Leila Lily's Newcastle Restaurant Review

You will find Leila Lily's on Grey Street in the heart of Newcastle. Consisting of a beautiful cocktail bar and small restaurant on ground level with a nightclub in the basement.

I have heard mixed reviews of this place. I think it is best to visit on a quiet day to get the best from your experience. I remember when the Botanist first opened and you would have to wait FOREVER for a cocktail on a Saturday night, it seems the same thing has happened here and I have heard reports of lengthy waits over the weekend. We visited on a Wednesday evening in January and service was not a problem at all. The bar staff were canny and had a bit of crack too.

I also know that they are super strict about using special offers or deals and if you are dining using a special offer, this MUST be mentioned on booking otherwise you will be asked to dine from the a la carte menu which can work out to be pretty expensive.

Despite mixed reviews, I still really wanted to dine here and decided it was going to be the place I booked with the girls for my birthday night out. We booked in January when they had 50% off a la carte which was part of the temptation. I am not sure if it would have been in our price range otherwise.

The main reason I wanted to dine here was because the kitchen is headed up by Ronnie Robson who won North East Chef of the Year 2019. The food photos on Insta looked to die for and I could not wait to try some for myself. 

There is a mixture of booth style seating, tables for 4 and a long table down the length of the dining room which is where you may be seated if you are dining as a couple (not the most romantic of arrangements). The decor is beautiful though and our servers throughout the evening were lovely.

We dined from the main menu which can work out to be quite expensive. I would return to Leila Lilys but I don't think I would pay these prices (they are en-par with Peace & Loaf). I would visit again but I think I would dine from the market menu which is 3 courses for £21 during selected times (see website for details).

We ordered a selection of small plates and starters to begin with. Everything was absolutely delicious. I went with the Goats Cheese Churros with Truffle Honey, Parmesan & Rosemary which were a real taste sensation. These were only £5.50 and I would 100% go back for these alone. 

Goats Cheese Churros with Truffle Honey, Parmesan & Rosemary £5.50

Open Flame Chicken Wings £5 

Olives £3.50 

North Sea Octopus £10

Service was not super quick but it wasn't noticeably slow either - I would say it was perfect for a girl's night out. We had plenty of time to chat without feeling rushed.

Onto our mains and two of us went with the burger and the other two went with belly pork. Mains are expensive here and personally, I would not pay £15 for the burger below. I would much rather go to Fat Hippo around the corner if it was a burger I was after. My friend said it was nice enough though.

Aged Beer-fed Dexter Burger £15 

 I went with Gloucester Old Spot Belly Pork which was £17 and nice for the price (although the crackling was chewy rather than crispy which was disappointing.

Gloucester Old Spot Belly Pork £17

 Our bill (with 50% off in January) for 2 courses for the 4 of us and a round of drinks was £60 which felt like really great value. The food was nice, fantastic in parts (and average in others) and the atmosphere was lovely. We all left saying we had had a brilliant night and that we would return. I am not sure I would have felt the same if we had paid £120 though...


Looking through the menu, I know there are lots of dishes that Steve would love. Pick a Lily Picnic - Yorkshire Ham, Hens Egg, Brown Shrimp, Burnt Butter and Picallili (£8) for example. I do think I will return with Steve but probably when I spot another offer. I don't think the restaurant layout is suited to a romantic date though and think it is definitely best suited to groups.

Find out more, view menus & book online here.

If you enjoyed this post, check out the following:

• The ICE Bar at STACK Newcastle Review 
• 11 Fun Date Ideas in Newcastle 
• Where to go for cheap (but nice) drinks near Monument 

For more reviews and ideas for things to do in Newcastle, make sure you follow Visit Newcastle on Instagram here. 


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