Retro Lounge – Popular Halal Restaurant Relaunches

In Newcastle, a new halal steakhouse and dessert lounge has opened after the owner waited nearly ten years to secure his dream location.

The Retro Lounge, Raoof Mohammed’s new venture in Berkeley Court, has opened and will serve high-quality steaks, burgers, and desserts in an alcohol-free, family-friendly environment.

The Borough Road eatery is a relaunch of Raoof’s previous eatery of the same name, which was located on Broad Street in Hanley until it was compulsorily purchased in 2012 for the Smithfield development.

Raoof, who lives in Etruria, says the new location, which was formerly the Blue Chilli Thai restaurant, is the only place he’d consider reopening the popular Retro Lounge.

The 50-year-old said: “I have been after this location in Newcastle ever since I heard about the compulsory purchase order in Hanley all those years ago. I knew it was the right place for the Retro Lounge and I even offered the Blue Chilli for £70,000 but they said no. I’m very stubborn so I was prepared to wait and drive Ubers in the meantime.

“One day, shortly before the first lockdown, I was driving past and saw that it had become available. I rang Louis Taylor estate agents straight away and said I wanted to view it right now. I walked up the stairs and said I would take it there and then without even looking round. I didn’t want anyone else to have it.”

To get the venue ready to open, Raoof has spent the past year renovating and redeveloping it from top to bottom, including installing new top-of-the-line kitchen equipment and furnishings.

The menu will feature prime Aberdeen Angus free-range grass-fed steaks and burgers, as well as waffles and cookie dough, as well as smoothies, milkshakes, and other non-alcoholic beverages. Next month, the team plans to introduce vegetarian dishes, and they’re currently on the lookout for a local fruit and vegetable supplier.

Amber Shabbir, Raoof’s nephew, will be the general manager, and Shabnam Shabbir, Raoof’s niece, will be in charge of the front house. Three employees from the Hanley Retro Lounge are returning to the company, and the team is looking for two more front-of-house employees and one kitchen worker.

Food will be served in two sittings: 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm and 8 pm to 10.30 pm, with the venue open until 11.30 pm on Sundays through Thursdays and 12:30 am on Fridays and Saturdays. During the current pandemic, seating is limited to 20 people at a time in order for people to feel “comfortable and safe.”

Raoof said: “We still have a lot of loyal customers, even though we have been closed for 10 years because everyone knows what the Retro Lounge stands for. There’s a gap in the market in Newcastle for this kind of place. Everyone will be able to come here and relax in a family setting and feel completely comfortable and safe.

“It’s going to be brilliant. There are nights when I can’t get to sleep because I’m so happy and excited about it. Some people may think it’s only a building but to me, it’s like winning the lottery.”

For the next two weeks, the restaurant is fully booked, and reservations, including private VIP bookings, must be made in advance by calling 07538 204510.