Every bar & restaurant on Grey Street, Newcastle

Whether you know Grey Street as home of your office, one of the UK’s most Instagrammed streets, that challenging street to walk back up after a few shandies, or somewhere to start/pass/finish your stag or hen do, Grey Street is central to Newcastle’s leisure industry, and admittedly yes, an absolute beaut. If you’re dining out here, or just passing, checking out that shot from the theatre down towards the quayside, as the road meanders to the left. It’s hard not to love 👌🏼

As one of the most popular tourist streets, it’s become home to a lot of chain restaurants and bars, but I’d like to take the chance to highlight some of the better Indies on the street too. So thanks to this online casino for helping to make this post possible. With more than twenty five places to scran on Grey Street, a night out here can cost a fair whack. Someone’s gotta be paying those commercial rents…

Methodology: These are strictly on or opposite Grey Street, so I’ve had to discount Hood Street, High Bridge, and down Dean Street. Anywhere that sells food as of May 2025.

From the Monument, top down…

Knoops

Opening only just in December 2024, Knoops is a premium hot chocolate retailer, offering dozens of different varieties, cocoa percentages, and mixed chocolate drinks. I wanted to write it off as a bit of a gimmick, but christ that’s some good chocolate. It’s pricey to match, but for a treat, it’s really good. Seats inside and out, with some pastries, cakes, and cookies, but no real hot food.

The Naked Deli is currently ‘temporarily closed’ and has been for a good while now. If I had to guess, I’d say not coming back which would be a shame as there’s not much like it in town, even if it is… not the bestest cooking ever, it’s mildly healthier.

Of course Grey Street has a Greggs. Closest to Monument so super central, but not the best one in the city centre by far — bit cramped, no hot hold, limited stock. For the fastest and freshest, walk two mins over to Grainger Street (and bonus, it’s open until 5am or so)

Societé Cafe Bar

Unusual cafe/bar space billing itself as ‘European style’ which does mean it stays open 10pm if you want a late night coffee — surprisingly difficult to find in Newcastle. It’s independent, and while it’s mostly a drinks venue, if you’re going true Euro, get some nibbles too. This pepperoni wasn’t bad on a lunchtime, a mere fiver.

Cafe Andaluz

If you’ve read my recent-ish review of Cafe Andaluz you’ll get the gist that I didn’t love it. But lots of people seemingly do. It’s fun if you’re in a group, order loads and share and have some drinks.

There are just better restaurants out there, even a few doors down on Grey Street. Go with low expectations and you won’t be too disappointed, but don’t expect to feel like you’re on the streets of Alicante.

Costa

It’s a Costa. If you want better coffee, walk a mere three minutes to nearby Laneway & Co. You could maybe argue this is a great people watching spot, on the corner of Grey St and Market St. but that’s about it.

Harry’s Bar

Me, I don’t see the appeal of Harry’s Bar at all, but I’m not the target market. Older crowd, lagers, cheap Sauvvy B, and absolutely unexceptional food means that OK, by all means have a drink outside here if you can get a seat in the sun. But you’ve got a million better choices of bars and restaurants in Newcastle.

100 Grey Street

Recently renovated following the sad loss of Nitehawks and datbar after the theatre took control of both venues back for itself, 100 Grey Street is a small spot attached to the Theatre Royal. Decent coffees from Baristocracy, and best of all, add on a Pink Lane treat for a mere fiver. Open later on, too, though I haven’t been for a late-night cocktail, it’ll be hard to beat Nitehawks in terms of sheer vibes.

The Everyman Cinema has food that is way better than Odeon or other large chain cinemas. But pricey for what it is (despite that lovely to-your-seat service, AND you can have a bottle of wine with your film. So have yourself a Rudy’s (see below) and then come here, perhaps.

The Grey Owl

Does food but this is just bar snacks from sister restaurant Hibou Blanc. Otherwise it’s two pints of lager and a packet of crisps, though that’s no bad thing here. Great for people watching, and half-decent cocktails too. Just get your food before or afterwards.

The Muddler is a relatively popular bar that does food as well as part of its licensing agreement. Cocktails and sushi both relatively highly rated by others. It has outside seating like many of the places here, though it is unfortunately, on the non-sunny side of the street, for all you posers.

Blake’s

Blake’s is popular for business meetings and breakfasts, and has been for years. All old wooden, and quite informal, it seems to stand the test of time, whether you’re here for a quick coffee, a panini like below, or a Full English after a big one.

I actually feel as though much like driving standards, people’s selflessness, and most things to be fair, breakfasts here went downhill a fair bit post-COVID. But it remains a popular meeting hub for friends, families, and business meetings alike.

Las Iguanas

It’s a Las Iguanas. Not all that exciting, but you didn’t expect it to be, did you? Come for all-day, every-day happy hour, and dodge on the food.

