Sachins - The Best Punjabi Restaurant in Newcastle

*This is a collaborative post. Please see my disclosure policy for details

Sachins is a bit of a North East institution. Standing on the historic Forth Banks for 30 years, it's the place that most Geordies will recommend as the best curry house in toon. To me, it's always felt a little 'out of the way' and I've always been under the impression that it's on the pricey side. Well after our visit today I can say that both of these statements are not true. Sitting just behind the Crowne Plaza Hotel at Central Station, it took us around 10 minutes to walk there from Grey's Monument and their prices were actually really competitive too. 

We were warmly welcomed by the staff and offered a lovely table by the window (perfect for people watching - especially as Northumbria Police HQ is across the road). The staff are knowledgeable and know the menu inside out - our server reeled off the beers on offer and was able to make recommendations without a problem. It may seem like a simple thing but I can't tell you how many places I've visited where the staff don't know these things. It's the little things like this that hint at the polished experience you're about to enjoy.

The menu is fairly large but it's broken down into vegetable, seafood, chicken and lamb sections so fairly easy to read and doesn't feel overwhelming. I normally stick with a few favourites when ordering Indian food - lamb madras or Goan curries. I decided today that I was going to be a little more adventurous and try something new.

We ordered our foods and enjoyed our drinks. It was lovely to see the restaurant filling up with regulars and everyone was greeted like friends as the staff chatted to customers asking after their family and winter holiday plans. A couple sitting near us ordered their meal and then also placed a takeaway order of 4 curries to pop in their freezer for the rest of the month. What a genius idea!

We skipped Poppadoms and our starters arrived in good time. I ordered Salmon Tikka 3 ways. I love salmon but we rarely have it at home as Steve's not a fan so this was a real treat for me. I can hands down say that this was the best salmon I've ever tasted! The spices had really infused and the tikka flavours worked so well with the fish which was super succulent and was falling apart. I'm rubbish at cooking salmon and it's always a little on the dry side - this dish was the complete opposite. Next time you head to Sachins take my advice and order Salmon Tikka 3 Ways - you won't be disappointed!

Steve started with Kashmiri Champney - spring lamb chops, marinated in spices and cooked in the tandoor. This dish was spicier than my dish was a nice and large portion. I often find lamb dishes to be a little on the stingy side but this dish featured a whole 5 chops which meant that I managed to steal one without too many complaints.

With a nice pause between courses, it was onto our mains. In the end I ordered a Murgh Malabar - diced chicken cooked in South Indian spices, mustard seeds, fresh curry leaves, chilli leaves and coconut milk. I much prefer my curry to be made with coconut milk and this one did not disappoint. Not many of the dishes on the menu are labelled as 'hot' and this dish is labelled as 'medium'. The mustard seeds and chilli certainly packed a punch and it had a lovely warmth to it - not as hot as a madras and perfect to warm up after a chilly walk through Newcastle. My curry was nice and saucy too so perfect for dipping in a freshly baked naan or two. I love that you can order a bread basket here which is a selection of mini naans or parathas.

Like me, Steve also loves a Goan Curry and it was the Goan Chingri that tickled his fancy - King Prawns cooked in a rich tomato and onion based sauce with mint and coriander. This dish was more mild than my own but very aromatic. Steve loved it and was impressed at the number of King Prawns hiding in there too. 

I'm so pleased we have finally tried Sachins as I now know I can make a confident recommendation for this place to anyone who asks me where to enjoy a decent curry in Newcastle. The food and service really were spot on and I think the fact that most of the other diners in the restaurant were longstanding regular customers really speaks volumes about the place.

Just a quick word about Christmas if I may..... the Sachins Christmas menu is SUCH a good deal! I've already booked our Christmas meals for this year (yes - there are multiple meals) but will definitely be putting Sachins into the hat as an option for our Christmas night out next year. 

You can find out more about Sachins over on their website here.