The Best Bars in the North East to See In 2023 This New Year's Eve
Get in the party spirit this New Year's Eve
STACK Seaburn
Whitburn Road, Sunderland SR6 8AA
stackseaburn.com
This social hub on Seaburn’s seafront offers the perfect combination of relaxed casual drinking and dining all under one roof. As well as YOLO cocktail and wine bar, you’ll find The Gin Cabinet, Hop House 13, Heineken and Barley & Me bars all dotted around the venue, and if you get hungry there’s plenty of street food on offer including bao buns, tacos, burgers and loaded mac n cheese.
Poetic License Bar
Roker Terrace, Roker SR6 9NB
poeticlicensebar.co.uk
Known throughout the North East for their delicious range of small batch gins, vodkas and liqueurs all created using their hybrid 500-litre still, Poetic License have their own bar which means you can sample their products first hand. As well as their own range of spirits, this bar has a good selection of wines, whiskeys and rums, plus beer from their local brewery. If cocktails are what you’re after try one from the expertly-crafted menu, which has everything from sweet and eclectic serves to classic creations.
Old Toms Gin Bar
33 Riverwalk, Durham DH1 4SL
0191 329 2665
oldtomsdurham.co.uk
Inside a Tudor building dating back to the 1500s and overlooking Durham Castle and the river, Old Toms Gin Bar is full of character, charm and curiosity. With more than 250 different gins from all over the world and 50 different tonics, wines, speciality spirits and plenty of beers, Old Toms also has a great selection of cheese and charcuterie boards to see you safely through to midnight.
Mother Mercy
The Old George Yard, 44 Cloth Market, Newcastle NE1 1EE
mothermercy.co.uk
Although voted one of the UK’s top 50 cocktail bars, Mother Mercy still remains one of Newcastle’s hidden gems (they have a cocktail container at By The River Brew Co. too). As well as modern classics such as amaretto sour and espresso martini, Mother Mercy shake up some zingy and unusual serves, including a marshmallow fizz, hot honey margarita and rambler rickey rum soda. If you can’t decide on which drink to order, turn the dial on the Twist of Fate to reveal which of the eight featuring cocktails has been chosen as your order – and you’ll get your very own psychic reading alongside your drink.
WC Newcastle
Bigg Market, Newcastle NE1 1UW
0191 580 8508
wcnewcastle.co.uk
What was once a real W.C built in the 1800s has been transformed into one of Newcastle’s coolest underground cocktail bars. With a team of professional bartenders creating everything from sparkling spritzers and classic cosmopolitans to signature serves, including our go-to, the Royal Warrant – peach and orange blossom vodka with crème de peche, shaken with apple and vanilla and topped with hibiscus foam. If gin is more your style, head to WC’s sister venue, The Gin Closet on nearby High Bridge Street, where you’ll find a fantastic range of local and world gins, as well as tables with their own ‘press for gin’ buttons for when you need a refill.
Tin of Sardines
18 Elvet Bridge, Durham DH1 3AA
0191 374 1666
Pier View, Roker SR6 0PR
0191 605 3762
tinofsardines.co.uk
These quirky gin bars offer a huge selection of gins (more than 200 from across the globe) alongside home-grown herbs and botanicals which are used by the in-house ginologists to create your perfect New Year’s Eve drink. Head to Tin of Sardines’ original gin bar in Durham or check out their latest opening on Roker Seafront. Gin not your thing? No worries, these bars also offer eco-friendly wines and carefully-crafted cocktails.
The Auction House
63 Bridge Street, Morpeth NE61 1PQ
01670 708550
auctionhousemorpeth.co.uk
This former auction house in the heart of Morpeth was given a new lease of life after the final hammer fell and has been transformed into a quirky bar and eatery, serving cocktails and street food with plenty of Instagrammable interiors too. For your New Year celebrations, the drinks menu includes wines, beers, Champagne and Prosecco and the cocktail menu is extensive, with a variety of martinis (think passionfruit, rhubarb, espresso and Biscoff flavours), negronis, punches and bright, bubbling and foaming drinks.
Above
Lower Dean Street, Newcastle
NE1 3JE
0191 233 3734
abovenewcastle.com
If you’re looking for breathtaking 360-degree city views, look no further than Newcastle’s Above rooftop bar. Complete with entertainment from their DJs and live musicians, as well as food and great cocktails, this popular bar is the perfect place to see in the New Year. There are a range of signature and classic cocktails (we love the sound of their Above The Clouds cocktail, a mix of Tanquerary gin, Maraschino liqueur, blue curaçao, foamer and lemonade), as well as mocktails, wines, spirits and Champagnes.
Adam and Eve
3 Clayport Street, Alnwick NE66 1LA
01665 517330
adamandevealnwick.co.uk
This pub in the heart of Alnwick offers local farm-to-table inspired food alongside creative cocktails, the interiors are rustic and there’s a garden filled twinkly lights. Whether you’re joining the team for an afternoon of cocktails or a nightcap, Adam and Eve have everything from locally-sourced spirits and draught beers to specially selected wines, as well as cleverly crafted cocktails. The drinks menu changes throughout the year but our current favourite is the Firefly – a mix of Tanqueary gin, Disaronno Amaretto, ginger, apple and lemon.
