Blackfriars celebrates 25 years of food and history in a medieval friary

Some restaurants have history on the walls. At Blackfriars, history is the walls. Tucked away on Friars Street, the restaurant occupies the former refectory of a Dominican friary whose origins date back to 1239, and it is believed to be the oldest dining room in the UK.

In 2026 Blackfriars is celebrating 25 years. What began in 2001 as a small café, occupying little more than what is now the main dining room, has grown into one of Newcastle's best-known historic hospitality destinations. When Andy and Sam Hook took on the business, they saw the potential in a site with plenty of untapped possibilities, and over the years they gradually expanded into neighbouring parts of the complex while keeping the character of the medieval building.

Today the complex includes the restaurant, a Medieval Banquet Hall, a cookery school, a wine Tasting Room, the Parlour Bar, meeting rooms and the Cloister Garden. The Parlour Bar was once the friars' waiting room, which is why it is billed as the oldest bar in Newcastle.

The newest chapter is St Dominic's Brewery, housed in the Chapter House where the friars met to hear readings and assign the day's tasks. After Henry VIII expelled the friars in 1536, the room became the meeting place of the Bakers and Brewers Guild, so brewing there today feels rather fitting. Head brewer Benjamin Hall, a former Blackfriars chef, began with a pale ale, an IPA and a lager.

The menus celebrate seasonal British food and regional produce, from Lindisfarne oysters to Northumberland lamb and beef, alongside Northumberland spirits from Hepple and Ad Gefrin. That commitment earned Blackfriars Taste of Northumberland accreditation in July 2026, and it has also been named a Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice winner for 2026, an award given to businesses ranked in the top 10% of listings.

The people matter as much as the stones. Hundreds of staff have been part of the Blackfriars story over the past 25 years, some for more than a decade.

There is plenty coming up, including a Wild Game Dinner on 20 November, the Christmas menu from 27 November and the Blackfriars Christmas Market on 5 and 6 December.

Menus, cookery classes and heritage tours can all be booked on the Blackfriars website.