TWO popular Newcastle restaurants have retained their listings in the acclaimed Michelin Guide, which was published this week (11 Feb).
Gosforth fish and seafood restaurant Osters and its sister venue, Lovage, at Jesmond each received listings within months of opening in 2024 and 2023 respectively.
And now the venues – under the leadership of head chef Kleo Tabaku and his partner Lisa Hind – have once again passed the notoriously rigorous selection process to be included in the Michelin Guide 2025.
While the menu at Osters draws inspiration from global cuisines, its emphasis is on fish and seafood, with Kleo foraging additional fresh ingredients each morning to grace the lunch time menu.
In praising the restaurant, the Guide said: “Despite not quite being the restaurant’s namesake, oysters are available in multiple guises to kick off proceedings, before a choice of prime fish and shellfish.
“The chefs are aware of the quality of their ingredients, eschewing overcomplication in favour of simple combinations – like Pink Fir potatoes, tenderstem and beurre blanc accompanying a generous helping of sea trout.”
The menu at Lovage, at St George’s Terrace, is more reflective of Kleo’s Albanian heritage, “so it’s no surprise to see the flavours and colours of the Mediterranean feature at this charming neighbourhood brasserie,” said the Guide.
The Guide also went on to mention “a welcome lack of fussiness to the cooking,” praising dishes that “burst with flavour and are designed for sharing, with sensibly priced wines from across Europe being an added plus.”
And, in a special nod to the front of house team, it added: “Lisa, his partner, looks after the service and is a natural hostess.”
For Kleo, continued inclusion in the Guide is “absolutely fantastic, for us and for Newcastle.”
He said: “The Michelin Guide is quite rightly regarded as the highest authority and for both restaurants to retain their listings in a very competitive market is absolute proof that are our teams among the very best in the country – although we are always looking to improve.
“That is a wonderful accolade for us, but it is also good for the city as it shows we are at the vanguard of the British culinary scene.”
For more information, or to book, visit https://www.osters.co.uk and https://lovagejesmond.co.uk