Native Cave Restaurant And Bar — Restaurant in Newcastle upon Tyne

We came here on 07/08/2024 to celebrate a birthday, we chose to go here due to the good reviews we had seen but how disappointed we were. We booked a table a few days before arrival, when we got there we were sat next to a fan and it was like sitting in a wind tunnel. Myself and another person decided to share the seafood boil which cost £50, not worth the price at all and looked nothing like the reviews and photos we had seen, it was tiny. We got 3 mussels, 4 king prawns, 2 small potatoes, 2 small pieces of corn on the cob, 2 small pieces of crab and a lobster which had no meat to it. It also came with garlic bread with was 2 very soggy and wet pieces. My mam ordered the peppered turkey which comes with jollof rice, we were then told that the jollof rice was a 2 hour wait to make and they offered jasmine rice instead. The seafood boil came out way before any of the other dishes did leaving everyone else just sitting and waiting. When the pepper turkey came we were disgusted, the jasmine rice smelt and was stone cold, it was heaped into a small plastic bowl that you would give a toddler and there was no turkey in the dish. The 'meat' was just gristle, fat and bones and when held up was a dull transparent colour. We complained and the waitress said she would get us a new one, however it was the exact same bowl just mixed around as the meat was in the same shapes and it was the exact same state the 'first' bowl was. We complained again and told them it was inedible which another waitress came over and said that there was cow skin mixed in with the meat and that was the gristle. Sorry but why is cow skin in a dish that is stated on then menu as peppered turkey? What happens if someone has allergies to other meats and they seem to just be mixing whatever 'meats' they can find. When the bill came they tried charging us £15 for the peppered turkey dish which we refused to pay as it was inedible. We left absolutely dissatisfied from start to finish and even had to drop off at McDonald's on the way back as we were still hungry. One massive thing I noticed that the menu I have seen on TikTok wasn't available in the restaurant so seems that they are giving bloggers and influencers a much better experience to get people through the doors, even a couple who were sat next to us asked for a dish that they had seen on TikTok and they were told that the restaurant didn't do it at that time. The menu is a lot smaller in comparison to what is advertised online. Overall I will definitely not be going back to Native Cave at all and certainly wouldn't recommend...

I was genuinely excited to visit this restaurant not just because of the buzz surrounding the food, but because it's a Black-owned establishment, and as someone of the same ethnicity, that made it feel even more meaningful. Supporting businesses in our community has always been important to me, and I walked in with high hopes and pride.

Unfortunately, that excitement quickly turned into deep disappointment.

From the moment we arrived, the service was unwelcoming and cold. It felt as though we were an inconvenience rather than valued guests. The most disheartening part? While we were made to feel out of place, other patrons specifically of different races were greeted warmly and prioritised. It was a painful irony that I never expected to encounter in a space I assumed would feel familiar and affirming.

I’ve often heard people express frustration about experiences at Black-owned establishments, and I've always been the first to defend and give the benefit of the doubt. But sadly, this time, I understood exactly what they meant. As much as it pains me to say, I left feeling unwelcome and dismissed.

To make matters worse, while we were still settling in at our table, we overheard staff speaking about us something no customer should ever experience. It was embarrassing and incredibly unprofessional.

We were also all served our meals at different intervals

I will say this: the food was good. Flavors were solid, and the menu had potential. And there was one saving grace a lovely waitress who approached us toward the end of our visit. She was the only one who acknowledged how poorly we’d been treated and offered a heartfelt apology. Her kindness did not go unnoticed, and I hope the management sees the value in having someone like her on their team.

Still, no matter how good the food may be, no meal is worth feeling disrespected or invisible. I truly wish my experience had been different, but I...

Okay so I’ve tried this place 3 times now. First time no problem but they seem confused when I said I had booked a table but the place was empty. Food great! Second time again booked a table and was looked at with confusion and the lady sucked her teeth rolled her eyes and said “I’ll see what I can do”.. erm. We were seated, food was good nowhere near as good as the first time and portion was smaller. Never asked if we wanted more drinks and spent ages waiting to ask for the bill so had to wrestle to the bar to ask to pay the bill. 3rd time, for a birthday meal. Booked a table. Arrived again confusion over table booking. There clearly isn’t a proper booking system so why bother. Was told to sit down stairs on a bench we waited around 20 mins. Then led to a table, (awful as the front door doesn’t close properly so cold wind just hitting you, pretty uncomfortable) not given menus but the accosted 3 minutes later for our order. We had to ask another table if we could borrow their menus. Looked at them then the waitress came over to say there was no seafood. That’s pretty much your whole menu.. why are you taking bookings that you can’t cater for and making people wait 40+ minutes walking up and down stairs to wait then be seated. Table was booked for 8.15 to then have to get up and leave and find somewhere...