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With more choice than ever before, new additions joined some old favourites in Sunderland. Here’s a roundup of 22 new food and drink openings we welcomed in 2025.
Have you tried them all?
9. Rio Brazilian Steakhouse, Low Row
RIO has been one of the biggest new openings with years of anticipation for its eat-all-you can meat and salad offering. It opened to much fanfare in September after a £500,00 refurbishment of the former Halo / Bid Bigalows site in Low Row. For the non-meat eaters, you can also just do the unlimited salad bar, with an a la carte menu also available | Sunderland Echo
10. The Petal Patch, Ryhope
Tracey Taggart opened The Petal Patch in Ryhope Street South in the autumn combining her love of floristry and crafting with cakes and coffee. | Sunderland Echo
11. The Vault Yard
The Vault Yard is another new addition to check out in Low Row after a major £600,000 transformation by Sunderland-based Theatre Leisure. They've really made the most of the site's original features, well known for its time as Baroque and Establishment | Sunderland Echo
12. Fretta By Ruhe, Stockton Road
A sister site to Ruhe in Roker Park, Fretta by Ruhe opened as part of the new Four Corner Collective on the corner of Mary Street and Stockton Road. It specialises in matcha, salad boxes to go and brunches. | Sunderland Echo