Private Equity owned, it’s Bella Italia with a sombrero on it. Mexican and Latin American food is poorly represented in Newcastle, so it might be one of a handful of places you’ll even find enchiladas, but you know what you’re getting/in for.

All Bar One

Neighbouring Las Iguanas, Zizzi, et al, this is the worst bit of Grey Street. A necessary, perhaps, and it ticks a lot of boxes for a lot of people, but it’s a token bar, with nothing of interest, and definitely not somewhere you wanna be eating. There must be a lot of people in the UK ordering steaks for £25 from here, but it ain’t me.

Barluga

Also in the guise of bar that does food, Barluga tries a bit harder than some of the others on this list to have a serious kitchen. It’ll never be my pick of the restaurants on Grey Street, but it’s smart inside, it’s got a canny (and fairly not-well-known) outside terrace at the back. If you want lagers and a burger or pub food, this will be your pick.

Fitzgeralds is a SJF pub in the heart of Newcastle. It attracts a mix of people looking for relatively inexpensive drinks with wood panelling, ancient seating, and a certain whiff of old bloke. Extending way back behind Grey street, a little Tardis like, it’s got some decent drinks, but it’s as ‘old man pub’ as Grey Street gets, so as long as you know what you’re info, you’ll be sound. Don’t try and order that drink you saw on TikTok here.

Abajo Bar & Grill opened early 2025. It’s a bit of a sports bar, with beige fried food, and big screens for watching the football or whatever. It has a niche, but its hard-to-find location makes this one a bit of a doomed spot, with many restaurants that have come and gone over the years. If this place is still here in Feb 2026, I’ll be amazed.

Zizzi

It’s Zizzi. One of the last remaining chains of an era which I’m quite glad to see the back of, Zizzi is the same up and down the country. Bang average, overpriced for what it is, but if I’m trying really hard to find positives about the Newcastle outlet, it’s the windows that open out onto Grey Street, letting the outside in on those two days of summer that we get.

Pizza Punks

Pizza Punks — about as punk as Brewdog, if not even less so somehow — is a concept restaurant about ‘unlimited toppings’ which… yeah. It’s not my favourite and needless to say did not make it onto my ‘Best Pizzas in Newcastle’ list. It’s got some lovely inside/outside shutters opening out onto Grey Street, but is otherwise, unexceptional.

Sushi Me Rollin’

Now we’re talking. Unfortunately the high rents in Grey Street really make it the home of the chain restaurant, but Sushi Me Rollin’ is one of the best indies here. One of the better sushi restaurants in town (not that many, to be fair), Sushi Me Rollin’ has a small menu and ‘does one thing well’. It’s all handmade, and though you’ll find judicious use of ingredients and fusions that wouldn’t make the outtakes of Jiro Dreams of Sushi, it’s good fun all the same.

Subway is about three quarters of the way down Grey Street. You know what Subway is, and that’s not what this list is about. If you want a sandwich, I recommend a five-minute walk along Collingwood Street to The Camera Shop for something superior.

Café Mercy

It’s the best cocktail bar here, that’s for sure.

Familiar to anyone in town, there’s a similar-but-different outlet just off the Bigg Market that’s more hidden cocktail bar than this very pink, bright and airy meeting spot. Cocktails are just as good, and they do food — tiny plates of things like hummus, breads, and pickles, But enough to keep you picking, and something salty so that you order just one more margarita… Top notch.

Ayla is a ‘contemporary modern Indian restaurant’ that’s been on Grey Street for forty odd years, so it must also be doing something right. Modern compared to some of its peers, and with a menu that tries to shy away from korma and balti. It’s right there in the mix of Indian restaurants that have tried to move on from early generational BIR, and offer a more up-to-date concept. Great location, and wouldn’t be surprised if it managed another half century.

Leila Lily’s closed in March 2025 but I’d be surprised if something else didn’t take its place.

Rudy’s Pizza Napoletana

Rudy’s may have expanded to more than thirty branches across the UK in a very short space of time, but I still really dig it. In among Pizza Pilgrims and Franco Manca, both of which are absent from Newcastle, this is best of the Neapolitan chains.

The Vineyard is a late-night bar that starts early. Given it’s close to everything in town location, it’s often busy and full of a real mix of punters. Somewhere between casual and lively — cocktails are about £9, the average age of a customer is closer to retirement than university, but it’s been around for more than thirty years. So something in the formula works!

On the fringe

Miller & Carter is your run of the mill mid-range chain restaurant, I say avoid. Portofino is pretty good if you’re after cheap and cheerful Italians, head to Newcastle institution The Fat Hippo Underground for dirty burgers, or High Bridge is worthy of a whole other exploration and is packed with interesting places to wander past and have a neb at.

If you’re interested in some of the restaurants that have graced Grey Street over the years, check out my posts on new restaurants in Newcastle, or Newcastle’s closed restaurants.