The Best Chinese and Thai Food in Heaton

Heaton's Chinese and Thai scene is a takeaway scene. You will not find a big sit-down banqueting restaurant on Chillingham Road, but you will find a handful of kitchens that have fed the neighbourhood's students, families and late-shift workers for years. If you want a white-tablecloth dim sum lunch, Stowell Street in Chinatown is a short Metro ride away. For a Friday night in, the places below are the ones locals order from.

Chinese takeaways

The Peninsula, Chillingham Road

The Peninsula at 183 Chillingham Road is the name most Heaton residents mention first. It cooks Cantonese and Szechuan dishes, so the menu runs from the familiar sweet-and-sour and black bean favourites to spicier Szechuan plates for anyone who wants more heat. You can collect from the shop or order for delivery, and it has its own website for browsing the menu before you ring through.

It is a regular in our guide to the best takeaways in Heaton, and its position in the middle of Chillingham Road makes it an easy pick-up on the walk home from the Metro.

Best for: Best for: a dependable Cantonese and Szechuan order on a Friday night.

Ming Palace, Chillingham Road

A little further down the same street, Ming Palace at 121 Chillingham Road is a traditional Chinese takeaway with a five-star food hygiene rating from Newcastle City Council. It is a straightforward, no-frills counter of the kind every neighbourhood needs, and it sits within a few minutes of Chillingham Road Metro station.

Having two Chinese takeaways on one street means you can easily compare, and plenty of Heaton households have a firm favourite. If you have not tried both, it is worth doing so.

Best for: Best for: a classic neighbourhood takeaway with a top hygiene rating.

Lucky House, Shields Road

On the Byker end of Heaton, Lucky House at 267 Shields Road serves an evening menu of Chinese takeaway staples, including chicken wings, chow mein, Szechuan and satay dishes and duck. It is on the delivery apps as well as taking phone orders, and it opens from late afternoon into the evening.

Reviews are a mix, as they are for most busy takeaways, but it has a steady following among Shields Road regulars and is handy for anyone living around Heaton Park Road and the lower end of the neighbourhood.

Best for: Best for: a Shields Road takeaway when you are on the Byker side.

China Foodie, Heaton Road

At the bottom of Heaton Road, China Foodie at 7 Heaton Road is a smaller Chinese takeaway that you can order through Uber Eats as well as in person. It is close to the Shields Road junction and the Ouseburn edge, which makes it a convenient option for residents of the streets around Heaton Park.

Best for: Best for: a quick order at the southern end of Heaton Road.

Thai food

Siam Supreme, Heaton Road

For Thai food, Siam Supreme at 160 Heaton Road is the local favourite. It describes its cooking as quality Thai food in a home-made style, and the curry list covers green, red, yellow, panang and massaman. Reviewers regularly single out the tom yum soup and the pad kra pao, the stir-fry with holy basil that is a staple across Thailand.

It is mainly a takeaway and delivery operation, with online ordering through its own website and app. There is only limited seating at the shop, and reviewers note that it has been cash only for orders paid on the premises, so bring cash or order online. Opening hours have changed over the years, so check its website before you set out, as it does not open every evening.

Best for: Best for: proper home-style Thai curries and a fiery tom yum.

Tips for ordering

• Order direct where you can. The Peninsula and Siam Supreme both have their own websites, and ordering direct or by phone usually means the full amount goes to the business rather than a delivery app.
• Check the hygiene rating. Every takeaway in Heaton is inspected by Newcastle City Council, and the current rating is published on the Food Standards Agency website. Most display their sticker in the window too.
• Weekends get busy. Friday and Saturday evenings are peak time on Chillingham Road, so ordering a little earlier, or booking a collection time, saves a wait.
• Want to eat in? Heaton's Chinese and Thai places are mostly takeaways. For a sit-down meal nearby, Chinatown on Stowell Street is the obvious choice, or see our guide to the best restaurants in Heaton for other cuisines close to home.

Know a Heaton Chinese or Thai kitchen we should add? Let us know and we will check it out.