Small Canteen, Sandyford, Newcastle restaurant review

As a Geordie I’m probably slightly biased, but Newcastle is a bloody cool city.

It’s not just its beautiful setting on the banks of the Tyne, the stunning Georgian architecture, the 50,000 seater stadium located in the heart of the city, and the thriving cultural scene. It’s the food and drink scene that I’m primarily talking about. And I don't just mean the number of branches of Greggs.

Newcastle is a city where it’s possible to stumble between pub after pub serving excellent craft beer. It’s something that I always find strangely lacking in Cardiff, except for a few notable exceptions (and probably explained by the dominance of Brains pubs).

And it’s a city where there's always a huge list of restaurants that I want to visit, from street food to something swanky.

This time around it was the turn of Small Canteen, in the Sandyford area of the city, which we made our way to after a mini pub crawl that culminated in a half of Northern Helles at the excellent Donzoko Brewery.

Small Canteen is a restaurant that more than lives up to its name.

With just fourteen covers and the feel of a tiny café where chef-owner Sam Betts quietly cooks singlehandedly behind the counter, it’s undoubtedly one of the smallest restaurants that I’ve visited in the UK.

Understandably, Small Canteen’s menu is compact too – there are just three starters, mains and desserts. But, they all sound like compelling eating and the prices are impressively small as well - starters are £8, mains £18 and desserts around £8.

Whilst the dining room and prices might be small, the generosity of hospitality is huge.

There was excellent service all evening from the sole member of front of house. And when we arrived, our table was already set with baskets of crusty bread and kaleidoscopic dips - a punchy garlic allioli, sweet peppery romesco, and a vibrant salsa verde.

No sooner had we polished them off than we were brought a complimentary plate of golden salt cod croquettes, loaded with flakes of fish and light mash. They were delicious dunked in herb flecked mayo.

All the while, we got going on carafes of gluggable house wine, a fragrant viognier and berry packed Provencal red, which cost a mere £10.50 per half litre.

To start, a trio of mushroom arancini (£8), continued the deep-fried golden ball theme. Well-fragranced with fungi and light in texture with a molten mozzarella core, their richness was balanced by a good dollop of herb yoghurt.

 

Potted sweet white crab (£8) was capped with a slab of butter. Its accompaniments, a trio of super short cheesy biscuits and cleansing dill cucumber slices, made the dish really sing.

Onto mains, and a hunk of gorgeously crisp confit duck (£18) was joined by iron rich Swiss chard, sweet and sharp berries, roast shallot, and a fruity berry jus. It was a lovely bit of hearty cooking. 

So too was a fennel and gruyere gratin (£18), the soft anise-twanged vegetable a lovely pairing for a thick, cheesy sauce. Whilst it was already a hefty portion, an excellent potato and pine nut salad added even more ballast.

Lighter but equally comforting was a slow-braise of gorgeously tender octopus (£18) dotted with soft spuds and sweet slow-cooked onions.

The generosity didn’t let up with dessert.

A slab of soft and sticky honey and polenta cake (£8) was topped with fragrant pear and served with an excellent scoop of crunchy nut flecked pistachio ice cream.

Cheese and fruit cake is an epic combination and a salty and funky brick of Colston Bassett stilton (£10) paired with a light, spiced fruit loaf was no exception. On the side, a shot of Courvoisier was included in the £10 price – I'm sure my palate isn’t refined enough but it always just tastes like fire water to me.

We had an excellent meal at Small Canteen and I’m all in favour of the killer combination of small dining spaces, menus and prices combined with big hospitality and flavours. Small Canteen adds further weight to my argument that Newcastle is a damn cool place. If you haven't yet visited then I can't recommend it highly enough. 

The Details:

Address - 17 Starbeck Ave, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 1RH

Web - https://www.instagram.com/smallcanteen/

Telephone - 07816 524826

A few great places to eat an drink in Malaga, updated 2024

Malaga is our happy place.

Located on the Andalucian coast in the south of Spain, it’s got everything we look for in a holiday destination. There’s amazing food, cracking wine and beer, sunny weather most of the year, regular flights from Cardiff and Bristol, stunning architecture and well-priced city centre hotels.

