Renowned Newcastle restaurant Ophelia suddenly closes

The Staff Canteen

Ophelia, the renowned Newcastle restaurant run by Nick Grieves, has announced its sudden closure.

Since opening in January 2023, the ‘neighbourhood bistro’ has been listed in the Michelin Guide and recently included in the Good Food Guide’s top 100 local restaurants.

But they have now confirmed the restaurant has closed its doors.

READ MORE: ‘Deep regret’ - TV chef Simon Rimmer closes last branch of Greens restaurant

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Ophelia (@opheliagosforth)

In a post on Ophelia’s Instagram page, Nick wrote: “It is with great sadness that I have to announce the permanent closure of our restaurant.

“The circumstances have been sudden and I apologise to the many guests that were due to visit us in the coming months.

“I don’t want to say too much at this time, but would just like to thank the wonderful people that have helped me for almost the last decade in my Newcastle restaurant adventure.

“My teams throughout both restaurants have been without question, wonderful.

“Our guests, beautiful.

“It’s been a pleasure.”

Gosforth-based French-style brasserie Ophelia also ran a wine series.

Self-taught chef Nick was also involved at Ophelia’s sister restaurant The Patricia.

Nick, who previously had a job in construction, in the past worked alongside Simon Rogan at Michelin-starred Fera, inside Claridge’s, followed by Michelin-starred The River Café.

In these challenging times…

The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall  – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.

Over the last 16 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 560,000 followers across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.

A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.

Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.

The Staff Canteen

The Staff Canteen

Editor 19th September 2024

Renowned Newcastle restaurant Ophelia suddenly closes