This post includes a paid partnership with the Newcastle & Gateshead Tourist Board

I’ve always loved Newcastle. Growing up in Middlesbrough we would always come to Newcastle to shop and spend our birthday money. I moved up for University when I was 18 and knew from that point I’d be back and ultimately it would be my home. After 8 years in London, I came back and never looked back.

Over the years we lost to Covid I spent a lot of time putting forward the case for why you should be considering Newcastle Upon Tyne as a location for a staycation, or even a short city break. I’ve taken you on tours of the coastline, shared my favourite places to eat and sights to see and genuinely hope I’ve made you think about visiting. I love it. I’m incredibly passionate about the city.

So you’re planning on visit? Great!

How To Get Here

Newcastle Airport, like most things, is pretty close to the city centre really. If you’re flying you can quite easily get yourself an Uber/Taxi to the city for around £25, or you can get yourself a Metro. We have a Metro system in the city which is a great way to get around once you’re here.

Newcastle is on the East Coast Mainline, meaning it’s incredibly easy to get here by train. If you’re heading here from London you can get a train that will have you here in 2 hours 50 minutes. Yup, it’s not bad at all. Look out for the LNER service that stops just at York and Darlington, or even the Lumo Service that doesn’t stop anywhere before Newcastle!

Getting Around

As I mentioned, we have a Metro service. If you’re wanting to explore the coast line and are staying in the city centre, the Metro is your friend. It’ll take about 25 minutes and a day-return costs just over £5.

We do have Uber, which came as a shock to some Southern friends, I can’t lie. To be honest, my big piece of advice would be to walk what you can and explore! Nothing in Newcastle (perhaps aside from the Coast) is really that far apart.

 

Where To Stay

Innside by Melia

A new addition to the city, the Innside Hotel has rooms that look onto the beautiful Quayside if you ask for them. There is even a floor of rooms with little outdoor seating areas. It’s a lovely clean, modern hotel. On an evening the restaurant below (a Gino Decampo) is nice and buzzy. You’ll find a DJ there on a weekend too. There’s a gym, yoga mats in the bedrooms and very large beds.

Rooms from £62

The Maldron

The Maldron is further into the city centre and as a result, probably a little busier. You won’t get amazing views here, but you will get a good quality place to rest your head.

Rooms from £69

Jesmond Dene House

A little higher up the pricing scale, Jesmond Dene House is situated within Jesmond Dene itself. (Head over to the Where To Visit Section to find out a little more about that.)

It’s a very popular wedding venue; quiet and traditional. The Ferns restaurant is a great spot for afternoon tea, following by a walk through the Dene.

Rooms from £210

Seaham Hall

If you plan on driving here (or hiring a car) Seaham Hall is a great luxury option. It has a lovely spa along with an Asian Fusion restaurant. You can also get day, morning or evening passes to use the spa facilities if you just want to visit too.

Rooms from £250

 

Newcastle Food Tours

Triple A Food Tours run a series of tours around the city, working with local businesses to produce a series of dishes (and accompanying drinks) designed to work together over the course of your tour.

A few weeks ago I went along on the Newcastle Food Tour and visited five places around the city, from a French bistro to what is believed to be the UK’s oldest custom built dining room. It’s a real mix of food styles and locations. Along the way you’ll learn about the restaurants themselves along with more about the city.

The group meets at Grey’s Monument, one of the most recognisable sights in the city. Triple A like to keep the groups relatively small – which is half the fun. I met some amazing people on my tour, most of whom weren’t actually from Newcastle like me, meaning we were able to trade lists of recommendations in our respective hometowns, all whilst sharing some seriously good wine along the way.

I’m a pescatarian, whilst someone else on my tour wasn’t a fan of cheese (I know, an odd one. I tried not to judge her, I really did). Both food preferences were accommodated here – just make sure you let them know up front so they can plan accordingly! One of the places on the tour was actually an amazing vegan Indian street food restaurant.

I’ve lived in Newcastle on-and-off for 11 years and have to say, out of the 5 places we visited, I’d never even heard of 2, let alone ate in them. It was a great way to discover some new places and some new tastes. Tried my very first local brew IPA and Brown Ale too, get me.

You can find out more about the different tour Triple A Food Tours operate here.

Where To Eat

I could do an entire post on this itself. So, I plan to. For now however, here are my absolute favourite places.

Riley’s Fish Shack

A local legend. A shack situated on King Edward’s Bay in Tynemouth. Fresh fish is served daily, cooked on wood fire ovens in the shack. Deckchairs, complete with cable drum tables and wind breakers punctuate the beach for you to watch the waves roll in from.

You do need to book in advance for Riley’s as it can get very busy. You’ll need to pay a £25 deposit per person, refundable against your bill. You can cancel a reservation and receive a full refund if it’s 24 hours or more before your booking.

Kiln

Kiln is in the Ouseburn Valley and is an excellent spot for breakfasts, lunch or dinner. The menu has everything from fresh fish, Lebanese flat breads, excellent hummus and baked eggs. Kiln make all their own ceramics (which you can also buy) and in fact, you’ll sit at tables that allow you to look directly into the room where the resident potter sits at his wheel.

Horticulture

Great food (strong vegetarian selection) and a lovely space to sit and have a drink. There’s an outdoor terrace and a menu of over 30 Espresso Martinis to work your way through. Try the brunch.

Dot Bagel

Dot is a take-out spot, with locations in both Heaton and Jesmond, along with a counter inside Fenwick’s in the city centre. Freshly baked bagels, filled with the brim with incredible options. Grab a coffee and a Dot, find a bench and enjoy the Northern sun.

 

 

 

Where To Visit

Jesmond Dene is spread over 3km in valley just outside of the city centre. It used to be home to Lord Armstrong before it was gifted to the city upon his death. Now you can wander freely around it at your leisure. There’s a café and petting zoo in the centre of the Dene, along with what’s left of the once grand banqueting hall that entertained Newcastle’s elite in the 1800s. You could easily spend a few hours wandering around, though bring sensible shoes – it’s on quite an incline in parts.

Twice a month there is also a market on the bridge that runs over the Dene, filled with local street food vendors and producers. You can find out more about that here.

The Baltic

Once a flour mill, The Baltic has been converted into a modern art gallery, complete with an excellent restaurant called SIX, with beautiful views over the city. You’ll also find a great gift shop and café on the ground floor. Entry is free.

Tynemouth

Tynemouth is regularly voted one of the best places to live in the UK. It’s a beautiful little town on the seafront, though to be honest, it feels a lot more like a village. If you’re heading in on the Metro on either a Saturday or a Sunday, you’ll arrive directly into the market that takes over the train platform each and every weekend. Everything from local bakers and sausage makers, to stalls selling nothing but vintage postcards. It’s a real eclectic mix.

Grab yourself some chips and sit on the beach before heading to the Priory to take in the incredible views. The Priory is an English Heritage property, with a settlement on the spot dating back over 2000 years. Every summer a festival takes place there too, offering an amazing backdrop to live music. You can find out more about that here.