TWO leading Newcastle restaurants are celebrating after retaining their listings in the acclaimed Michelin Guide, which was published this week (9 Feb).
Lovage, at Jesmond and Gosforth fish and seafood restaurant Osters each received listings within months of opening in 2023 and 2024 respectively.
And now the venues – under the leadership of head chef Kleo Tabaku and his partner Lisa Hide – have once again passed the notoriously rigorous selection process to be included in the Michelin Guide 2026.
Kleo is a committed advocate of non-processed ingredients, working with suppliers in Newcastle and Northumberland to ensure produce is locally sourced, sustainable and seasonal.
And, while the menu at Lovage, at St George’s Terrace, reflects his Albanian heritage, with strong Mediterranean influences, 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 lunchtime menu.
The Michelin Guide decides awards based on anonymous, independent inspections focussing solely on food quality.
They use five strict, universal criteria: ingredient quality, mastery of techniques, flavour harmony, chef’s personality and consistency.
And decisions on who should be included are made collaboratively by inspectors following a series of closed-door sessions.
For Kleo and Lisa – who manages the front of house teams at each venue – continued inclusion in the Guide is “high praise indeed.
“We never rest on our laurels,” said Kleo, “and we work very hard to ensure that every single customer at each restaurant has the finest food, service and experience possible.
“Michelin Guide is the gold standard in our industry and for both our restaurants to retain their listings – especially in such challenging times – is a great vote of confidence, in us and in our customers.”
For more information, or to book, visit https://www.osters.co.uk and https://lovagejesmond.co.uk