We’ve visited multiple times over the last few years, and well as the more obvious tourist sights of the Cathedral, Roman theatre and Moorish castle, we love pootling around La Concepción Historical Botanical Garden, a green oasis on the fringe of the city, and the Rio Guadalhorce Nature Reserve, where you can see wild flamingos and black-winged stilts. 

Many of our food and drink recommendations come from Malaga regulars Paul Bobo, Bar 44's Owen Morgan and Edible Reading, so we’re always armed with new places to eat and drink whenever we visit. 

There are so many places to eat and drink in the city that we’ve barely scratched the surface. However, here’s a few places that we recommend, ordered very loosely by how highly we rate them.

Taberna Uvedoble

Calle Alcazabilla, 1, 29015 Málaga

Taberna Uvedoble is the top spot on our ‘to guzzle list’ whenever we visit Malaga. They serve some of the most creative, good value and flavour-packed cooking that we've had in the city.

Squid ink vermicelli is as moreish as it gets. This bowl of toothsome noodles has a lovely umami fish stock intensity and is adorned with tender baby squid and potent allioli.

Their ensalada is one of the best around. It’s essentially a bowl of tuna mayo flecked with a few spuds and topped with sweet prawn. Their truffle scented oozy tortilla, jamon croquetas and oxtail meatballs are exemplary too.

Meson Iberico

Calle San Lorenzo, 27, 29001 Málaga

Situated on a side street in Soho, a little bit away from the crowds, this traditional restaurant and tapas bar is permanently busy. I’d strongly recommend queuing up before they open if you want to snag one of their coveted seats in the bar.

Highlights always include their lovely riff on an ensalada rusa flecked with pieces of plump sweet prawn.

Their oxtail croquetas are loaded with intensely beefy bechamel.

 Ruby red slices of jamon iberico de ballota melt in the mouth and have a lovely intensity of flavour.

La Cosmopolita

Calle José Denis Belgrano, 3, 29015 Málaga

This restaurant just screams class – Dani Carnero’s high end Spanish cooking combines traditional flavour combinations with modern technique yet manages to steer clear of any gimmicky bells and whistles. In addition, their service is immense and they have excellent wines by the glass.

A toasted sandwich combines the lightest of crystal bread stuffed with vibrant red fatty tuna belly and a gently warming spiced mayonnaise.

Their crab omelette elevates this most humble of dishes to the greatest heights - oozy eggs are topped with a whopping amount of earthy brown crab meat and soft sweet onions.

El Cortijo de Pepe

Plaza de la Merced, 2, 29012 Málaga

The logo of a man chasing a pig at this old skool tapas bar feels rather fitting. Char-licked chorizo de Ardales and cumin-spiced pinchitos morunos, both of which are cooked over their open grill, are a pair of porky tapas which need chasing down.

Their crisp yet tender pulpo a la brasa, which is also finished over the flames, is served on top of soft buttery spuds and peppers.

El Carpintero

Calle Beatas, 32, 29008 Málaga

El Carpintero is such a mood. Surrounded by religious iconography, it certainly ramps up the guilt you feel when guzzling the indulgent snacks at this great value back street tapas bar. 

On numerous visits, we’ve worked our way through hulking pieces of chorizo, spiced liver morcilla, light textured salt cod fritters, aged manchego, gambas pil pil and excellent earthy mushroom croquetas.

La Cosmo

Calle Císter, 11, 29015 Málaga

The younger sibling of La Cosmopolita, La Cosma has a more modern vibe but is still grounded in big flavoured Andalucian cooking without any gimmicks.

A riff on a gilda, the iconic pintxo inspired by actress Rita Hayworth, adds sweet roast tomatoes and fatty tuna belly into the mix whilst an ensalada is zhushed up with soft mashed potato and meaty flakes of hake.

But, the star of the show is their uniquely delicious, creamy corn flan – each mouthful reminds me of both popcorn and corn tortillas whilst a corn crumb adds extra crunch. It’s no exaggeration to say that it’s one of my favourite desserts in the world.

