Gordon Ramsay's 'favourite' Gateshead restaurant that shut down after Michelin acclaim

There was some sad news at the start of this week when it was announced that hugely popular Gateshead hotspot By The River Brew will be closing down, after six years of having people flocking for al fresco food and drink.

And, until the start of this year, one of the jewels in its crown was the Trakol restaurant, which quickly established a fine reputation for its high end culinary offerings, including its famous Sunday dinners. And the buzz surrounding Trakol spread much further than the banks of the River Tyne, with it making the coveted Michelin guide and coming to the attention of notoriously hard to please TV chef Gordon Ramsay.

The former Hell's Kitchen star was so taken with Trakol that he used it as one of the locations for a TV show, as his crew were spotted and he was seen tucking into chips outside the restaurant Trakol, which prided itself on known for its high-quality, locally sourced food, and its open fire kitchen that combined outdoor cooking with indoor dining.

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Trakol announced its closure at the end of last year, ahead of the Tyne Bridge restoration works starting, with a Facebook statement confirming the end of an era, reading: "They say all good things must come to an end, and for now, our restaurant is reaching the end of this chapter..

"Opening in 2018 to great fanfare and many plaudits Träkol has been through the tussle with Brexit, seen off the pandemic and outlived the original four years planned lifespan. As our site here on Hillgate Quay begins its metamorphosis in line with the Tyne Bridge refurbishment the time has come to bring proceedings at the restaurant to a close."

The fate of By The River Brew was confirmed in two statements at the start of this week, the first from HWKRLAND, who ran the site to great acclaim over the summer and said they'd made the decision to shut down with a 'heavy heart.'

The owners of By The River Brew have also spoken out, reflecting on six years of success, as they posted: ""What was supposed to be for four years became six. We have brewed brilliant beer, welcomed plaudits from all over the world to our Michelin BIB nose to tail restaurant and to our vibrant street food market. It is now time however for us to close the curtain at our site here on the wonderful South Bank of The Tyne."