Turtle Bay Newcastle

Turtle Bay Newcastle takes its residency in the heart of the city near the river as well as the town moor, nuns moor and the smaller St James park, all of which make this a great spot for some Caribbean-infused breakfast and lunch after a walk in the nearby parks. Turtle Bay offers up some undisputable atmosphere which also makes it a good choice for a lively dinner or drinks out with friends in the city. The interior sees pops of colour and eclectic furniture surrounded by wall art with an industrial backdrop with an energetic bar and open faced kitchen.

The food here might never be coined haute cuisine but it certainly fulfills the name of it’s style, soul food. For breakfast you can choose things like the big Kingston grill down, the Caribbean answer to the full English or even the vegan grill down, one of many vegan and vegetarian options on the menu. The main menu offers light options like buddha bowls and rotis to heavier choices like burgers and dishes from the jerk pit as well as West Indian curries and soul food items like the curry goat hash. Small plates, which can double up as starters if you want, are perfect tempting nibbles to go with some drinks - think crispy chilli squid and jerk pit wings. As if that wasn’t enough, you can finish off with some Caribbean desserts like ginger cake.

The drinks list has everything on it that you might expect but focuses mainly on vibrant cocktails and a long list of rums that you can have straight or with mixers. The cocktails are a mix of unique and classic recipes like the Jamaican mule - spiced rum, fresh lime, ginger beer and bitters. The cocktails are perhaps best enjoyed during the daily happy hours as well as the daily bottomless brunches which see you and the whole table choosing from a select range of dishes from the menu and enjoying bottomless cocktails, mocktails, beer or Prosecco.