Birras Deluxe

Plaza de la Merced, 5, Distrito Centro, 29012 Málaga

There’s a vast array of Spanish and international craft beers crammed into the fridges at this exceptionally friendly bar. Over multiple visits we’ve enjoyed Spanish wild beers from local brewery Attik and Barcelona’s Cyclic Beer Farm as well as beers on tap from Basqueland.

Gastroteca Can Emma

Calle Ruiz Blaser, 2, Málaga-Este, 29016 Málaga

This little neighbourhood restaurant in Malagueta does a cracking value three course set lunch menu with drinks (€22,50 on weekends and €20,50 on weekdays).

On our most recent visit there was an excellent arroz with chicken and chorizo, hake with soft spuds, and a wobbly flan with dulce de leche.

Casa Mira

Calle Marqués de Larios, 5, 29015 Málaga, Spain

There are massive queues in the evening at this first-class ice cream parlour but it seems to be a lot quieter in the daytime. Take a ticket from the dispenser and wait for your number to be called.

We particularly enjoy their boozy Malaga flavour made with the province’s sweet dessert wine dotted with soft raisins.

Meson Astur

This Asturian outpost in Malaga city centre is tucked away in a back street so it’s often a fair bit less busy than some of the more touristy spots.

A bottle of sharp and funky natural Trabanco natural cider is an essential order and it’ll either be poured from a great height by the barman or using one of their clever self-aerating gizmos.

On the snack front, highlights include a comforting bowl of fabada asturiana, a bean and pork stew. Their cider is also put to good use as a poaching liquor for a plate of chorizo.

La Cheesequería and La Tarta de la Madre de Cris

Calle Carretería, 44, Distrito Centro, 29008 Málaga and Calle Granada, 56, Distrito Centro, 29015 Málaga

If toasty and tangy Basque cheesecake is your bag then you should make a beeline for La Tarte de la Madre de Cris, which is located just around the corner from the Picasso Museum.

 

But, based on an unscientific single visit, I think La Cheesequeria might be the cheesecake champions in the city. The one we tried was made with payoyo goat and sheeps milk cheese so it had a complex, tangy and slightly salty thing going on. It was every bit as oozy and silky smooth as it looks.

Taberna Alaska

Calle Reboul, 37, Carretera de Cádiz, 29006 Málaga

With a few branches dotted around the suburbs of the city, Taberna Alaska serve excellent fish-focused tapas. Killer langoustine skewers, slathered in herby oil, are the highlight. We’ve also really enjoyed super crisp fried boquerones and a smoky pepper salad.

Chiringuito Nuevo Mediterraneo

Paseo Marítimo Pablo Ruiz Picasso, 29016, Málaga

Dotted along the seafront of the city, chiringuitos specialise in fish cooked over charcoal and are lovely spot to dine al fresco.

They all seem to compete over who serves the cheapest sardine skewer. It's 5 euros at Chiringuito Nuevo Mediterraneo (by no means the cheapest) but it still feels rude to not order two portions at this price. With their salt-crusted skin and a squeeze of lemon juice, they’re compelling eating at whichever chiringuito you visit.

Ryma’s Gastrobar

Calle las Navas, 24, Carretera de Cádiz, 29002 Málaga

An enthralling picture of Ryma’s patatas bravas on social media led us to make the 40-minute walk out of the city centre to their home in Carretera de Cádiz.

It was well worth the walk as they’re some of the best patatas bravas we’ve ever eaten. Hyper crisp thinly sliced golden potato stacks (like Quality Chop House) are served alongside a smoky bravas sauce and a savoury mushroom mayo. It’s the ultimate finger food.

This gastrobar also specialises in arroz dishes and soupy rice with lobster is the house speciality. However, we had a deliciously meaty arroz seco with nuggets of iberico pork, slices of jamon, and fat schnubbins of smoky chistorra.

La Guacamole

Calle Cárcer, 1, 29008 Málaga

The margaritas served at this Mexican bar are worth the visit alone - served with a salty, citrusy and spicy Tajin rim and poured at the table into a glassful crushed ice, they're just the ticket on a balmy night.

Kaleidoscopic pork pibil topped nachos are a lovely side-snack too.