Above
Lower Dean Street, Newcastle
NE1 3JE
0191 233 3734
abovenewcastle.com
If you’re looking for breathtaking 360-degree city views, look no further than Newcastle’s Above rooftop bar. Complete with entertainment from their DJs and live musicians, as well as food and great cocktails, this popular bar is the perfect place to see in the New Year. There are a range of signature and classic cocktails (we love the sound of their Above The Clouds cocktail, a mix of Tanquerary gin, Maraschino liqueur, blue curaçao, foamer and lemonade), as well as mocktails, wines, spirits and Champagnes.
Pleased to Meet You
29–30 Front Street, Tynemouth NE30 4DZ
0191 257 8956
41–45 High Bridge, Newcastle NE1 1EW
0191 340 5137
Bridge Street, Morpeth NE61 1NB
01670 333970
With a wide selection of drinks to choose from, including original and classic cocktails, more than 10 different local and international beers, a range of hand-pulled casks and more than 100 different gin and tonic combinations, there’s no need to go anywhere else this New Year’s Eve. Plus, with outposts in Newcastle, Morpeth and Tynemouth you can choose to celebrate in the city, in the country or by the coast.
The Palm
Timber Beach Road, Sunderland SR5 3XG
0191 516 9009
discoverthepalm.com
Escape the hustle and bustle of Sunderland city and take a seat inside this tropical oasis of late night bars, restaurants, tropical gardens and bottomless brunches. There are a number of venues inside The Palm including a treehouse-style bar and restaurant, a carnival-themed late night bar, Pineapple Cove Café and a rooftop terrace decorated with trees and twinkly lights – plus, there’s a street food garden for when you get peckish.
Hibou Blanc
High Bridge Street, Newcastle NE1 1EN
0191 261 8000
hiboublanc.co.uk
Inside the Grade-II listed Sunlight Chambers on the corner of Newcastle’s Bigg Market and High Bridge Street, Hibou Blanc oozes old-school style and sophistication. Head to the spectacular bar for classic cocktails with a modern twist, or sample one of their craft beers and whiskies from distilleries and breweries from around the world. If you’re wanting drinks with a city view, head to Grey Owl, Hibou’s recently opened sister venue on Grey Street, where you’ll find the same grandeur and glamour, alongside cocktails, an extensive wine list and delicious charcuterie and cheese sharing boards.
Macy Brown’s
Yarm, Middlesbrough, Darlington
macybrowns.co.uk
With outposts in Yarm, Middlesbrough and Darlington, these popular cocktail bars are known for their quirky drinks and vibrant atmosphere. The cocktail menu is extensive with everything from classic mojitos to Long Island ice teas and strawberry daiquiris on offer, plus Macy’s signature serves – we love the sound of the Miss Macy with tequila, passionfruit purée, sweet and sour syrup and orange juice. There are also dessert cocktails, sharing cocktails, wines, whiskies and rums on the menu.
The Nuthatch
9–11 Bedford Street, Middlesbrough
TS1 2LL
01642 688505
In the heart of Middlesbrough is The Nuthatch, a cool and quirky craft cocktail bar and micro-distillery which was founded in 2016 after owner Simon Hatfield became frustrated with the lack of pub alternatives in Middlesbrough for those wanting something a little more sophisticated and a well-rounded G&T. The Nuthatch now offers several drinks options, including a variety of negronis, old fashioneds, mocktails and signature cocktail creations – look out for their raspberry gin liqueur-based Nuthatch cocktail served in a bird-shaped glass.
The Townhouse
59 Bridge Street, Morpeth NE61 1PQ
townhousemorpeth.co.uk
Found inside an original, characterful three-storey building,
which dates back to the mid-1800s, The Townhouse stands proudly over Telford Bridge on the River Wansbeck. In the evening the bar is perfect for a relaxing gin or a glass of prosecco – there are classic cocktails, craft ales, ice cold beers and a handpicked selection of wines from around the world on the menu too.
Pepo
86 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle NE1 6SG
0191 261 9386
peponewcastle.com
A relatively new, creative and fruit-focused cocktail bar in the heart of Newcastle, Pepo is the sister venue to the much-loved Horticulture bar and restaurant. The opulent late lounge is filled with Instagrammable interiors – think New York loft-style hang out meets floral ceilings and plush pink sofas – whilst the sharing boards and platters are perfect for snacking on alongside a round of drinks. The cocktail menu is the highlight here, with our go-to drink being the dragonfruit signature cocktail – Roku gin with Kwai feh, melonade, dragon fruit syrup, lemon, foamer and nigella seeds.
The Curious Mr Fox
35a The Riverwalk, Durham
DH1 4SL
0191 329 3559
thecuriousmrfox.co.uk
This multi-themed venue is made up of three old properties which together make up The Curious Mr Fox. On the ground floor the bar is great for causal drinks and bar snacks, or head upstairs to either the ornate Oyster Room or the floral-themed Ivy Room, both of which overlook Durham’s iconic cathedral, and enjoy everything from classic cocktails to carefully chosen wines or one of their delicious signature drinks – we like the sound of the Durham negroni made with Durham Gin, Aperol and blood orange soda.
