The Best Sunday Roasts in Heaton & Ouseburn

There are few better ways to spend a Sunday in east Newcastle than settling in somewhere warm for a plate of roast meat, crisp potatoes and a jug of gravy. Heaton and the Ouseburn valley are unusually well served for it: within a mile or so you can go from an acclaimed dining room to a traditional back-street boozer, or skip the meat entirely at one of the region's best vegan kitchens. This is our guide to where to find a great Sunday roast in the area, and how to make sure you actually get a table.

Best for:

The golden rule of the Ouseburn roast: book ahead. The best kitchens here are small, and Sunday sittings fill up days — sometimes weeks — in advance. A walk-in on a wet Sunday afternoon is a gamble you will usually lose.

Nest

If you want to make a proper occasion of it, Nest on Chillingham Road is the standout. This acclaimed neighbourhood restaurant, which has earned a place in the Michelin Guide, turns out one of the most polished Sunday roasts in the city. The beef is served pink with roast and mashed potatoes, seasonal greens, honey-roast carrots and cauliflower cheese, with an extra jug of gravy on the side. There is a children's menu on Sundays too, so it works for families as well as couples. The catch is that tables book up well in advance, particularly heading into spring and summer, so plan ahead rather than hoping to drop in.

Cook House

Chef Anna Hedworth's Cook House on Foundry Lane does Sunday its own way. Rather than a conventional plated roast, the kitchen is known for its generous sharing roasts — a whole roast chicken with roast potatoes, aioli and salad, or a slow-cooked spiced lamb shoulder to pull apart between the table. Brunch runs earlier in the morning before the dinner menu and roasts take over from midday. It is relaxed, seasonal and produce-led, and ideal if you are eating with a group who like to share. As with Nest, booking is strongly advised.

The Cumberland Arms

For a roast with proper pub character, climb the hill to The Cumberland Arms above the valley on James Place Street. This traditional free house serves a hearty Sunday dinner with all the trimmings — Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes and homemade gravy — and in a nod to its Tyneside roots it also does its roast piled into a stottie. There is usually a free hot pudding to follow, plus a wall of North East real ales to work through afterwards. It is open Friday to Sunday, so it is very much a weekend proposition.

The Tyne Bar

Down at the bottom of the valley where the Ouseburn meets the river, The Tyne Bar puts on a popular Sunday roast served from midday into the mid-afternoon. This Ouseburn original has one of the best beer gardens in Newcastle, tucked beneath the arch of the Glasshouse Bridge, so on a bright day you can take your plate outside. The wider menu is strong on veggie and vegan choices too, which makes it a safe bet for a mixed group who cannot all agree on what they want.

The Chillingham

If you are after an unfussy, traditional roast at a friendly price, The Chillingham on Chillingham Road is one of Heaton's few remaining old-school pubs and a reliable local for it. Sunday lunch runs through the afternoon with a home-cooked roast — beef, pork, lamb, chicken or a vegetarian option — served with seasonal vegetables and homemade Yorkshire pudding. It is honest pub cooking rather than fine dining, and all the better for it if that is the mood you are in.

Veggie and vegan roasts

Vegetarians and vegans are unusually well catered for in this corner of Newcastle. The standout is The Ship Inn on Stepney Bank, one of the region's best-known fully vegan pubs, which serves an entirely plant-based Sunday roast — think nut roast or red onion Wellington with roast and mashed potatoes, red cabbage and a herby gravy, with food served until late afternoon. Because the whole kitchen is vegan, there is no risk of the token afterthought that plant-based diners often get elsewhere. Beyond the Ship, both The Tyne Bar and The Chillingham include vegetarian roast options on their Sunday menus, and Nest offers a vegetarian route through its set menu, so no one at the table need miss out.

Booking and timing tips

A few things worth knowing before you set off:

• Book, especially for the restaurants. Nest and Cook House regularly sell out their Sunday sittings, sometimes weeks ahead. Ring or reserve online rather than chancing it.
• Go early for the pubs. Kitchens like The Cumberland Arms and The Chillingham cook a set amount, and popular cuts can run out by mid-afternoon. Arriving for an early lunch beats turning up at four.
• Check the days. Some spots, including The Cumberland Arms, only open at weekends, so a quick look at opening hours saves a wasted walk.
• Mind the hills. The Ouseburn valley is steep, and the walk down from Heaton is a lot easier than the walk back up after a full roast. Public transport or a taxi is the wiser choice.

However you like it — white-tablecloth or pub-bench, meat or nut roast — east Newcastle has a Sunday roast with your name on it. Just remember to book.