.

How to choose: Quayside or city centre, early or late

Choose by area first, because that decides your evening. Khai Khai and Simla are both on the Quayside and work with a riverside stroll; Mowgli on Nelson Street is the central option and the easiest to reach if you are already in town. If you want to fit a meal into a wider visit, see the best restaurants in Newcastle for the rest of the city's shortlist.

Choose by time of day second. Simla is evening only, Mowgli covers lunch and early dinner, and Khai Khai needs a call to confirm its hours. For an early meal with children, Mowgli before 9pm is the straightforward answer; for a later, slower dinner for adults, the Quayside pair fits better. If you are keeping costs down, our cheap eats Newcastle guide lists lower-priced options across the city.

Book when the table matters. Weekend Quayside bookings go quickly, so book Khai Khai and Simla ahead for Friday or Saturday and confirm the time in writing. Mowgli's online booking handles smaller and larger groups but sends bigger parties through its booking partner, so check the terms before you commit. For a larger group, book rather than turning up and hoping.

Two things to check before you go

First, kitchen times on the day. Simla and Mowgli publish their hours on their own sites, and Khai Khai does not, so a phone call is the only reliable check for the last seating. Public holidays, Christmas and New Year can change everything: Mowgli, for example, lists Christmas Day and Boxing Day as closed and an earlier last booking on Christmas Eve, so check its site for the dates you plan.

Second, whether children are in the party. Mowgli enforces an under-18s curfew before 9pm, while the Quayside restaurants do not publish a similar rule, so ask when you book. If the group spans several ages and dietary needs, say so when you reserve, and ask about vegan and vegetarian dishes at the same time.

Which Newcastle curry night to book

For a Quayside evening built around the cooking, book Khai Khai; for a calmer family-run dinner with a long history, book Simla for an evening table; for street food in the middle of town with children, book Mowgli for before 9pm. Each is a different night out rather than a ranking, so choose the one that matches your time, area and party.

If curry is one part of a bigger trip, pair this guide with the best restaurants in Newcastle for the rest of your shortlist and with What to Eat in Newcastle for the dishes worth ordering first.