New Heaton bar Ro. is set to serve up more success for owners of Rebel restaurant
Inside Lindsay Rushton's stylish Ro. Bar & Kitchen where cocktails and burgers are offering a new taste experience just along the street from his Rebel restaurant
A new bar serving hand-crafted cocktails and burgers in Heaton is already proving a hit with first customers.
Ro. & Kitchen in Heaton Park Road has been launched by the same team behind fine dining restaurant Rebel which is in the same street and owner and head chef Lindsay Rushton is delighted at how its first few days of business have gone. "It's had a really good response," he says. "Everybody seems really happy for it to be here."
Ro. has been warmly welomed in an area of Newcastle that is fast becoming a thriving hub. The business, which has been supported by a grant from the North of Tyne Combined Authority as part of a rejuvenation project around Heaton Park Road and Shields Road, is all about making use of local, seasonal and sustainable ingredients and this time Lindsay wanted to offer an alternative, less expensive option to Rebel which opened in 2021, with a tasting menu that was immediately booked out for months and which soon went on to make it into the Michelin Guide inspectors' list of favourite new restaurants.
Rebel had a bit of a lull this summer but trade is now picking up again. "It's going really well so I can't complain!" says Lindsay. And now Ro. seems well placed to make the most of upcoming Christmas trade.
Co-directors with Lindsay in both ventures are his partner Rosie Oswin, who is restaurant manager, and sous chef Mike Reid. Their new bar has transformed what was a former dress shop and it involved a huge revamp of a building which had stood empty for around 20 years. It was a stressful time but Lindsay, 30, is now "really happy" with the results.
Its name is inspired by that of his and Rosie's young son Rowan who was born in January. And with Lindsay's mantra being "sustainability, locality, community and quality" it is out to impress with a bar menu that features local brands such as Full Circle and Northumberland's Hepple Gin. Fusions and cordials used in its range of cocktails will use local ingredients too.
They have teamed up with a food pop-up called Pattymelts which will be a resident at Ro. creating bespoke burgers, with everything from the bread to the pickles being made from scratch. Ro. is open Thursday to Sunday, from 4pm (noon at weekends) until 11.30pm. For more information see here.
Photos: Craig Connor
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Head chef and co-owner Lindsay Rushton at Ro.
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Ro. in Heaton Park Road opened its doors on November 17
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An OG pattymelt at Ro
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A range of bespoke cocktails features on the menu
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Cocktails will include local ingredients
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