At the risk of stating the obvious, NewcastleGateshead's nightlife is legendary. In fact arts and nightlife was voted No.1 by the Rough Guide 2006.
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One solution to the huge range of bars, clubs, venues and comedy on offer is to get stuck in and see what grabs you - the compact city centre means you can easily move on and sample everything NewcastleGateshead has to offer. Still a few words of advice never go amiss, so here are some suggestions of sleek and sophisticated bars.
• A popular area is the Quayside - it's young, loud and in your face. Sea nightclub is always a good place to aim for at closing time, but expect to queue.
• Journey to Jesmond for the Osborne Road experience. Jesmond is young, sociable, fashionable and rather less frantic than either the Quayside or Bigg Market.
• If you're after noise and excitement, then the Bigg Market should hit the spot. Those of a more mature disposition will enjoy the hand-pulled pints on offer in pubs like the Crown Posada and Free Trade or the Cumberland Arms.
There's now a thriving gay scene with several pubs and clubs within a short walk of each other in the Gay Village situated close to the Central Station.
Clubs
If you want to hit a club, top of your list should be Newcastle's superclub Digital - whose Shindig night was voted Musik Magazine 'Underground Club of the Year' and it attracts top DJs from around the world, or try The Attic and the popular Baja Beach Club.
Clubs of a different kind include the Salsa Club and the Hyena Comedy Club. The Salsa Club does exactly what is says on the tin, with music, dancing and some excellent Latin American food on offer. The Hyena always features a top line-up of stand-up comics. So popular is this excellent venue, that booking in advance in recommended.
Sampling the local brew!
In the last 80 years Newcastle Brown Ale has gone from strength to strength and now enjoys worldwide success; it’s the biggest selling bottled ale in the UK, holds leading positions in the Scandinavian market and is one of America’s top selling imported beers! Newcastle Brown Ale is unique amongst ales with its sweet, nutty taste it is brewed to be drunk chilled.
Whether you are an ale or lager drinker, it will be quite unlike anything you have tasted before, making it quite literally “The One and Only”. If you would like to drink to 80 years of a North East icon, view a list of local pubs stocking Newcastle Brown Ale.
Gigs
If it's gigs you're after then there's no shortage of venues to try. The Cluny, Carling Academy, Head of Steam, the Northumbria and Newcastle University Unions, the Corner House, Jazz at the Bridge, the Jazz Club or The Black Swan all have live music ranking from cool jazz to spiky pop.
