SUNDERLAND’s recent Restaurant Week brought thousands of diners into the city – and showcased the growing popularity of the Healthy Plates initiative.
The most recent Sunderland Restaurant Week began on 5 September, with almost 15,000 diners enjoying the special deals on offer at more than 60 eateries.
For the first time, Healthy Plates – a scheme where restaurants are encouraged to have healthier options without compromising taste – was incorporated into the week and has proven to be a huge success.
A huge 92 per cent of people surveyed said that healthier options matter when eating out – and that reflects in the most popular venues visited during Sunderland Restaurant Week.
Rio Brazilian Steakhouse, which has been signed up to Healthy Plates since day one, welcomed more than 1300 guests over the course of the event.
More and more venues across the city are joining Healthy Plates, which has been so successful it will be part of the first Restaurant Week of 2027 which will be held in March.
“Once again we have had a really successful Restaurant Week with visitors turning out in force to experience Sunderland’s fast growing and vibrant restaurant scene,” said Roberta Redecke, Head of Business Services at Sunderland’s BIDs which organise the week.
“Each time there are a range of different places for people to try which reflects the ever-increasing food offer we have.
“Adding in Healthy Plates has brought another dimension, giving people the option for a healthy choice and it’s fantastic to see how businesses have also embraced the opportunity to be part of this initiative.”
The positive response to Restaurant Week was echoed by those taking part.
Lewis Kenney, General Manager at Rio Steakhouse which proved to be the most popular choice by diners, is thrilled with the response.
"It's always a pleasure taking part in Restaurant Week,” he said.
“Every time, we see so many new faces and welcome new guests, as well as those who have visited us before. This year was our busiest one yet, and it was also the first time we ran the offer for the full week.”
The top ten venues across the week included Rio, Ember, newcomer No 32, Love Lily at Herrington Country Park, Signatures Italian, Vito’s Osteria, Asiana, The Botanist, Babaji and Balér.
“Restaurant Week is always such a brilliant opportunity for us to welcome both familiar faces and new guests through our doors. This year was particularly special, and the response across both Ember and No.32 was fantastic,” said Tamer Hassan, owner of Ember and co-owner of No 32 with Vittorio Farigu.
“ To finish second and third for total diners is a huge achievement for our teams, who put so much work into making sure every guest had a great experience.
“Restaurant Week creates a real buzz around the local dining scene and has a genuinely positive impact on our businesses.”
Sunderland Restaurant Week was also supported by Nexus and marketing manager, David Turton, added that it was another successful event.
“We were delighted to support Sunderland Restaurant Week, helping connect diners with Sunderland’s excellent restaurants while showcasing how Tyne and Wear Metro makes it easy for people to travel into the city and enjoy everything it has to offer,” he said.