Chart House Vegan Menu Review

According to their website, Chart House is one of the few buildings that escaped the devastation of the 1854 Great Fire of Newcastle and Gateshead that destroyed much of the Quayside. 

The building was historically home to Matthew S Dodds, a printer of books, maps and charts that sailors setting out to sea would come to buy. The distinctive original ‘Charts’ signage can still be seen on the front of the building.

The venue is full of carefully curated sketches, pictures and sea charts that reflect the building’s maritime past, which now serves a range of small and large plates in a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere. You enter into a multi level venue with a bar area downstairs and right of the kitchen, to a two level restaurant situated upstairs. 

Chart House had recently announced a range of new vegan and vegetarian dishes for its modern dining menu, pledging its commitment to offering a menu which is one-third plant-based.

Inspired by flavours from the Mediterranean, Arabian and South China seas, the vegan and vegetarian options are available on the a la carte, bar snacks and children’s menus. Sourced as locally as possible from Newcastle markets and artisan producers, the ingredients used are plant-based rather than using meat substitutes.

We were happy when invited down to try out these additions to the menu. While I’m typically a meat eater I brought along two vegan friends also to get their thoughts. 

The menu is quite simple, as you choose from small plates or large plates from an all day menu. We went for a large plate and three small plates, all vegan options.  We shared these out between us, which I enjoyed as gave it more of a tapas style feel and sharing. We added a side of chips too which were cooked perfectly. 

The Crispy Aubergine with Spicy Szechuan Sauce and Black Rice from the large plates option was a nice change from what is typically offered at restaurants who cater for vegans who normally only offer a burger. The batter on the aubergine was crispy and the szechuan sauce with vegetables balanced it well! 

Firstly the Spiced Cauliflower Skewers with peanut sauce had a little kick to them, secondly the Roasted Aubergine with Curried Yoghurt, Caramelised Onions and Toasted Almonds just gave us a range of textures that we enjoyed and last but not least the Courgette Fritters with Beet Tzatziki came out our favourite with a crisp texture and freshness of the tzatziki was so refreshing. 

For dessert there was only one vegan option, but with lack of choice they have made sure that they deliver it the best they can and honestly it tasted beautiful. With me not being a vegan I took this opportunity to have the cheesecake and with its caramelised top and soft interior it was wonderful.

We felt relaxed, hosted well and comfortable amongst the light and airy decor that the venue offers. We had a window seat that looked out over the quayside, and you can’t get better for views. 

As my vegan friends stated, they were impressed the most by the way Chart House has taken the time and effort to make these options part of the menu and not an afterthought. The venue have provided high quality and great tasting options which make this a destination venue for visits.