Sausage Emporium - Meaty Goodness All Round

Sausage fest. That's the best way to describe this cheeky new restaurant situated next to the Herb Garden. And it's not like the regular sausage fests that usually entail a diamond strip bar/club, ram packed with Geordie Shore wannabes in low cut t-shirts that would make a Sunderland stripper blush. No, this a wondrous festival of all things sausage based. And they're not at all afraid of getting their meat out.

The creators have produced an adaptable menu that extracts flavours from across the globe and smoothly incorporates them into one of the nations favourites, the humble sausage. It's always encouraging to see restaurants experimenting with produce and The Sausage Emporium has proven it is not at all shy. Moroccan spice, scallops, onion bhajis and Wylam Ale sausages are among some of their interesting concoctions that must be sampled. And for those with a bizarre fear of the sausage, there are plenty of other random, but delicious items on the menu, such as oysters, steak and crab cakes. 

Their flexible menu makes them perfect for lunch or dinner and although their restaurant is very simple, the staff are very attentive and clearly very passionate about their sausage. They even have a sausage dog (he's not on the menu porkers). The food is very fairly priced and they have a fantastic selection of ale. Not to mention a melt in the middle chocolate souffle that will blow your sausage. So what are you waiting for, get some of that sausage down you! 84%

The Broad Chare - The Gourmet Gold Standard

Although The Broad Chare describes itself as a proper pub, with proper beer and proper food, it is a far more exhilarating experience than gives itself credit for! The menu hammers you with a variety of contemporary British cuisine, with a few international twists, exhibiting the finest local cuisine. The modest exterior opens up to a very warming pub and rustic upper dining room. For such a relatively small venue the range of real ales, international beers and outstanding wines is amazing. The hybrid pub/restaurant offers a series of bar snacks, pub lunches and exquisite gourmet dining experiences, that all work in harmony with one another. Without a doubt the best scotch eggs in all of Newcastle. Other menu highlights include the rib steak sliders, the fried monkfish cheeks, the pork crackling, the hand-raised pork pies, the Lindisfarne oysters, the duck hash, the mutton masala....actually the entire menu is exceptional. You will require multiple trips to this fine establishment. And that's just the regular menu, they always deliver a number of outstanding specials. The Fat Spoon's favourites include the venison and trotter pie, and the slow-cooked shoulder of lamb. Opting for the lamb is the pinnacle of existence, serving 5-6 humans this ultra-tender, juicy, melt-in-the-mouth, super-flavoursome mountain of meat (served with vegetables and Dauphinoise potatoes) is very reasonably priced. There are many reasons for why The Broad Chare deserves the Fat Spoon's highest rating yet, but you have to go try its wonders yourself, immediately! 96%