Dabbawal

The food here is always of an exceptionally high standard, the décor is cool too.
The staff are wonderful and attentive without being overbearing.
If you’re like me and like to ‘tapas’ it up a bit and try bits of a few different dishes then a meal can get quite expensive. The drinks are also a little on the pricey side too.

EVERYTHING is so tasty! I visited here on Friday night, the place was busy, but we made reservations ahead. We decided to go for the tapas option, we ordered three tapas each and a side each and it was the perfect amount. I strongly recommend the Dabbawal signature salad, it’s up there with one of the best things I’ve ever tasted. The sweet potatoes with chutney were perfect. The citrus prawns although a bit of an effort to eat were so succulent and juicy. I could go on and on about every dish! The restaurant is easy to miss as it’s down an alley you probably wouldn’t know was there unless you were looking for it. The restaurant is very clean and modern. My only issue is that the service started great, however we sat with dirty dishes for a while before we managed to get someones attention. Can’t wait till return.

I’d recently discovered a lovely treat near the pizza-​strewn streets of Gosforth (seriously, how many pizza places does one town need?) — a tiny little street, tucked away at the back of Jesmond, that has a nice array of decent restaurants along it. It felt like a find, even though it has a brown sign on the main road into Newcastle. However, Dabbawal is properly hidden around the back of the metro station, and barely visible, it took me a few visits to the street to even find it. I’m glad I did though, it’s been a refreshing change to my dining scene when out working in Tyne and Wear.
Firstly, it claims to be street food. I couldn’t tell you what street food was if it hit me, but it’s delicious, so I’ll claim I am a fan. Secondly, street food is like tapas, which is just my favourite way to stay indecisive. The first time, I sampled chopped up samosas and chickpeas (stodgy goodness), jaffrani salmon (tandoori salmon, melt in the mouth) and the Mixed Veggie Grill (broccoli, tho? Seriously, NO). The recommendation is 3 plates, but for even my big belly, that was too much, so think about what you order here. On my second visit, I checked out I tried a dosa, which was a little plainer and the accompaniments spicier than I would like. But overall, the food is fresh, beautifully presented and tasty.
Now, I’d make it a fabulous five, but the service is pretty slow. On my first visit, it wasn’t terrible, but the second was just poor. I watched larger tables getting served, while I was still waiting for a drink — half an hour. I had to pull a minor strop to get attention, and after that, there was a concerted effort made to make sure I was paid attention to (which is nice, of course) — and money docked off my bill. All lovely things — which means that I still love to visit Dabbawal, and will recommend it to my friends, but that star will remain absent until the service picks up pace and attentiveness.