Food & Drink

Say When, Gosforth: Standout Small Plates on the High Street

An evening at Say When on Gosforth High Street — the harissa chicken skewers and hot honey chorizo were bursting with flavour, and the service was excellent.

Gosforth.org·11 July 2026

Say When has quietly become one of the more interesting places to eat on Gosforth High Street. The clever neon sign — a wine glass and a coffee cup drawn as one — tells you the whole story: it's a café and brunch spot by day, and a small-plates and wine bar by night. We dropped in for the evening menu, and the food more than lived up to the setting.

The small plates to order

The harissa chicken skewers (£9.95) were the star of the table — chunks of chicken marinated in harissa and lemon, chargrilled until the edges caught, and served on warm flatbread with a rocket bed and a cool minted yoghurt to dip. Smoky, spiced and genuinely full of flavour; the photos really don't do them justice.

Harissa chicken skewers at Say When — chargrilled harissa chicken on warm flatbread with rocket and minted yoghurt

Just as good was the hot honey chorizo (£8.95) — sweet-and-spicy chorizo glazed with hot honey and thyme, the kind of sticky, moreish plate you keep going back to. Between the two, the kitchen clearly knows how to build big flavour into a small dish.

Hot honey chorizo at Say When — glossy chorizo slices glazed with hot honey

The wider small-plates menu runs from say when meatballs and garlic butter prawns to nduja burrata, truffle butter gnocchi and a whole baked camembert, with most plates around the £7–£10 mark. Two or three each makes a comfortable meal.

Not just an evening spot

By day, Say When leans into brunch — ultimate avocado toast, shakshuka eggs, American pancakes and açai bowls from 9am, then flatbreads and ciabattas at lunch. There's a proper coffee set-up and self-serve wine on tap, so it works whether you're after a morning flat white or an evening glass of red.

Inside Say When on Gosforth High Street — dark green walls, a brass wine rack and the neon wine-glass sign

The service was excellent throughout — attentive without hovering. One small heads-up: a 20% service charge is added by default, which is on the steep side, though it's easily adjusted and, honestly, the quality of the cooking is worth it.

Best for: Our pick of the small plates: the harissa chicken skewers and the hot honey chorizo. Both punch well above their price.

Say When is on Gosforth High Street — well worth a visit whether you're after brunch, a light lunch, or a relaxed evening of small plates and wine.

Been somewhere in Gosforth worth writing about? Get in touch.