Food Review: Aveika Newcastle

Located in the heart of Newcastle’s Quayside, pre-pandemic Aveika was popular with clubbers wanting a classy, modern dine-and-drink experience. Post-pandemic, Aveika still has that nightclub vibe – just a slightly toned down version.

We popped in last Sunday afternoon to sample the Japanese restaurant and mocktails (it was a Sunday, so alcoholic beverages were not indulged for those having to get up for work the next day). The mocktails were lovely – the ‘nojito’ went down a minty treat (except for the ice melting all over the table from the moment it was put down) and the refreshing apple and mango cooler also hit just the right spot.

When it comes to food, though, Aveika did excel and live up to expectations. The atmosphere inside the restaurant does promise a lot: LED purple lighting and a gorgeous shining chandelier taking centre stage do get your hopes up a bit. And rightly so – it was delicious.

The tuna maki sushi was plated to perfection and tasted just as lovely as it looked. Definitely, though, the rolls could have been larger as £5.50 usually gets you a bit more than three tiny pieces.

Aside from that, the squid katsu was absolutely to die for. Lightly fried panko squid with garlic and coriander mayo – it tasted tender and firm and just deliciously crispy. The mayo was such a gorgeous addition too, especially when teamed with the bed of salad underneath the squid pieces.

Again, the king prawn skewers marinated in lemongrass, lime, chilli and soy with jalapeno mayo were just as delicious. They are done under the robata grill in Aveika and I can honestly say I’ve never enjoyed anything grilled quite as much. There was just the right amount of harsh char balanced with the sweetness of the marinade to please even the pickiest of diners.

Prawn crackers at Aveika are also delicious and come with a sweet chilli dip; the mini cheesburger sliders are also gorgeous – though they aren’t as ‘mini’ as the menu suggests. The sliders are smaller than a normal burger, but full to the brim, of a decent size, and there are three to four of them, which come with chilli and garlic fries.

Overall, Aveika was most certainly worth the dining experience. We aren’t sure still what the reason for scanning ID before entry is, or why you can be refused entry without it, but whatever. The exclusivity is their thing and the food was most certainly ours.

4/5 

This is not a sponsored post or in any way affiliated with Aveika.