Overview

Zaap Thai Street Food is certainly an interesting place to visit. Inspired by the eateries you'd find in a Thai marketplace, complete with neon signs, Tuk Tuks and even part of a bus, it's easy to forget you're in Newcastle unless you're seated next to a local. It's technically accessible, though not for all, for reasons I'll explain further down the page.

Transport & Parking

Just outside the door, you'll find a bus stop where the 787 Airport Service operates, but you won't find on-street parking. Zaap is located just outside The Gate shopping centre, which does have its own car park with ten accessible parking spaces and 266 standard parking spaces. However, it's important to highlight that there are no Blue Badge exemptions for parking here. Still, it might save you a stroll or a roll in the rain. The closest train station is Newcastle Railway Station, which is a 9-minute walk, much of which is on an incline when heading from the station. St James Metro Station is much closer, being only a 2-minute walk and part of the accessible Metro network. This is another instance where accessible doesn't necessarily mean easy to access. The platform heights vary across the network, and it's suggested that you provide at least four hours' notice if you need a ramp to get off at your stop.

Access

This is where I explain what I mean by "technically accessible". The entire restaurant floor is a good six feet from the ground. I expect this has been done to add to the feel, as being closer to the neon signs on the ceiling adds to the vibe of a Thai market, but it means you're immediately met with stairs. There is an inclined platform lift immediately on your right, mounted to the wall with a fold-away platform. The lift is suitable for a manual wheelchair, but it's too small for a powerchair. There's also very little space to get on the lift as the foot of the stairs is really close to the window. I had to get on side-on and wiggle a little. There are two safety rails that come down from overhead, which you can also hold on to, but it's also a little scary to use and has one further irritant: they keep the highchairs right where you get off the lift—so more wiggling as you get off the lift. It was remarked that sometimes it doesn't work - I hope you're as lucky as I was if you come along. When you're upstairs, there's room to move for most mobility devices, although you won't be able to sit in the Tuktuk-themed booths if you can't climb onto them. There is no induction loop, braille, or large-print menus.

Toilets

To my surprise, they have an accessible toilet located at the back of the seating area. The door to the toilet opens outwards and does not require a RADAR key. The door is secured from the inside by turning the knob on the door. The toilet is on the back wall and has contrasting grab rails on both sides. The red cord is on your left when seated and hung to the floor during my visit. I have a secondary concern about the red cord; it's set in against the wall, meaning you'd have to somehow reach into the narrow space between the right of the toilet and the wall to pull it. There's a small sink with contrasting grab rails on both sides and a lever-style tap. Despite the issues with the size of the lift, a powerchair could be turned in here easily. There's also room for another person or two if needed. There's also a baby change table and a wall-mounted hand dryer. I'm scoring a little lower due to the position of the red cord, but otherwise, this is an acceptable and accessible toilet.

Staff

The staff were attentive and offered somewhere safe to store my wheelchair power attachment, which was certainly appreciated. I'd come back to Zaap, but as I've said, it's not the most accessible.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

The food is great, especially the gang panang - though it could do with a wee bit more chicken!

Photos