10 Best Nightlife in Newcastle-upon-Tyne

The Diamond Strip – just as its name implies – is up there with Newcastle's most glamourous party quarters. It's right in the beating heart of the city, running along Collingwood Street to the end of Mosley Street by Central Station. The venues are slick and upmarket, but also rowdy and wild once the night takes hold.

It's a good idea to don your Sunday best for an evening in the Diamond Strip. Most of the bars come with strict dress codes and discerning door staff. Inside, you'll get bumping dance floors run by some of the town's best DJs, along with glitzy lounges and cocktail deals.

Bigg Market plays host to some of Newcastle's largest clubs and mainstream bars. Linking Chinatown and Collingwood Street in 1 long run of after-dark establishments, it's usually a hive of activity from Thursday to Saturday evenings.

The crowd is often bolstered by Newcastle's big student cohort, who flock down for themed nights in the week. They're joined by locals and travelers for the big disco blowouts on the weekend. Famous names on the strip include the noir-styled Flithy's Pub, faux-Victorian Pumphrey's, and dancer's favorite Idols. There's also a Bavarian bierkeller for that fix of oompah and hops.

The Quayside, once an industrial powerhouse filled with depots and loading docks, is now a revitalized area that leads the way on the Newcastle nightlife scene. As you might expect, it fringes the banks of the River Tyne, just west of the Swing Bridge – it even spills over into Gateshead.

It seems like there's a new and exciting venue or eatery opening every year, but most revelers will begin the night in one of the area's award-winning gastropubs. They serve creative twists on British classics and have lovely beer terraces for when the sun's out. Later on, it's easy to mosey north to the Diamond Strip if you want to keep things pumping.  

You might know The Gate as one of the premier shopping and retail complexes in Newcastle. But this sprawling conglomeration of outlets that lies between Newgate Street and Chinatown also doubles as a full-on entertainment precinct. In fact, it can get pretty happening when the sun takes that hat off.

Bazaar-themed restaurants with global cuisine and cooking stations set things rolling. Then, you can hop to venues like Eden, with its sleek interiors and multiple rooms, or the smoky Cosmic Ballroom, where the dance spaces are always rollicking. Prefer something tamer? The Gate also has a multi-screen movie theater and an Aspers Casino on its roster.

The redbrick buildings of Dean Street might have been standing for centuries, but the nightlife scene of this central Newcastle strip is very much contemporary. The road connects Gray Street with Newcastle Castle a little to the south, so it's easy to find – it's a fast 5-minute walk from Central Station.

Lovers of good beer won't be disappointed by the offering of microbreweries. They'll start the night with milk stouts and peppery IPAs and more creative fruit concoctions than you can shake a schooner at. Pubs and wine bars also abound, while diners can head south to enjoy Indian curries and Thai stir-fries in the Side restaurant quarter.

Newcastle’s Jesmond district is bisected by Osbourne Road, a hubbub of creativity and class. It's a gentrified and elegant neighbourhood, known for its quaint Victorian and Georgian rowhouses and tree-lined avenues. You'll find it to the north of the downtown of the city, a comfy 15-minute ride out by public transportation. 

In terms of nightlife, you'll be looking at big pubs and sports bars that spill into large terraces of both seating and standing sections. They get particularly busy on summertime Saturdays, but there's almost always a cluster of students enjoying happy-hour deals and meals in venues like Spy or 97 & Social.

There's good news for drinkers arriving by train into Central Station because the whole area around this major transportation hub is dotted with enticing watering holes. More than that, the location means you'll be right in the heart of the town center, with loads of other happening party quarters within easy walking distance. 

Consider stopping for a beverage in the grand Victorian-era halls of The Centurion Bar. Or, drop into the mahogany-lined Town Wall for flavoursome English ales under dim bar lights. Those are the sort of noir, stylish spots you can expect in this corner of Newcastle.

The Pink Triangle is Newcastle's leading LGBTQ nightlife district. It's a real haven of flamboyant pubs and dance-party venues, all tucked into just a few blocks that lie to the west of Central Station.

During the day, it's popular with people visiting the Life Science Center and the events spaces of Times Square. At night, things are different. All the shakers and the movers get on down to neon-lit Eazy Street and the welcoming gastropub-bar mashup of Blonde Barrel. Fancy a sing-along? Karaoke nights are plentiful, with Bottoms Up and Central proving long-time favorites.

Newcastle-upon-Tyne’s Chinatown attracts foodies with a penchant for the Far East. Spreading around The Gate shopping mall, about 10 minutes on foot from Central Station, it shouldn't be difficult to find.

There are simply loads of establishments that can sate that desire for Japanese cooking or Korean BBQ here. They include lantern-lit Fujiyama and the kitschy Dojo Restaurant. There's also direct access to Aspers Casino and alternate music clubs like the Cosmic Ballroom from Chinatown's main drag, Stowell Street.

If you're keen to quieten things down a little, head north out of the city centre to Gosforth. This well-to-do district of lawn-fronted homes and suburban streets is around 30 minutes on public transportation from the quaysides of the River Tyne. In the evening, it offers characterful pubs and plenty of cozy vibes.

You might want to start in the late afternoon with a bout of coffee in its lovely neighbourhood cafes. A summertime picnic in Gosforth Central Park can keep the belly full, before a quiz night with the locals in a tavern such as the Brandling Arms. You're also a short taxi-ride from Jesmond, where bistros and wine cellars stay open until late.