Nothing beats a Summer in the city. Sun-scorched streets, skies of blueberry and cream, a packedprogramme of events at Newcastle's Theatre Royal. It was the latter that brought my son Jack and I into town.
Pre-theatre dining can pose its challenges: too much of a dash to prepare a homecooked meal from work; too ceremonious an occasion for a hurried, on-the-hoof light bite.
Fortunately, one of the city’s best Indian restaurants has the answer.
I have long been a fan of the Dabbawal chain. First, its venue on Newcastle’s High Bridge and more recently, its other culinary outpost on Jesmond’s Brentwood Avenue.
Just a stone’s throw away from the Theatre Royal, it would be Dabbawal Newcastle in the spotlight this time round, a venue so well-placed you can order your bill at the two-minute bell and be in your seat for the curtain-raising. (Don’t hold me to this!)
Dabbawaal offer a sumptuous early evening menu available 5pm to 6.15pm Sunday – Friday, with value available with two courses for £18 per person.
Meeting Jack from work, we were impressed to find a packed dining area at 5.30pm – clearly an encouraging sign.
Its classy façade is framed by a block maroon paint while inside, the restaurants aims to capture all the colour and vibrancy of the Indian street. Of course, this means the warmest of welcomes on arrival as we shown to our smart, subterranean corner table and offered up a couple of crispy, cool cobras.
The early evening menu is suitably on brand with a collection of Indian street food and snacks, not to mention some flavourful and authentic roadside curries.
The name “Dabbawal” is itself nod to the legendary lunchbox delivery men of India (and in particular, Mumbai) known as dabbawalas. These form a famously efficient network that delivers thousands of home-cooked meals to office workers across the city each day.
It’s a symbol of care, consistency, and culinary tradition-values that Dabbawal Newcastle clearly channels into its food.
With a show to catch, we wasted to no time in ordering up. Jack enjoyed a bold opener in the chicken chilli fry. This featured shredded chicken tossed with julienned peppers and onions, tied together by a whisper of black pepper and a hint of heat that lingers just long enough to wake up your palate.
Across the table, yours truly waded in to another standout in the Tamarind Salmon. Marinated in honey, dill, and saffron, the fish arrives delicately cooked, its sweetness offset by the pleasant tang of tamarind and the warmth of the spices. It’s a dish that feels both luxurious yet grounded in reality.
Following on, the Railway Lamb Curry proved a nod to the Anglo-Indian era, when such dishes were served aboard long train journeys across the subcontinent.
Equally good was Jack’s Old Delhi Butter Chicken. Smoked chicken tikka arrived bathed in a creamy, tomato-based sauce, proving an aromatic feast for all the senses.
Paired with soft, pillowy naan and elvety black lentils, it’s a dish that satisfies on every level.
With service this slick, we even had time for a short perusal of the dessert menu. Not normally one for a pudding, Jack couldn’t resist his all time favourite mango kulfi which provided a fitting finale.
This was polished off with gusto before heading back out into the early evening light.
Incidentally, our evening showing was fantastic, but, regardless, this Dabbawaal early evening menu was a real crowd pleaser.
For more information, visit dabbawal.com