There are plenty of other tasty spots to get tasty Mexican food in the city. We’ve enjoyed fiery tacos al pastor from Nina Bonita Cantina and a bargainous €1 version from Los Tacos.

On our most recent visit to Alebrije, which is located en route back from the botanic gardens, a giant platter of eight tacos, tortillas, guacamole, and two beers set us back a mere €23.

La Tranca, Bodegas Tranca and Colmado 93

Calle Carretería, 92, 29008 Málaga

La Tranca is a dive bar that oozes charm with its retro record sleeve-adorned walls and singalong playlist. However, it always seems rammed whenever we walk past, meaning it can be a challenge to elbow your way to the bar.

Due to their popularity, La Tranca has recently opened a smaller offshoot, Bodegas Tranca, which is located just around the corner. Here you can enjoy vermouth and Malaga sweet wine poured straight from the barrel. 

Colmado 93, which is another buzzing bar where you enjoy barrel-poured booze, is also located just a few yards away.

La Barria Inka

Plaza María Guerrero, 5, Distrito Centro, 29012 Málaga

Whenever we crave a bit of spice and respite from the deep-fried stuff, we head to La Barria Inka for their Peruvian cooking. 

Their white fish ceviche is excellent, with buckets of fresh fish, texture contrast, and a marinade which zings with citrus and spice.

Silky pisco sours go down the hatch far too easily too.

Casa Aranda

Calle Herrería del Rey, 2, 29005 Málaga

If you’re looking for churros then this traditional café is the place to head. Served piping hot from the fryer with a mug of thick hot chocolate, they’re a real treat.

Bolo

Calle Madre de Dios, 41, Distrito Centro, 29012 Málaga

Bolo is a lovely little kiosk which serves excellent coffee and bolo do caco. These super soft and squishy Portuguese bread rolls are cooked daily on their hotplate and served slathered with either garlic butter or peanut butter and jam. They really remind me of a stottie, so of course I’m a big fan.

Hamburguesería Asador Padilla

Avenue del Dr. Marañón, 47, Palma-Palmilla, 29009 Málaga

If you’re in the mood for roast chicken then you can have one hell of a feed here for less than 20 euros. For this poultry sum (badoom tish) you’ll bag yourself a whole golden-skinned rotisserie chicken, paprika dusted crispy potatoes, fresh salad, crusty bread and fresh beers.

La Esquitina de la Gamba

Calle Beatas, 19, Distrito Centro, 29008 Málaga

I’ve got a big crush on berenjenas con miel, i.e. crispy aubergines served with sticky and toasty molasses. In our non-exhaustive search, those from La Esquitina de la Gamba are the best we’ve had in the city (those from Taberna Mitjana are also very good too).

At this city centre tapas bar, they also happen to give you a free tapa with each drink - on our visit it was a hearty chickpea and pork-laden stew.

Central Beers

Calle Cárcer, 6, 29008 Málaga

This craft beer bar really captures an American vibe but there are plenty of great Spanish craft beers on tap from breweries like Basqueland and Peninsula.

Their burgers kick ass too. An American combines a sturdy soft-crumbed bun with a seriously juicy and well-flavoured pink patty, crispy bacon, oozy cheese and barbecue sauce.

Los Patios de Beatas

Calle Beatas, 43, 29006 Málaga, Spain

We enjoyed some excellent wines by the glass at this wine-focused bar and restaurant, including a particularly memorable stone fruit-packed La Ola del Melillero made with a blend of Pedro Ximenez and Moscatel.

Modern tapas was mostly very tasty. Meaty pulpo a la brasa was accompanied by smooth mashed potato and a pokey paprika spiked mayonnaise.

Vertical

Calle Juan de Padilla, 13, 29008 Málaga

Spanish natural wines are the focus at this contemporary bar where we’ve had some delicious varieties by the glass, including an apple-packed La Vie y Sone viognier from Barranco Oscuro, Andalucia's oldest Natural wine maker. But, service was painfully slow on our visit.

Places to stay

We’ve had excellent stays at H10 Croma Málaga and Hotel Molina Lario, both of which have rooftop pools. But our favourite place to stay is the regal Gran Hotel Miramar, which overlooks Malagueta beach and has a big pool area where you can sleep off all that food and drink.