NE1 Restaurant Week: The best restaurants in Newcastle

With NE1's Restaurant Week making a triumphant return this year, it is high time the residents of Newcastle tasted some of the finest cuisine the North East has to offer. As part of event, which runs from 4-10 August, diners won't have to pay through the nose to sample the best pizzas, pastas, roasts and other dishes, as many restaurants are offering discounted, affordable set menus for a limited time only.
To get you started on your culinary journey, here's three of our favourite venues taking part in the week-long festival:
Blackfriars
Ranked among the top 25 restaurants in Newcastle by TripAdvisor, Blackfriars Restaurant and Banquet Hall is one of the city's most recognised restaurants. Situated in an medieval banquet hall and friary, Blackfriars serves a "classic but gutsy" traditional British menu including aged beef, old breeds of pork and award-winning cheeses.
Diners can even treat themselves to a five course medieval banquet (min. 20 guests) which includes a "pottage of beefe", "Rosted Herdwick Mutton" and "Tourteletes in fryture". Guests are also reminded to bring a wooden spoon to eat their pottage.
As part of Restaurant Week, guests can book a two course weekday and Saturday lunch for £10 or a three course early evening weekday dinner for £15.
Paradiso
Boasting a TripAdvisor 'Certificate of Excellence 2014', the highly-recommended Paradiso definitely should feature on any visitor or residents' list of must-try restaurants.
Offering a Mediterranean-themed culinary experience, Paradiso is perfect for diners wanting a sun terrace for alfresco dining, cocktails and, as Paradiso doubles as a 'caffe', a superb coffee. Try the chicken Involtini or Moroccan lamb kofta followed by a homemade tiramisu for dessert.
Guests can enjoy two courses for only £10 per person during Restaurant Week.
Café 21
Situated in Newcastle's famous Quayside, Café 21 is an exquisite city-centre restaurant that delivers chic, imaginative dishes along with some tried-and-tested favourites. Ranked 32 out of 873 restaurants in Newcastle (with 619 TripAdvisor reviews), diners should expect no fancy tricks - just "good, honest flavours" along with "food that satisfies".
Diners may want to try roast hake with sweet pepper stew and gran reserva ham or perhaps opt for open butternut squash ravioli, served with garden herbs. For dessert, try the peanut butter parfait with sour cherries and salted caramel popcorn. Scrumptious!
During Restaurant Week, guests can book two courses for £15 or three courses for £20 (excluding Saturday night and Sunday lunch).
These are just a handful of the venues taking part in NE1's Restaurant Week. With over 70 restaurants discounting their menus in celebration of the event, there's a wealth of options available to visitors and residents looking to satisfy their lunchtime or dinnertime hunger pangs when out and about in Newcastle.