12 Top-Class Cocktail Bars in Newcastle
Sip on creative concoctions at these amazing city centre cocktail bars
Newcastle's cocktail culture is alive and thriving, with an impressive line-up of bars that cater to cocktail connoisseurs and casual drinkers alike.
From the lively and colourful to the sedate and sophisticated, here's where to head in the city for amazing cocktails.
MOJO, The Gate
Since setting up shops in the city in early 2023, MOJO has established itself as a firm favourite with people looking for cocktails served up in a fun environment. Not only are there the cocktails of course – more than 120! – and an American diner-style menu but also classic bar games like beer pong and shuffleboard, all soundtracked by a pumping selection of classics from the seventies to the present.
Tiger Hornsby, Close
Despite being quite a spacious location, this award-winning cocktail bar manages to feel intimate and classy and just the place to enjoy a quite remarkable – and seasonal - cocktail list, clearly curated with dedication and invention. You know they mean business when they offer no less than 15 martinis – from the classics to creative concoctions like the Italicus Job with lychee and Italian bergamot liqueurs, apple and citrus.
Mother Mercy, Cloth Market
A deserved winner of Best Bar in the 2022 Newcastle Chronicle Awards, the Cloth Market outlet of Mother Mercy is the flagship of a trio of bars, including one in Fenwick. The bar is a delight – mid-century furniture and pop art – and the cocktails are phenomenal, from the classics to their own innovations like the Hot Honey Margarita and Marshmallow Fizz. It’s a popular place so booking is recommended.
The Alchemist, Eldon Square
At the forefront of the smoke and mirrors school of cocktails, all test tubes and gases, The Alchemist is pure theatre. The food is great, plus at weekends there’s DJs and an underground vibe and of course there’s a few dozen cocktails – most of them twists on the classics or entirely new, plus plenty of mocktails too (some even containing CBD). Mine’s a Breakfast Manhattan and let’s meet there in 15?
WC Newcastle, Bigg Market
By now you’ve probably caught on that WC is housed in a former Bigg Market lavatory, but have you tried the cocktails? This subterranean bar is unusual and atmospheric – how could it not be? – and a great place to drink, especially from 2-7pm on weekdays when they offer two cocktails for £12. The drinks menu runs to a few stylishly-designed pages and there’s a lot to love. The Biscoff Cheeseshake has to be worth a visit, right?
The Botanist, Monument Mall
There aren’t many better-located bars in the city and The Botanist lives up to the locale with its unusual but still subtle décor, a newly-refurbed rooftop bar with its own DJ booth and a really tempting cocktails list with botanical twists on classic drinks featuring ingredients like bay leaf, Thai basil and cardamon. There’s a strong mocktails list and the food menus is full of pan-global temptations too.
Alvinos, Pilgrim Street
Tall and narrow and with a really vibey atmosphere (especially at weekends) Alvinos is a Pilgrim Street veteran with a rep for inventive tasty cocktails. The ever-changing cocktail menu is packed with pun-tastic and inventive infusions - why not grab a couple with a pal and sip the night away on their cosy rooftop terrace?
ChachaBuchi, Collingwood Street
Slap bang in the heart of the Diamond Strip, Chachabuchi styles itself as ‘rustic glamour in a sophisticated setting’, which certainly rings true. It’s a decadent warren of a bar, with private rooms, a mezzanine, a garden bar with firepits and a varied menu offering fondue, flatbreads and small plates - plus a cocktail list that’s short but full of big hitters like Rhubarb & Vanilla Fizz and Espresso Martini.
El Guapo, Pilgrim Street
If mixology with a Mexican twist is your thing, then you can't go wrong with a visit to El Guapo. This new addition to Newcastle's cocktail scene resides in the former Pepo location on Pilgrim Street and boasts the biggest margarita menu in town - plus a vibey, Mexican-inspired space to sip them in and plenty of tacos to keep bellies full.
Livello, Side
A riot of neon and banquettes, Livello is a proper night-time bar open till 3am at weekends and the heated courtyard and regular club nights add to the appeal - much increased since a recent makeover. The cocktail list is long and appetising, and there’s a two-for-£12 deal on the Classics (daiquiris, martinis, cosmos and the rest) from Monday to Friday. But there’s also a Bajan Rum Punch, a Cherry Smoked Old Fashioned and oh so many more.
The Hudson, Neville Street
Located in the County Hotel right opposite Central Station, The Hudson has something of a double life, offering fine dining in the evening and an atmospheric cocktail bar at night. Offering more than fifty cocktails – including sharers and pitchers as well as a solid mocktail list - the tendency is towards classic and sophisticated, grown-up even, much like the bar itself. There’s also an appealing menu of bar snacks and DJs at weekends.
The Mad House, Pink Lane
Open since late 2022 and bringing some real pizzaz to Pink Lane, The Mad House is almost the antithesis of The Hudson – it’s bright and loud and there are chairs made with toilet seats. The cocktail list changes monthly and their mixologists are always coming up with new concoctions, plus there’s a full supporting cast of shots, mocktails and the rest.
Whether your taste in cocktails and décor is an old fashioned sipped on a leather sofa or something bright pink and fizzy as you shake a leg to the DJ, Newcastle's cocktail scene really does have something for everyone so why not make the most of it?
