Right on Tyne

Newcastle’s reputation as a night spot is close to outright infamy, and anyone who’s been to The Gate on a Saturday night will confirm this reputation can be well deserved.

But the city is also home to some of the best pubs, bars, restaurants and craft producers in the region, not to mention the friendliest people you’ll find anywhere. So, even if you’re only making a flying visit, here are five bars that, as a beer lover, you can’t afford to miss

The Cluny (36 Lime Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 2PQ) is iconic in Newcastle; it’s a music venue, bar, café, theatre space, and so much more! Live music, beer and food are all top of the agenda here, with eight cask ales from local and Yorkshire breweries, four cask ciders, and a wide array of rotating keg beers from the likes of Magic Rock, Beavertown, and local guys Wylam Brewery on the bar. 

There’s also a venue next door for even more live music (Cluny 2), with recent bands such as Modern Baseball, Young Legionnaire and Future of the Left having adorned the stages here. Local brewery Box Social has created a beer for the band Tygers of Pan Tang (the beer’s called Tyger Blood and is a red session IPA), and the band will be playing at The Cluny on 21st October if you want the full experience (we love a good music and beer link-up).

The venue isn’t only popular with local bands – it’s a go-to option for couples wanting an alternative to a standard wedding reception too. Food-wise, the kitchen is always experimenting with something new, so as well as delicious pizzas and burgers you’ll also find specials like Gin & Tonic Cheesecake, created in-house by Head Chef, Stephanie).

The Head of Steam Quayside. Only opened in August, this is The Head of Steam’s tenth site (with other recent additions to Hull, Sheffield and Headingley). The ethos of The Head of Steam is all about beer, and lots of it – with a focus on cask ales and Belgian and American beers. They love it so much here, that they even have a ‘Beer Tasting Room’ which can be hired out for events, and where they also hold their own beer tasting events (a recent example being the Chimay Beer and Cheese Evening, where Fabrice from Bières de Chimay joined them, along with some vintage bottles of the Chimay Grande Reserve (1997).

On the bar currently is an eclectic mix, including Fordham’s Rams Head IPA, Firestone Walker’s Easy Jack, and Rodenbach, plus eight cask ales all from local breweries (including A-Hop-Alypse Now; one of the ales in Camerons Brewery’s portfolio (Camerons bought The Head of Steam in 2013)). Bottles and cans-wise, there’s an extensive drinks menu on each table with Belgian, Trappist, American, World and British beers (and that’s just the core menu – there are many new additions available at the bar too!).

Gluten-free and low/no alcohol fans are also catered for too, and for something a little different there’s the Beer Cocktails and Hard Shakes Menu (there’s an Unconventional Darkness shake, made with Tontine Milk Stout, Baileys and chocolate ice cream). We also hear there’s something special coming to the bar from the guys at Anarchy Brew Co for Cask Ale Week too.

Every Head of Steam bar is jam-packed with beer merchandise, with a Vedett bubble gum machine to be found on the bar here, alongside a multitude of beer plaques, bespoke tap handles and other quirky drinks merch in the cabinets around the bar.

Tilleys Bar (105 Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4AG). Tilleys Bar is a short walk from Newcastle’s train station, and is a firm favourite with locals, tourists and football fans on matchdays. The manager, Frosty, has brought together his own unique mix of DJs (weekends only), film screenings (in the small room at the back of the pub), and an unrivalled bottled beer selection (there are a heck of a lot of fridges behind the bar, packed full of around 180 beers from across the globe).

The bar has a really laid-back feel to it, and the staff are fantastic at recommending beers to everyone who walks through the door (with qualified beer sommeliers on hand to find something you’d like). Range-wise, there really is something for everyone; from Rogue’s 7 hop IPA to Tempest Brewing Co’s Mexicake Imperial Stout. There are also seven cask ale lines (ales currently on sale include Leeds Brewery’s Hellfire and Small World’s Thunderbridge), and four craft keg lines (we spy Stone Brewing Co.’s IPA, Magic Rock’s Cannonball, and Wylam’s Jakehead IPA) to complement the bottle range. 

The Bottle Shop Bar + Kitchen (Saint James’ Boulevard, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4DN). Just around the corner from Tilleys Bar you’ll find Bottle Shop Newcastle.

They have a wonderful bottle and can range, with ever-changing options from breweries such as Northern Monk and Lost Coast Brewery adorning the shelves (there’s a chalkboard on the wall with the current list on). Tap-wise, there range is always changing; from Hughe’s Delirium Pilsner, to Almanac’s Ginger Gose, and beers from local brewer’s Errant.

The staff are always keen to find something you’ll like, the space is light and airy and great for groups, and the food is delicious too (Sunday lunch is recommended to complement the beers!). They also show live sport on their big screen and have regular music and comedy nights too, as well as beer and food pairing evenings.

The Free Trade (St. Lawrence Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 1AP)

The Free Trade is one of the many great real pubs to be found in Newcastle’s Ouseburn Valley (others to try are The Cluny mentioned above, The Tyne Bar, Cumberland Arms and The Ship).

Don’t go there expecting things to be all shiny and new – it’s not that kind of place; this pub is more spit-and-sawdust, and very highly regarded by beer lovers in the North East. It boasts a great selection of cask ales, real ciders and keg too - on sale now we spy the new Buxton/Omnipollo Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Pie collaboration, Rule of Thirds IPS from Magic Rock, and Cloudwater’s DIPA (V6) in the fridges.

They regularly have unique beer events (with Mad Hatter Brewing Company’s takeover coming up next), and can also boast the best views of Newcastle from their beer garden. They also have pop-up food vans on weekends to supply the beer garden dwellers with some tasty treats. It’s a bit of a hike from the city centre, but well worth the walk/bus/taxi ride to get there…oh, and they have their own pub cat, called Craig David.