Birch - Newcastle

Get their bounty bar! It’s the most delicious baked good

Firstly, one star off already for not being fully vegan. (Naughty 5 star reviews on here for somewhere that serves animal secretions). We 've been wanting to try Birch for a while. It 's always good to support local businesses. So we decided to pop in for breakfast. Reading all the other reviews, the menu must have changed. It was one menu for all day (no separate breakfast/lunch menu). It all sounded very wholesome and 'artisan ' , but here 's the issue. Sometimes, as a vegan, you just want a good tofu scramble or some mushrooms on toast. It wouldn 't hurt to add simpler items onto the menu alongside the hand whipped essence of kimchi. It would make more sense to make the base menu fully Vegan and then if people insist on having animal products on their food, that can be added as extra. Nothing was clearly marked Vegan on the menu (aside from the traybakes), so I wasn 't sure which were safe to eat. Having to constantly ask 'Is this vegan? ' in a cafe catering for vegans is not ideal. I didn 't feel safe enough in my choices (I am Autistic and having no clarity on the menu was confusing for me). There was also no drinks menu on display, so again, ordering a drink involved an overwhelming exchange of information. Why not just print out a drinks menu and attach to the food one? The cafe was quite loud and bright (again as a ND person this was difficult) and tables were close to each other so I could hear the ins and outs of a strangers conversation (I know they are working with the space they have but one of the tables for two could be taken away and the rest spaced out more). I felt unable to relax and just wanted to make the visit as quick as possible. The biggest thing for me, though, was the cost. For breakfast type meals (toast, granola etc) it was ridiculous. Posh beans on toast for £10! I walked away disappointed that I essentially had hummus on toast (something I can have at home) and felt like I 'd been robbed for it. The sourdough and the hummus were however both tasty. I wanted to highlight in this review how businesses need to realise that not every customer is Neurotypical, we live in a world that makes everything so exhausting and riddled with discomfort. Simple changes like more space, clearer menus and quieter music can make a world of difference. I still cannot get over £10 for beans on toast! I don 't think I would visit again, my bank account couldn 't take it.

Flavourful food and everything else good. Lovely setting and staff.

The restaurant had a somewhat limited menu, but the coffee was delicious, as were the soup and toastie. They also had a nice selection of items for purchase, such as chocolates. It's a shame that it's not fully vegan, but I still enjoyed my experience.

This café in Newcastle offers a minimalist style with a gorgeous view of the sea. It is located in a quieter area of the city. The café is popular and serves good quality food. The menu has been simplified to ensure quick service, offering only a few options on busy days. I had soup, coffee, a sourdough toastie with spiced beans, and a coffee. The coffee selection and variety of buns and pastries were good. The soup was average, but the toastie was delicious and hearty. The café was very busy, but we managed to find a seat. The service was quick. Overall, I would give this place 3 stars. It is probably the best vegetarian option on the promenade, but it didn't stand out to me. I have had a better experience with the menu in the past. However, if you are looking for coffee and pastries, this place is a good choice.