Sabatini restaurant is this year celebrating a landmark 25 years in business, a period in which the stylish, Italian eatery has been a permanent fixture in Newcastle's culinary scene.
This is no mean feat for an area which has witnessed seismic change, yet Sabatini has continued to capture diners’ interest with its family-run charm and homespun Sardinian cooking.
Fabrizio Saba – the restaurant’s owner – is proud of his Sardinian roots and he was determined that when he opened his exclusive Sabatini restaurant on King Street, which is part of the bustling Quayside in Newcastle, that it would not be just ‘another’ Italian restaurant serving the sort of meals that are offered in many of the big chains.
For instance, alongside typical Italian pizza/pasta dishes diners can also enjoy a host of authentic specialities. Those looking for a true taste of Sardinia can enjoy suckling pig – the prevailing dish of the island specially brought in from London which can be ordered in advance for parties of up to twelve people.
Other notable dishes include the traditional ”Antipasto Sardo” – a sharing plank consisting of spicy Sardinian sausage, cured ham, spicy pecorino and rustic breads. For mains, why not sample the Spaghetti alla Bottarga con Vongole? Another popular dish from the island, featuring dried mullet roe, fresh clams, garlic, parsley and a splash of extra virgin olive oil. To finish, Sabatini even offer a selection of traditional Italian desserts/pastries -think Seadas, Sfogliatelle, Cannolis all imported from the old country for added authenticity.
Closed on a Monday. Sabatini is open 12pm 2pm and 5pm 9:30pm Tuesday Thursday, 12pm 10pm Friday/Saturday and 12pm 8:30pm on a Sunday. Happy hours meanwhile run 12pm 6:30pm Tuesday Friday and 12pm 5pm on a Sunday.
Of course, all of this is set against a backdrop of easy elegance. The long, narrow dining area possesses style in abundance with parquet flooring, floor-to-ceiling mirrors and some impressive Roman ceiling murals.
Fabrizio’s son, Cristian, is also a part of the family run restaurants, as well as his brother in law Mark Bernadelli who has managed Sabatini for over ten years Cristian has worked his way up through the business and has also worked with catering and wine companies in the UK to find out more about the sourcing of top quality food and wine. He’s also spent time in Italy discovering new and authentic dishes.
Such experience ultimately led Cristian to open his own venue, Signor Prosecco, which can also be found on the King Street site. Cristian spotted a boom in the UK prosecco market and duly opened Newcastle’s first prosecco bar in August 2017 from its prime Quayside location. The venue offers a wide variety of prosecco sourced from the esteemed Bortolomiol winery including all palates from Demi-sec to Brut. Hugely popular ”Bottomless Prosecco” nights run the last Friday of every month for just £25pp whilst each Thursday offers 2-4-1 cocktails. To soak this up, Signor Prosecco also offer a Cichetti Menu which features small Italian tapasstyle dishes set up for sharing.
The venue is open from 4pm on a Thursday and from 12pm Friday – Sunday. With live music running weekly on a Friday/Saturday evening, this is the perfect place for a night out. Whilst for those with something special to celebrate, the venue is also available for private hire.
Both Fabrizio and Cristian are also heavily involved in Fratelli, the restaurants’ sister-venue in Ponteland. Fratelli leans more towards popular Italian dishes and funky happy hour fayre rather than the exotic Sardinian flavours which characterise Sabatini. The capacious restaurant is bang in the heart of Ponteland and possesses a terrific family friendly atmosphere, offering Happy Hours 12:00- 19:00 Monday – Friday, 12:00 – 17:30 Saturday and 17:00 21:00 Sundays.
With this is mind, these three venues are poised to move from strength to strength.
Here’s to another 25 years!
