A Weekend in Newcastle

Last week, Lewis and I took a little trip down to Newcastle. I had no idea what to expect as I’ve never been before, but I kinda fell in love…

Whether you’re staying right in the city centre or somewhere on the outskirts, there is loads to see and do. The Metro makes it incredibly easy to travel around the city. We spent most of our time in Tynemouth and North Shields, both of which are only a short metro journey from the centre.

We tried to squeeze in as much as physically possible to our 2 day trip, so here are the highlights.

THE FISH QUAY

As the name may suggest, the Fish Quay is perfect for any seafood lover. The lovely little harbour side street in North Shields is filled with lots of bars, restaurants and fresh fish shops. With many of the businesses having seats outside, it’s the perfect place to stop and have a drink in the sun. You’ll see lots of boats docked in the harbour, and you’ll probably spot a fisherman or two as well.

WANDERING THE STREETS

As simple as it sounds, one of my favourite parts of the weekend was walking around. It’s so nice to explore somewhere completely new! I was constantly surprised by how picturesque everything was, and I wanted to move into just about every single house I saw.

THE MONUMENT

Right in the heart of Newcastle, The Monument is a busy spot.  It’s surrounded by shops and restaurants, so it’s a great place to start if you’re not sure what to do. It’s also a nice little sun trap, so rest your feet and there’s bound to be a busker or two to keep you entertained.

Just a few feet away from the Monument is mmm… glug… It’s a shop filled with all things delicious. Loads of cheese, beer, chocolate, pasta and more! I ended up buying a couple of grapefruit infused wheat beers after sampling one in store.

GIN AND CRAFT BEER

The people of Newcastle seem to love craft beer and gin. Considering they’re two of my favourite things, I was more than willing to try them out!

Places you need to try include:

• Flash House Brewery is a small local brewery in North Shields. They’ve only got about 5 beers on tap, but my god are they good. With chairs made from pallets, the place has a really cool industrial look. They often have pop up food stalls joining them at the weekend, so you can get a bite to eat too!
• The Salty Sea Dog in the Fish Quay was probably favourite gin stop of the trip. They have a huge selection of gin and tonics, and the one I opted for was great.
• Coast in Tynemouth is also another great option for a G&T. They have lots of unique gin pairings. I tried the Peaky Blinders gin (which I’d never tried before – yum), and it was paired with pink peppercorns and basil.

MARKETS

Markets were by far my favourite part of visiting Newcastle. I went to two – Tynemouth Market which is held in Tynemouth Metro Station every weekend and the Quayside Market which is held in the city centre every Sunday. The markets are full of cool independent businesses, amazing food and antiques – you could easily spend all day there. I’d recommend going around lunchtime, so you can take advantage of all of the food!

Stalls to look out for:

• Acropolis Street Food specialise in souvlaki. I ordered the veggie one, and it was genuinely my favourite part of the trip. Don’t get me wrong, it was a complete mess to eat, but it was worth it for the amazing roasted veg and halloumi wrapped in a fresh pitta.
• Tap Garden sell handcrafted fizzy drinks. I went for a “nojito” (a lime and mint lemonade) which was so refreshing!
• Davi Italian sell freshly made pasta, olive oil and pasta sauces. After testing their butternut squash ravioli at the market, I couldn’t resist bringing some home with me!
• Uncaptive are a cool ethical clothing company who are definitely worth checking out! They make their clothes from recycled plastic, bamboo and organic cotton. They also sell some plastic free daily essentials – I bought some bamboo toothbrushes which is something that has been on my wishlist for a while!
• Bao Hao are an Asian street food company. This was my first time trying a steamed bao bun, and it definitely won’t be the last! I tried the pan fried halloumi bun with chilli jam, and it was incredible. I could’ve easily eaten another five or so.
• Proven Goods Co sell handmade filled doughnuts. If you’re looking for a good doughnut, you can’t go wrong with these guys. They sell out fast so you better be quick!

And what’s a wrap on my weekend in Newcastle! How would you spend 48 hours there? 

Have you been to Newcastle before? If so, where would you recommend I visit next time? If not, would you like to go? Let me know in the comments below!

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