The best cocktail bars in Newcastle

Always on the hunt 🍸🍹

We’re infamously a lively drinking city, yet sadly Newcastle still hasn’t really cracked the cocktail bar. Sure, there are a few which I’ve highlighted here that stand out above the very average others in the city centre. But despite there being 174 pubs within a mile of St. James Park, most of them will offer cocktails as an afterthought, made begrudgingly by bar staff that don’t really know how to make them.

It seems the party hotspot reputation isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, so while you can get a pitcher of whatever in your local chain, or a woo-woo in some of the livelier bars, the ones below are the only ones that I think you’ll get something worthwhile. Thanks to, and get your best welcome bonus online casino on FIRST, who kept me watered while I did this very demanding research. Cocktails are sadly getting quite pricey these days, so I’ve highlighted some lower cost options here too (and no, casinos in the UK do not give you free alcoholic drinks).

Proviso: There are absolutely some great restaurants that will make you a fantastic cocktail, but I’ve tried to make this list about places that focus on drinks first, so you can just walk in, get your espresso martini, and not have to have a sit down meal too. Even though lots of restaurants will say this is totally fine, it always feels a bit weird to me. My favourites, for one reason or another, and these are all located in Newcastle NE1:

Mother Mercy

Wouldn’t be a best cocktail bars in Newcastle list without Mother Mercy would it?

Since opening in 2019, at the original and best site just off the Bigg Market, Mother Mercy has always taken cocktails a little more seriously than most in the city. You’ll find homemade syrups, higher-end spirits, freshly squeezed citrus for all drinks, proper glassware, properly cooled, and naturally, hipsters in aprons. It’s got everything you want, but most importantly, genuinely great cocktails.

You’ve got five choices now, from inside Fenwick (with ‘bottomless brunch’ option), Heaton, and even Sunderland, so you should be near one wherever you are in the North East. They’re increasingly hosting events including collabs with world-class drinks brands and other cocktail bars. There’s also food available at most of the sites, though to be fair it’s hit and miss.

If I had to pick one of the five, I’d send you to the original Cloth Market location for those basement vibes, and being the spiritual home, but Café Mercy on Grey Street is also lovely.

Mother Mercy again made the Top 50 Cocktail Bars list, so you should definitely make it a spot on your Newcastle drinks tour. Try the Hot Honey Margarita, seasonal twists on Old Fashioned, or the Pornstar-esque East 8 Hold Up.

WC Newcastle

Of course one of Newcastle’s best cocktail bars is in a former public convenience on the Bigg Market. You couldn’t make it up.

The WC is unrecognisable to most, but those who can remember the former ‘vibe’ of the underground toilets will doubly appreciate the transformation. They’ve done a great job with the space, with only a few tables it is fairly exclusive and it’s best to reserve a spot if you’re on a weekend evening. Probably more suited to an intimate date than a group.

Cocktails are numerous but of a decent quality here, with classics, variations, and a rarely-changing menu. There’s a ‘tipsy tea’ available, too, but don’t let that put you off. Some decent wines available BTG, or my favourite is the Spring Blossom (WC’s twist on a pornstar), or hibiscus margarita.

Table service, and during summer there’s some choice outside seating available. It’s a great/awful people watching spot depending on how rowdy the Bigg Market is. Nearby sister bar The Gin Closest, meh. It’s a bit gimmicky. I’m all for a cosy little basement venue hidden away, but it’s just an awkward shape, uncomfortable, and, well, The WC is right there. Check it out on your crawl.

Pleased to Meet You

PTMY is budget-friendly pick of mine. The cocktails are all interesting at least, and the menu changes seasonally and for various dates throughout the year, so there’s always something new be it British Gin Week, St. Patrick’s Day, or otherwise. I wouldn’t call the cocktails the best in the world, and PTMY won’t be challenging Satan’s Whiskers or Panda & Sons as best in the business by a long shot, but it’s often at the centre of a Newcastle night out, and the cocktails are ‘better than most’. Damning with faint praise, a bit.

It’s a bit of an oldies(ish) bar, but it’s a good size, with something of an outdoors area. Food next door is canny too. It often gets busy, and there’s no table service, so don’t expect anything too cosy.

But it’s still one of my favourite after-work hangouts. Try the violet martini, the PTMY #1, or the Vanilla Espresso Martini (with a tablespoon of mascarpone for a deluxe mouthfeel). There’s a fair selection of local craft beers by keg and a few on cask, too.

