Blackfriars Restaurant
ENTRY
from £45
SETTING
Indoors
WHERE
Newcastle upon Tyne
What it’s like
A medieval friary building in Newcastle where you can eat a proper lunch, take a history tour, or book a children's cookery party.
This is a restaurant set inside a genuinely old building, and the history tour with lunch is the obvious way to make sense of that before you eat in it. £45 gets you both, which feels fair for what's essentially a guided wander through a medieval friary followed by a proper sit-down meal.
Beyond that, the menu of experiences gets a bit more specific. There's a Thai cookery session at £175, sushi and sake at £90, and if you're planning ahead there's a New Year's Eve medieval banquet at £95. None of these are casual drop-in prices, so they suit an occasion rather than a Tuesday whim.
For kids, there's a Little Monks children's menu and cookery classes aimed at them, plus celebration cookery parties if you're after a birthday that isn't soft play. Opening hours split the day: lunch runs 12 to 2.30pm, then it reopens at 5pm, Monday to Saturday. Sundays are a single block from 12 to 5pm, and Friday-Saturday afternoon tea runs 2.45 to 4pm, a nice narrow window so don't turn up expecting to squeeze it in whenever.
Worth knowing before you plan a visit around a bank holiday: Blackfriars closes on most of them, including Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, and the May and August bank holidays, though it does open on Good Friday. Booking is available, and given the set windows for lunch and afternoon tea, it's the sensible way to make sure you actually get a table when you want one.
Facilities
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
The history tour with lunch is £45. Other experiences range up further, like £90 for sushi and sake or £175 for the Thai cookery class.
Do we need to book?
There's a booking option, and with set lunch and afternoon tea windows it makes sense to use it rather than turn up on spec.
Is there anything for children?
Yes, there's a Little Monks children's menu, children's cookery classes, and celebration cookery parties for birthdays.
What are the opening hours?
Monday to Saturday it's 12pm to 2.30pm then 5pm till late. Sundays run as one block, 12pm to 5pm.
Can we do afternoon tea?
Friday and Saturday only, in a fairly tight window between 2.45pm and 4pm.
Is it open on bank holidays?
Mostly not. It closes for Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, and the May and August bank holidays, but it does open on Good Friday.
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