The Best Student-Friendly Cheap Eats in Newcastle

One of the best parts about studying at Northumbria University is exploring Newcastle. The city is full of a wide variety of cultures, fascinating historical landmarks and excellent places to eat and drink.  Finding your favourite might take a little time, so we recommend you try out as many as possible!

As students, we know saving money (as well as delicious food) is very important, so we’ve put together our favourite cheap eats in Newcastle.

  1. Moulin Rouge Café & Grill

    233 Westgate Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 6AD

    This top-rated TripAdvisor café offers a ‘fabulous menu’ of Middle Eastern café food. Their chicken saffron wrap with fresh salad and garlic sauce is the perfect treat after a long day of studying. With vegan, vegetarian, halal, and gluten-free options, there is something for everyone.

  2. The Hancock

    2a Hancock Street, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, NE2 4PU

    This pub is well-known among the students in Newcastle and for good reason: pool tables, TVs showing live sport, and a heated beer garden. What more could you want? Not only do they offer a great social space, they also serve up great food at very reasonable prices. The Hancock menu offers a wide range of traditional British pub food, but, it’s their famous £5 lunches that really got the pub onto our list.

  3. Fat Hippo Underground

    2-6 Shakespeare St, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6AQ

    This restaurant is the place to go for mouth-watering burgers served in a very modern, stylish setting. The relaxed atmosphere matches the friendly staff, and the excellent food on offer.. The gluten-free chicken burgers, sweet potato fries, and coleslaw in particular are out of this world. Expect good food, a great atmosphere and approachable staff.

  1. Queens Café

    9E Queen Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3UG, England

    An old-fashioned British café, this is the ideal place to order a Full English Breakfast, complete with eggs, beans, sausages, bacon, mushrooms and a hash brown. This traditional spot has kept things simple and prices low – there are also vegetarian options for non-meat-eaters.

  2. The Wild Trapeze

    63 Heaton Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne NE6 5HE

    The dark red walls, comfy sofas, mismatched chairs and paintings on the walls all make this breakfast, brunch and lunch spot unique. Come here for lovely cakes and vegetarian options. Everything on the menu is cheap and cheerful and the staff are very friendly.

  3. Dabbawal Jesmond

    1 Brentwood Mews, Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 3DG

    If you love Indian food, then this Mumbai street food restaurant is the place for you. They have two locations, one in High Bridge and a more student-friendly option in Jesmond. The menu is fresh, fun and affordable, and the small dishes are perfect for sharing with a big group of friends. Our recommendation? Try the Bombay Bomb.

  4. Sushi Me Rollin’

    Unit 49 Upstairs, Newcastle upon Tyne NE16QE

    This sushi restaurant was opened in 2018 by three friends who wanted to put the fun back into fine dining. It is probably the most expensive place to eat on our list but is still very reasonable and perfect for special occasions. You can build your own uramaki for just £9, or get a chef’s selection which is 30 pieces of sushi to share in a big group for £40.

  5. The Ship Inn, Ouseburn

    Stepney Bank, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 2PW

    Newcastle’s first vegan pub-restaurant is a little different to your average city pub. Vegan dining is now a popular trend, so if you’ve ever been interested to try it, The Ship Inn is the ideal place. The pub itself is one of the oldest in the area and gives a modern and truly inspiring twist to vegan and vegetarian food. The Jamaican inspired dish – lightly battered cauliflower, ackee, callaloo, rice and peas, with a red pepper jerk sauce is a taste of paradise. And for dessert? Try the homemade peanut butter, salted caramel and chocolate tart.

Quick contact


Please note, this will overwrite any previous communication preferences you may have already specified to us on our website or websites relating to our University Partners. You can change your communication preferences at any time. QA Higher Education will process your personal data as set out in our privacy notice