Nine best restaurants on South Shields' famous Ocean Road - from chip heaven to Turkish grill

Food lovers are spoilt for choice on Ocean Road, with a number of eateries receiving high marks from aggregate reviews on Tripadvisor.

The area boasts a variety of stop-offs including Italian classics, light café bites and Indian dishes. Classic fish and chip meals were also noted in the best-rated places to eat on Ocean Road. There is no shortage of eateries on Ocean Road, which remains a remarkable area of South Shields for those wanting a dining experience to remember.

Italianish Spanish & Italian Restaurant

The top-rated restaurant on Ocean Road, according to Tripadvisor, is Italianish Spanish & Italian Restaurant. With 730 positive reviews of the property, the Italian restaurant has won over members of the public who were impressed with the “consistently good” establishment. 

One review of the restaurant read: “The food was all beautiful, hot, fresh and plenty of it. We each had different dishes and they were all delicious.”

Another was full of praise for the “great atmosphere, friendly staff and absolutely gorgeous food.” Italianish Spanish & Italian Restaurant offers expected classics like pizza and pasta dishes as well as a range of tapas items to work with its Spanish menu offerings.

Delhi 6

Hundreds of reviews have praised Delhi 6 for its “great food” and “wonderful staff,” with the Indian cuisine striking a chord with South shields residents. 

Offering in-house seating and takeout options, the lunch and dinner menus are filled with appetising curry offers with rice, naan, appetiser and main curry all featuring in a set menu deal for one or two. 

One person working in South Shields at the time of their visit wrote: “Working in the area so once again I look for the best trip advisor reviews. My main course of Lamb Railway was very pleasant. The bill was reasonable and the restaurant arranged a taxi back to my hotel.”

Spice Garden

The third-best rated restaurant on Ocean Road happens to be the fourth-highest in the area. Spice Garden has been praised as the “best curry in town” by some of its patrons.

Out-of-town visitors to Spice Garden were so impressed they labelled it a “jewel of a restaurant”. They added: “We are not from South Shields and chose Spice Garden by chance last time we were in the area. We now return to it when we are there. 

“The service is efficient but not hurried and the staff will speed up or slow down to your wishes. The food is superb and exactly as described - medium strength is just that and not bland or eye wateringly hot.”

Spice Garden offers plenty of variations on chicken tikka, biryani, balti and seafood dishes as well as tandoori and medium dishes. Hot dishes and a number of sides are also available.

Colman’s Fish and Chips

A classic seaside dish is on offer at Colman’s Fish and Chips, with the restaurant offering plenty of spins on the seafood. 

Attendees of the restaurant have taken to review sites like Tripadvisor and labelled it the “best fish and chips” while another gave the service five stars. One review read: “Lovely crispy golden batter and the chips, lovely and fluffy inside.”

Colman’s began in 1905 on the South Shields foreshore and later opened a series of iterations of the restaurant, leading to today’s venue on Ocean Road. They serve a catch of the day and fresh cod and haddock. 

Café India

Another exceptional Indian cuisine establishment can be found on Ocean Road. Café India was praised for its “excellent” quality “from start to finish” in a review from Tripadvisor. 

It read: “Staff are attentive without being intrusive. Plenty of choices (menus do need replacing) chicken tikka main meal and chicken tikka jalfrezi, poppadoms, chips, dips and mushroom pilau. More than enough to leave you full. Would recommend.”

As the review mentioned, the menu does offer a variety of chicken and curry dishes while also featuring a gourmet menu. Tandoori lamb chops, lightly spiced crab meat and aromatic duck meat were offered amid the classic tandoori and balti dishes.

Zeera

Curry houses on Ocean Road frequently received high praise, as did Zeera which is ranked as the eighth-best establishment in all of South Shields.

Reviews of the vegetarian friendly restaurant say it leans towards fine dining and reviewers were not disappointed. In one review of Zeera, the establishment was praised for offering a “perfect night”.

Another added: “Another lovely meal at Zeera, by far the best Indian restaurant in South Shields. Went to Zeera last night with family, great menu and service, wonderful food fresh and full of flavour, very friendly staff and always a pleasure to go there.”

Kuzey Turkish and Mediterranean Restaurant

Turkish and Mediterranean food choices were also available on Ocean Road. Kuzey Turkish and Mediterranean Restaurant received 65 out of 67 five star reviews and is yet to receive a rating below three stars. 

One glowing review of the place, which features traditional Turkish foods, read: “Friendly welcome and quickly directed to our seats. Food was excellent, large plates of Turkish meals. Very reasonable, complementary range of starter free. A 10% discount was offered if paid in cash.”

The restaurant was described as a “refreshingly great spot” by other members of the public who had popped in and received “excellent quality and beautifully” cooked food. Praise was levelled at the rice and quality meats, as well as the salad.

Da Vinci’s Italian Restaurant

The restaurant located furthest away from the South Marine Park, Da Vinci’s Italian Restaurant, received dollops of praise for its “tremendous” quality food and friendly members of staff.

One review praised the employees for individually wishing one of their party a happy birthday, while another says the staff were consistently helpful. 

Another review read: “We had a lovely meal in here. Very traditional Italian food. The meal wasn’t rushed and the staff were friendly.” Others suggested it was the perfect place for a “romantic meal”. 

Sea Change Café

With one of the best review averages on the site, a full five stars, Sea Change Café may be an ideal spot for a lighter bite and sits right at the heart of Ocean Road. 

Members of the public seemed delighted with the variety of food and quality of it, as well as the homely appeal to the “little café”. 

One Tripadvisor review read: “This place is a gem. The food was delicious, as usual. And, the service was really good. The staff are young people who are learning to work within the hospitality industry. A fantastic team who look after their customers. The menu has something for all tastes and can be adapted to suit dietary needs.”

Sea Change Café offers grilled cheese, a “piping hot” mac and cheese as well as a variety of sweet treats.