Westgate road and the areas of Fenham that it lead up to are an absolute haven for numerous sub-standard 'cafés', 'restaurants' and 'takeaways' of sheer filth. Generic, baseless menu's that poorly represent Persian or Asian cuisine; childishly and arrogantly parading shawarmas, kebabs and mixed grills of questionable meat, married with lacklustre flavours in vulgar venues. Many of which even the drunk-beyond-belief low life of the region would turn their noses up at. But it isn't all doom and grease on Westgate Road, there are handful of hidden gems amongst the rotten eggs and Moulin Rouge is definitely the crown jewel amongst them.
Moulin Rouge is a god send for anyone looking for an affordable but delicious solution to authentic Persian cuisine. Fresh ingredients, a simple open kitchen, daily specials and a very welcoming atmosphere are all features that Moulin Rouge should certainly pride themselves on. Better still, their not afraid of going beyond the standard 'grilled meat with rice on a plate', (although they do that very well too), they also provide a selection of less common traditional dishes....a wet dream for any restaurant punter sick of the sight of generic dishes that riddle dining culture these days.
Although it appears to be a simple café, Moulin Rouge is a whole lot more than that, their more complex specials, cheerful BYOB policy and highly accommodative service means that you can celebrate almost any occasion in this perfectly relaxed rustic venue. And if that wasn't enough, the sheer cost effectiveness and clean-eat nature of their cuisine will have you coming back time and time again. Although if you are wanting your fill of grease, then they've also perfected the art of hangover breakfasts, offering bargainous fry-ups that might literally save your bacon. On top of all that, they even have plenty of choice for those odd vegetarian types! - literally every man, woman and child needs to give Moulin a try. 81%
Restaurants don't always have to be super pretty, overtly fancy or come with the most courteous of serving staff to be appreciated in some lights. After all, what's most crucially important (to the Fat Spoon especially) is the food, which is difficult to mess up when you've selected a simple menu. Unless of course, said restaurant's kitchen has the production ability of a defective turd. Marmaris is yet another new restaurant in Newcastle, a Turkish grill house that thankfully isn't too generic. And they're not at all afraid of getting their meat out.
You can expect all of the classic cold starters, such as hummus, stuffed vine leaves, tabelluh and various ezmes, best served as part of a cold meze platter. As well as hot favourites like falafal, various kebabs and koftes, spicy sucuk and of course hallumi. Again great as sharing starters with some of there suspiciously cheap wine. If you're looking for a relatively low fat, high protein main, then the mixed meat grill is exactly what the personal trainer ordered. A medley of all your favourite animals, married together under the smoke and spices of Turkey. Individual meat meals are available, but if you know what's good for you then the mixed grill will suffice.
Marmaris BBQ House is another case of judge a book by it's cover. Sure, the interior looks like a bizarre cross between a kebab shop in Bradford with a doctor's surgery in the Middle East. It isn't your eyes, their TV projector is actually askew and the staff may seem a little dazed and confused, it is still worth a trip. The meat quality seems to be good and you cannot argue with the authenticity of the Turkish barbecue flavours they manage to incorporate into every dish. Get yourself some mint barbie bait, without having to be doused in fire or smoke. 76%
