Babucho Gosforth

You walk into what was actually a church on West Avenue and immediately get that satisfying jolt of surprise — exposed brick, soaring ceilings, the kind of space that makes you sit up straighter. Babucho does Spanish tapas properly: we're talking jamón ibérico, croquetas that actually have a point to them, and patatas bravas that don't taste like they've been sitting under a heat lamp. The cocktail list leans Spanish too, which means vermouth features heavily and nobody's trying too hard. It's become the kind of place where Gosforth locals actually want to eat rather than just passing through to the city centre.