Sunday Lunch at Nest on Chillingham Road ~ A Review

This post is based on our visit in Winter 2021. Please visit the Nest's website for up to date menus, opening hours, pricing and information (and of course to book!). 

Honestly I really think Heaton is the place to be when it comes to some of the best places to grab a place to eat in Newcastle at the minute. There are SO many good options. Today's post is all about Nest on Chillingham Road. They opened in the Summer of 2021 and have been a bit of a 'must visit' destination ever since. 

They are only a small place and tables book up months in advance so if you fancy visiting in spring/summer, make sure you book asap. At the moment they offer a tasting menu in the evenings (including a vegetarian option), deli boards during the day and Sunday Lunch on Sundays. I visited on a Sunday with Steve, Jack and Harry. 

They are currently open Thursday - Sunday and there is an option to hire the venue for exclusive use too. 

Nest is somewhere we were made to feel welcome with kids and on our Sunday afternoon visit, most tables were family groups and about half had younger kids with them. Highchairs are available. 

Nest is located on Chillingham Road which is well served by buses and Metro. There is plenty of parking available in the surrounding streets. We always managed to get parked without any problems. 

The interior is modern and the vibe is nice and relaxed. It feels like a warm neighbourhood restaurant where everyone is made to feel welcome. 

At time of print, Sunday lunch is served between 12noon-5pm and is £20 for 2 courses or £25 for 3 courses. Considering the quality and service, I think this is an excellent price and exceptional value. It is pretty much en-par with our local Beefeater price wise (if not cheaper!) and I know which I would prefer. 

My boys all have big appetites and we all dined from the main Sunday menu. For younger children, half portions are available or there is a dedicated children's menu available on a Sunday (see below for a sample menu). A bargain at 3 courses for £6.95. 

The menu is a little tricky to read - starters are homemade flatbreads with hummus & carrot sticks or homemade tomato soup, mains are fish goujons, proper chips and peas/roast chicken, buttered mash and carrots/pulled ham and doddington's cheese pasta and dessert is doddington fudge ice cream with toffee sauce or marshmallows, strawberries and chocolate fondue. 

To start it was salt and pepper squid with lime aioli. Perfectly cooked and no complaints from anyone. We also tried the sticky pork cheeks with apple salad and crispy cracking. Divine! and it was a dish that left us wanting more which is the sign of a good starter. Clean plates all round. 

The kitchen is semi-open and you can watch the chefs in action sending dishes out on the pass. The staff all seem so relaxed around each other and this translates over to the atmosphere. Sometimes kitchens / front of house staff can have a bit of a jarring relationship and it all seems a bit stressful but the opposite is true here. 

The problem with an open pass is that you can't keep your eyes off it and every dish that left looked so good and I was praying it was ours. The wait wasn't too long though and the service was pretty prompt (with room for a little breather between courses). 

We all ordered the roast beef and it was served pink with a selection of roasted vegetables, perfect mash, lovely roast potatoes, yorkshire pudding and unxious gravy. Extra portions of seasonal veg, cauliflower cheese and extra gravy accompanied the main at no additional cost. 

I don't have a bad word to say about the roasts here. Every single element was done so well and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. Going off the constant rave reviews Nest receives, I am guessing it is somewhere reliable where it just gets things right time and time again. Their menus do change with the seasons and many of their ingredients are sourced locally.  

After seeing so many photos of their beautiful desserts on social media, I knew I wasn't going to skip this course and wow it was worth saving some room for. The desserts here are just gorgeous both in terms of taste and presentation and you won't want to miss out. 

If you are looking for a guaranteed high standard of sunday lunch which is reasonably priced and accessible by both car and public transport, I highly recommend Nest. The only downside is that you do have to book up well in advance. They do sometimes have cancellations at the last minute and share on their Instagram stories when they do so it's worth following them here. 

Find out more, book and view current menus here: https://www.nestinthenorth.com/