Get to Know… The WonderBar
We talk to the team behind The WonderBar, one of The Gate’s premier destination venues
Formerly known as Beyond Bar, The WonderBar is the brainchild of local businessman John Adamson and opened its doors in The Gate in late 2019.
Since then, it’s established itself as one of the city’s most diverse destination venues, offering something for all kinds of clientele and interests. With the recent launch of a new menu, we caught up The WonderBar’s sales and marketing coordinator Joseph to find out more about the bar.
In a city brimming with bars that often cater to a quite specific clientele, The WonderBar sets itself apart with an ‘all are welcome’ kind of vibe.
“Unlike many venues in Newcastle that focus on one aspect, The WonderBar is a multi-functional venue,” says Joseph. “Every day, we offer something for everyone - we're a live music venue, casual dining experience, bar, club, event space and an activity hub. With offerings ranging from interactive darts and live entertainment to food and football, we’ve successfully created options for families, stag dos, hen dos, date nights and more.”
Open every day from 10am ‘til late, the venue’s extensive opening hours mean guests could very well spend an entire day exploring everything there is to do there.
“The WonderBar offers a full-day experience from breakfast to cocktails,” explains Joseph. “Someone could enter the venue at 10am, have breakfast, play a game of darts, sit down and have some lunch, enjoy our live music while sipping on some cocktails and not end up leaving until after 11pm.”
Speaking of its events and activities, The WonderBar certainly offers something for all kinds of crowds. For music fans, there’s live entertainment every week ranging from local bands and tribute acts to an open mic night every Thursday for budding performers.
Brainiacs looking for a pub quiz with a twist can’t go wrong with The WonderBar’s Monday Mind Master night which offers rounds of trivia interspersed with fun games including rock ‘n’ roll bingo and a fantastic jackpot too. And, for students looking to let their hair down, there’s Project Pop – a weekly student night with amazing drinks deals, DJs and dancing on the benches encouraged.
It’s also one of just a few venues in Newcastle city centre offering electronic darts but The WonderBar does it with an interactive twist, incorporating eight mini-games that are perfect for families looking to keep little ones entertained, groups of friends on a night out or stag and hen dos who want to have a drink and enjoy a little friendly competition.
Being in close proximity to St James’ Park has established The WonderBar as a popular haunt with football fans too who flock there for pre-match eats and post-match celebrations, or take in the action if they can’t be there in person.
“We have one of the largest indoor screens in Newcastle so those who aren’t lucky enough to get tickets for a match can watch it life-size with fellow fans and experience the matchday vibes,” says Joseph. “We have the renowned DJ Mad Mick on during every home game for pre-match warm-ups and post-match celebrations too. Being a massive fan of NUFC, he really knows how to get into the matchday spirit and get the crowds chanting for Newcastle.”
It's not just football fans who have found a home at The WonderBar either. In fact, they cater to all kinds of sporting persuasions as Joseph explains.
“We show all sports and pride ourselves in catering for any sports fan,” he says. “We often get requests to play a specific sport and with multiple screens in the venue we could be showing the rugby on one screen and tennis on another so no one misses out.”
Another major part of The WonderBar’s appeal is the fact it’s such a budget-friendly destination. Alongside some fantastic food and drink deals, the bar also offers bespoke add-on packages for interactive darts bookings and their deal with neighbouring venue Cineworld gives guests free parking when they see a film before or after dining at The WonderBar.
“Our commitment to affordability allows people to enjoy the city centre without breaking the bank,” explains Joseph.
Naturally, one thing we all want to know is what The WonderBar’s brand-new menu has in store for guests and – true to form – it has a diverse range of dishes designed to appeal to all kinds of diners.
“With already being established as a venue that caters to everyone, it was important to reflect that within our menu,” says Joseph. “We have all the pub classics and we’ve introduced a range of cuisines too so our customers can be transported to Italy with our pastas and pizzas or to Asia with our katsu chicken or tandoori chicken kebab.”
They've introduced a lot more homemade dishes too - including their popular, budget-friendly Sunday lunches and their cooked breakfasts which include English, Irish, Scottish and veggie versions - and they’re working hard to reduce food waste and its environmental impact too.
"We saw where we could make a difference and took advantage of that by lowering the amount of food wastage by incorporating offcuts into new dishes," Joseph explains.
