K S.
Yelp
AMAZING. I am in Newcastle for 4 days and have been to the Broad Chare twice, and my only regret is that I only went twice.
Started with the Cauliflower Croquettes with curry mayonnaise. They are lightly battered/tempura pieces of cauliflower, perfectly cooked. When they arrive at the table they are HOT, so be careful. They are a great texture of crunchy and soft and the curry mayonnaise is a perfect condiment.
Fishcakes for mains one night and the baked hake the next. Both were excellent. The fishcakes are a mix of fish, potatoes, herbs, and a light panko breading. They were extremely tasty. The hake was even better, flaky with a wonderful sauce (the tiny 'brown shrimp' that comes with it are little more than a garnish, I would have been happier without them). In both cases, they came with a side of potatoes (chips or boiled, not mentioned on the menu), if you prefer (as I do) they are happy to swap them for lightly steamed vegetables dressed in garlic butter.
I tried the Writer's Block ale one night, it was more like a wheat beer. If you like wheat beers then you might like this more than I did. The Aspall Cyder I had the second night was more to my liking. Dry and smooth, but with enough body to be very tasty.
I didn't try the desserts, but they sounded amazing.
Service was excellent. The food was speedy (though it wasn't busy when I was there) and hot when delivered. The servers were attentive and eager to please.
My ONLY complaint was that as the restaurant got busier (1/2 to 2/3 full) the room got uncomfortably loud. Some of it was from a particularly loud table, but the room in general was loud. I recommend going earlier, before 7, to ensure you get a table and to enjoy the meal in a quieter environment.
Final note... the map on Yelp is incorrect. The location is around the corner, on Broad Chare (the name of the road).