Chefs' Academy Restaurant
ENTRY
from £23
WHERE
Newcastle upon Tyne
What it’s like
A training restaurant near Newcastle serving a three-course seasonal supper for £23, run by students learning the trade.
This is a working teaching kitchen with a proper dining room attached, so the people cooking and serving your meal are students on a course rather than seasoned pros. That's the appeal and the catch in one: the food is built around fresh, seasonal produce and priced like a training restaurant, but service can take longer than a normal night out while someone gets their plating right under supervision. If you're after a quick in-and-out meal with a hungry toddler, this probably isn't it.
Lunch runs Tuesday to Friday, 12pm to 1pm. That's a single hour, so you're eating at pace whether you fancy it or not, and there's no wandering in at half one. Dinner is more relaxed on paper, Wednesday and Thursday only from 5:30pm to 9pm, but bookings for that evening slot only run from 5:30 to 7pm.
The signature dish on the menu is the Seasonal Supper, three courses for £23, which is the kind of price that makes you wonder what's not being said about portion size or ambition, though a training kitchen keeping costs down for diners willing to be patient makes sense. Booking has to be done by phone or email rather than online, which is a small extra step but not a big one.
There's nothing here about a children's menu or a different pace for younger diners, and the fine dining format, sit-down courses, careful timing, a room full of trainee waiting staff concentrating hard, reads more like an evening out for adults or older kids who can manage a proper three-course meal without needing to escape halfway through.
Facilities
Need to know
- Booking
- Dinner bookings from 5:30pm-7pm via phone or email
- Food
- On-site fine dining restaurant
- Lunch is a tight one-hour window, Tuesday to Friday only
- Dinner bookings are only taken for the 5:30pm to 7pm slot, even though service runs to 9pm
- Booking is by phone or email, not through an online system
- Staff are students learning the trade, so service may be slower than a typical restaurant
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
The Seasonal Supper is £23 for three courses. That's the price listed for the main menu.
Do we need to book ahead?
Yes, and it has to be by phone or email rather than online. Dinner bookings specifically run from 5:30pm to 7pm.
What are the opening hours?
Lunch is Tuesday to Friday, 12pm to 1pm only. Dinner is Wednesday and Thursday, 5:30pm to 9pm.
Is this a quick meal or a sit-down affair?
It's a proper three-course sit-down meal in a training restaurant, so expect it to take a bit longer than usual while students get the service right.
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