'Popular' Newcastle wine bar reopens its doors

Popular Newcastle wine bar and restaurant St Vincent is re-opening after a three-year hiatus.

Renowned North East chef and restaurateur Terry Laybourne closed the buzzy Quayside restaurant on the eve of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. Other venues within his 21 Hospitality Group (21HG) have since re-opened while St Vincent remained closed. That all changes on March 9 when the doors are thrown open and St Vincent steps back onto the Newcastle dining scene in a splash of colour.

The Franco/Italian inspired St Vincent originally opened in the autumn of 2018, replacing Terry Laybourne’s popular Italian restaurant Caffe Vivo which celebrated its 10th anniversary as it completed its last full service. It sits alongside Newcastle’s Live Theatre and will be a welcome addition to theatregoers for pre-theatre drinks and food. A fixed price menu will be offered when the theatre has drama productions.

Jacqui Kell, executive director at Live Theatre, said: “All of us at Live Theatre are delighted to see the re-opening of St Vincent. We’ve missed it. This restaurant is an important asset to the Quayside and to Live Theatre, enabling us to broaden the offer to our theatregoers.”

Matt Clarkson returns as general manager; leading the kitchen team is Martin Malinowski, a 21HG veteran who has been involved in most of Terry’s restaurants over the years. Working alongside Martin is Richard Wheatley, who is a familiar name and face among the Heaton restaurant crowd, having jointly owned Bao Bar in Chillingham Road.

Terry Laybourne said: “It feels wonderful to be finally re-opening St Vincent after such a long break. The hospitality sector has gone through a rollercoaster period these last two to three years.

“We are re-opening St Vincent with a super-strong core team of familiar faces along with some lovely, enthusiastic new recruits. Customers will be able to enjoy some old favourites they may remember from previous visits; plus, we’ve used the preparation time to freshen things and create some new, less familiar options.”

In true wine bar style, small plates will feature but there will be an emphasis on larger plates that will be ingredient-led and highly seasonal. There will always be a fish dish or two on the daily menu, as well as a strong emphasis on vegetables, many supplied by Hexhamshire Organics.

The re-opening has been welcomed around the city. Stephen Patterson, chief executive of Business Improvement District Company, NE1 Ltd, said: “The long-awaited re-opening of St Vincent is great news for the city and the Quayside and highlights the vibrancy of Newcastle’s hospitality scene.

“St Vincent is a shining example of Newcastle’s hospitality sector, which boasts more independent restaurants per person than any other city outside of London. A personal favourite of mine, the restaurant adds an extra dimension to the city centre offer with its independent wines and seasonal food menu. I can’t wait to book a visit when it re-opens.”

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

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