House of Tides keeps its Michelin star shining on Newcastle Quayside

Walk along The Close on Newcastle's Quayside and you will find one of the region's most cherished dining rooms tucked inside a beautifully restored, Grade I listed, 16th-century former merchant's town house. House of Tides was opened in February 2014 by chef Kenny Atkinson and Abbie Atkinson, and it has held a Michelin star since 2015, with the restaurant listing that star right through to 2026.

The building is a big part of the charm. Original 16th-century flagstones and exposed beams survive on the ground floor, where a bar welcomes guests for an aperitif or a nightcap. Upstairs, the main dining room has more exposed beams, a large open fireplace and views over the River Tyne.

The cooking is modern British, served as a set tasting menu that can change as often as daily depending on what local suppliers have available. The team describes the space as casual and informal, with no compromise on quality, which is exactly the balance that keeps diners coming back.

Kenny is a Newcastle lad, born in the city in December 1976. He left school at sixteen, washed dishes at his uncle's hotel and studied catering at college in Newcastle before kitchens took him to Crete, London, the Isles of Scilly and Seaham Hall in County Durham, where he won Michelin stars along the way. He was named Chef of the Year at the 2009 Catey Awards, and his dishes reached the final banquet on BBC Two's Great British Menu.

House of Tides has collected a shelf of honours of its own, including AA UK Restaurant of the Year 2016, Best Newcomer at the 2015 Catey Awards and North East Restaurant of the Year in 2014 and 2015. It ranked fourth in the National Restaurant Awards Top 100 in 2021 and was number 23 in the same list in 2023.

Kenny also became the first chef to hold two separate Michelin stars for two restaurants in Newcastle, thanks to his second venue, Solstice by Kenny Atkinson, which he opened with Abbie in 2022 less than half a mile from the Quayside.

For a special occasion, few addresses in the city can match it: a historic house, a riverside view and a kitchen that has kept Newcastle on the national food map for more than a decade.

House of Tides serves lunch on Fridays and Saturdays and dinner from Thursday to Saturday, with the bar open on Sundays. Menus and bookings are on the House of Tides website.