You’ll be able to get whatever you want here, the bartenders are fairly flex and mostly know their stuff, but with the drinks offer below on most of the time, work your way down the menu: segmented into sweet, short, long, fruity, and find something you like.

Hibou Blanc

Hibou Blanc is another one that doesn’t necessarily offer incredible cocktails, but the art deco inspired bar was difficult to not include in this list. Old library/wood panelling, and a bit of a feeling of faux-luxury make it a nice spot to kick back for a little while, but my preferred perch is at the centrepiece open bar.

It’s more of a restaurant than anything, but the bar is nice enough to enjoy a cocktail away from some of the hustle of the city centre, and genuinely feels quite secluded. If you want similar-but-different, head to sister bar The Grey Owl, just a little further up Grey Street. Both are good date night spots rather than somewhere to go as a group, and cocktail-wise, much the same.

I really like Hibou Blanc as a French bistro in town — find out more about that here. The cocktails — stick to the classics, or you usually get a good pint of Guinness here.

Central Oven & Shaker

Central Oven is a lively bar that is loud and lairy on a weekend, not necessarily where you’d expect to find an incredible single malt. Indeed, the cocktails here are not the best you’ll find in town by any means. But they’re cheap (spotted a theme yet?), and Central Oven does a job of feeling like a cocktail(ish) bar that justifies its place here.

The cocktails are definitely at the sweet and chuggable end of the scale rather than the punchy and potent side, but that’s OK. This is less of a leather wingback sipping at a cocktail made using a pipette, fat washes, and imported spirits, and more of a good time out. Expect loud lasses, a sticky bar, and loud/obnoxious R&B. Cocktails — see the menu which does change seasonally, or stick to the classics. They’re all not bitter enough by far, but with a dozen bars like this in town, I had to pick one that I do actually return to.

Don’t think too hard about it. Or maybe do, think about why the hell doesn’t Newcastle have some proper cocktail bars? Enjoy your 2 for £12, and if the sun is shining, just off Central Station isn’t the worst place in the world.

Alvinos

One of Newcastle’s longstanding bars that manages to be everything to everyone, Alvinos is popular with students, couples, some larger groups, and almost everything in between.

Come for a stop off as part of a longer sesh, or one of my fave spots in town is the outside terrace which is open late and one of Newcastle’s best hideaways at 3am on a Saturday night/Sunday morning.

Famous for its menus aping everything from cereal boxes to the Argos catalogue, Alvinos can be a little hit or miss depending on who is working, how busy it is, and sometimes seemingly, just how arsed the bartenders can be. But it’s a good spot for any night out, and one I return to. The menu is often varied and sometimes bizarre, so no recommendations here, just try whatever’s on that you fancy. If you’re into beer there’s usually some solid and reliable local crafts (Almasty, Full Circle) on keg. Another one where vibe triumphs above all, but that’s half the battle, isn’t it?

St. Vincent

OK, so I know I said no restaurants. But St. Vincent is one of the few in town that manages to be a restaurant-first that you would actually come and just have a drink from. Not that we’ve managed it yet.

But there are a few stool seats where you can have a drink and they’ll be cool about not ordering food, but get the zucchini fritti and you won’t regret it. It’s one of Newcastle’s best restaurants right now, and you can’t order wrong. Not only that but the quality of the drinks is given as much love as the food. The menu changes often with specials, but the keen staff will make you whatever you want, and with an unmatched reliability and overall knowledge of hospitality. What’s the real sign that’s it’s among the best? Unmatched wines compared to anywhere on this list, along with an extensive premium spirits selection, too.

That said, you’ll pay for it, with cocktails about £13. If you’ve never been, give the happy hour a go, and you’ll have a lovely time.

Despite all of these, I still feel as though there’s ample room for some great cocktail bars in Newcastle. Like, ‘proper’ cocktail bars. It’s a shame that it must only be profitable to appeal to stag and hen parties. Newcastle must have one of the highest bar:resident ratios anywhere in the UK, so I genuinely believe that even a small venue, with suitably silly prices could do well.

Maybe if you’re reading this, you’re up to the challenge, Good luck to ya! Otherwise, I’ll add to this as I try more. Some notable omissions because I haven’t been for a while, but I’ll be sure to add: Estate Tea Co. in Heaton, Odio in Ouseburn, whatever Room for Fishes is doing next, wherever Kocktail or NCK is available and if I’ve missed your favourite, let me know. Cheers! 🥂

Last updated: 23/06/2025
Average cost: Mean cost from a random selection of 10 cocktails from the current menu