Is the cold getting you down? Here are 5 different places you can go to warm up on your lunch break this winter. I tried and tested 5 food spots across Newcastle that offer student deals or discounts so you can enjoy a nice sit down meal or some scran on the go without breaking the bank.
1. Flower Cafe Newcastle
The ‘Flower Cafe’ is located on Grainger Street in Newcastle city centre. The cafe currently offer 25% student discount on all food and non-alcoholic drinks and also offer a 2 for 1 deal on their cocktails.
The cafe are open 9am-8pm Sunday to Tuesday and 9am-11pm Wednesday to Saturday. They offer a variety of gourmet sandwiches, salads and pizzas along with a wide selection of cakes and traybakes, making it the perfect lunch time spot.
Image credit: Cadence Boxall
I ordered the ‘Steak & Onion’ toasted sandwich with sliced rump steak and red onions inside. This is served with a side salad and peppercorn sauce. I also ordered a regular flat white from their hot drinks menu. In total, the food with the drink cost me £10.27 with my student discount saving me £3.43.
The menu was not the cheapest and for me, I did enjoy the food and it was very filling however the steak was quite chewy and felt a little cheap. With this said, the cafe had a very relaxing atmosphere, aesthetic infrastructure and the staff were really friendly and accommodating.
2. SMASHBURGER
Located in Greys Quarter, Eldon Square, SMASHBURGER currently offers a 20% student discount on all food and drink. They offer a range of American fast-food options including loaded fries, sundaes and milkshakes alongside their variety of burgers.
Image credit: Cadence Boxall
I ordered the signature chicken ‘CLASSIC SMASH’ burger with the smash fries which are tossed in Italian olive oil, rosemary and garlic. The burger was juicy and really tasty and the fries were particularly crispy which was nice. I also ordered the side of 3 mac and cheese bites however was quite underwhelmed by the taste and from the lack of a cheese pull!
Image credit: Cadence Boxall.
The food was reasonably priced with generous portion sizes and although I visited on a particularly busy day, the service was surprisingly fast and staff were really helpful. The restaurant being located in Eldon Square meant it had a very loud, busy atmosphere however it was still a pleasant experience overall.
3. Bagel Factory
The ‘Bagel Factory’ can be found in Eldon Square where it offers a selection of seafood, deli and veggie bagels alongside a variety of hot and cold drinks. They are currently offering 10% off to anyone who downloads their app and 15% off to students with the app so long as they sign up with their student email.
Image credit: Cadence Boxall
I ordered the ‘Salt beef melt’ bagel with a regular iced latte. The bagel is layered with beef, emmenthal cheese, mustard and gherkins and was really tasty (other than the gherkins but that is my own personal bias). Parts of the beef were chewy and a bit hard but other than that I really enjoyed the meal. The food was a decent price with the bagel and drink pricing up to £7.46 with my student discount.
Image credit: Cadence Boxall
The woman who served me was so friendly and very informative as she showed me exactly how to set up the app to activate the student discount. You can come here and try for yourself between 9:30am and 6:30pm Monday to Saturday or 10:30am to 5:00pm on a Sunday.
4. ZAPATISTA
If you’re looking for a student meal deal that will keep you full through those 2 hour lectures then ‘Zapatista’ is the one for you. The restaurant currently serve one large 12″ burrito or fajita with one regular soft drink for £8 for students with a valid student ID all day every day.
Image credit: Cadence Boxall
When creating a burrito to your tastes, the friendly staff will run you through each stage of the process so you have a burrito perfect for you. I ordered the grilled chicken burrito with kidney beans, salsa, rice and lettuce and the taste was phenomenal however it was also quite watery and was almost leaking through the foil.
Image credit: Cadence Boxall
I sat downstairs in the restaurant and despite its beautiful interior, the downstairs did strike me as quite dark and dingy and not ideal for a lunch time meal however there was an upstairs seating area that I plan on trying. The meal was also available for take away with paper bags being readily available for you at the till.
The restaurant are open 11:00am until 8:00pm Monday to Saturday and 11:30am until 7pm on a Sunday so you have plenty time to grab this for a lunch time treat or post-uni tea time meal.
5. Eat4Less
This is the perfect lunch spot for all students in Newcastle, whether that be Newcastle University or Northumbria University. Located on Northumberland Street, Eat4Less offers 10% student discount off any order in store with a valid student ID.
Image credit: Cadence Boxall
The restaurant offers a range of sandwiches, salads, baguettes along with a variety of cakes and hot and cold drinks on offer. I ordered the jacket potato with cheesy beans (a classic) with fries and a drink and this came to £5.40 with the 10% student discount. This is an incredibly cost effective spot for students with friendly staff and is ideal for scran on the go.
The portion sizes here are generous however it is more of a ‘cheap and cheerful’ spot for students. It is ideal for breakfast, lunch and dinner with opening times from 08:00am to 21:00pm Monday to Friday.
Image credit: Cadence Boxall
For me, my top recommendation to students in Newcastle would be ‘The Flower Cafe’ as it has a nice, relaxing ambience where you can feel comfortable studying alone, or with friends while grabbing a bite to eat. The restaurant is still central to both university campuses and is, all in all, my favourite.
Thank you Cadence! Been loving all of your posts recently! 🙂