North East England
Date ideas in Newcastle
Updated
Newcastle and Gateshead face each other across the Tyne, and some of the best dates here are on the water between them: the bridges, the Quayside, and the galleries and concert hall on the Gateshead bank. Up the hill there's a handsome Georgian city centre with a covered market, an old library and a lot of good bars, and the coast is a short Metro ride away. These are our picks, rain or shine.
Our picks in Newcastle
Quayside walk and the Gateshead Millennium Bridge
Newcastle Quayside and Gateshead Quays
Address: Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Quayside, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3DX- Outdoors
- Free
- Romantic
Walk the river between Newcastle and Gateshead, crossing the tilting Millennium Bridge and passing under the Tyne Bridge, with the Quayside on one bank and BALTIC and the Glasshouse on the other.
Why it's a good date: It's the view that makes the city, and it's lovely at dusk when the bridges light up. Make a loop of it over two bridges and stop for a drink on whichever bank you end on.
Photo: Alex Liivet from Chester, United Kingdom, CC0 (cropped and resized)
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art
Gateshead Quays, South Shore Road
Address: Gateshead Quays, South Shore Road, Gateshead NE8 3BA- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
See what's on at the free contemporary art centre in a converted flour mill on the Gateshead bank, then take the lift up to the viewing box for a look along the river.
Why it's a good date: The art changes, so you never quite know what you'll find, which gives you plenty to talk about. The view from the top is worth the trip on its own.
Photo: Benjamin Smith, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
The Glasshouse International Centre for Music
St Mary's Square, Gateshead Quays
Address: St Mary's Square, Gateshead Quays, Gateshead NE8 2JR- Event
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Big night
- Culture
Book a concert at the curved glass music centre on the Gateshead riverside, home to the Royal Northern Sinfonia and to touring bands and singers of every kind.
Why it's a good date: A proper night out with a famous building thrown in. Get there early to watch the lights come on over the river from the concourse.
Photo: Benjamin Smith, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
Laing Art Gallery
New Bridge Street West, city centre
Address: New Bridge Street West, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8AG- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
Wander the free city gallery, with British paintings and watercolours, Pre-Raphaelites and John Martin's huge dramatic canvases, plus changing exhibitions.
Why it's a good date: Big enough for an afternoon, small enough not to wear you out. Choose the painting you'd each take home, then argue for it over a coffee.
The Lit & Phil
Westgate Road, by Central Station
Address: 23 Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1SE- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
- Cosy
Step into the largest independent library outside London, open since 1825, with galleried rooms, spiral stairs and glass skylights, free for anyone to look round.
Why it's a good date: Quiet, beautiful and easy to miss, which makes it feel like your discovery. Browse the shelves for a while, then head out for lunch to compare finds. Keep your voices down.
Photo: Carroll Pierce, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Tyneside Cinema
Pilgrim Street, city centre
Address: 10 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6QG- Activity
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Cosy
Watch a film at the independent cinema that opened as a newsreel theatre in 1937, with its restored Classic screen and a café and bar inside.
Why it's a good date: A night at the pictures with more character than a multiplex, showing new releases, independent films and classics. Have a drink in the bar beforehand.
Photo: Ardfern, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Grainger Market
Grainger Street, Grainger Town
Address: Grainger Market, Grainger Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 5QQ- Activity
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Graze round the Victorian covered market at the heart of Grainger Town, with butchers, bakers, street-food counters and the tiny original Marks & Spencer Penny Bazaar.
Why it's a good date: Go off in different directions with a small budget each, then meet back up with what you found. There's new seating in the middle now, so you can sit down to share.
Photo: Terry Phillips, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
Jesmond Dene
Jesmond, north-east of the city centre
Address: Jesmond Dene, Jesmond Dene Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 2EY- Outdoors
- Free
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
Follow the river path through a wooded valley with a waterfall, an old mill and stone bridges, then call in at Pets' Corner.
Why it's a good date: It feels miles from the city, though it's only a few minutes away. It's at its best in autumn colour, and a good walk to follow with a pub lunch in Jesmond.
Photo: PaulTurner, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
Tynemouth by Metro
Tynemouth, at the mouth of the Tyne
Address: Tynemouth Priory and Castle, Pier Road, Tynemouth NE30 4BZ- Trip
- Outdoors
- Cheap and cheerful
- Out of town
Ride the Metro to the coast for the clifftop priory and castle ruins, a walk on Longsands beach and a browse round the weekend market in the old station.
Why it's a good date: Half an hour from town and you're at the seaside. Bring a coat, walk the beach, then fish and chips with a view of the sea.
Photo: PaulTurner, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
Angel of the North
Low Fell, Gateshead
Address: Angel of the North, Durham Road, Gateshead NE9 7UA- Outdoors
- Free
- Culture
Stand at the feet of Antony Gormley's 20-metre steel angel, with wings 54 metres across, on a hilltop by the A1 in Gateshead.
Why it's a good date: Far bigger close up than from the road, and a good excuse for a quick drive or bus out of town. Go at golden hour for the photo.
Photo: Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
House of Tides
The Close, Quayside
Address: 28-30 The Close, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3RF- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Romantic
- Foodie
Book the tasting menu at Kenny Atkinson's Michelin-starred restaurant, in a restored 16th-century merchant's house on the Quayside.
Why it's a good date: Keep this for an anniversary or a big occasion, when you want the food to be the whole evening. You'll eat under old beams by the river. Book well ahead.
Pani's
High Bridge, city centre
Address: 61-65 High Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6BX- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Foodie
- Cosy
Share pasta and Sardinian dishes at the family-run Italian café that's been a city-centre favourite since the mid-1990s.
Why it's a good date: Warm, busy and unfussy, so you relax as soon as you sit down. Handy for a drink at Pleased to Meet You, just along the street, afterwards.
Pleased to Meet You
High Bridge, city centre
Address: 41-45 High Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1EW- Bar
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Big night
Pick from dozens of gins or the cocktail list in a big, handsome bar in a listed building on High Bridge.
Why it's a good date: Lively without being rowdy, with enough gins to make choosing a game. A good first stop before dinner.
Photo: Ardfern, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Mother Mercy
Cloth Market, city centre
Address: The Old George Yard, 44 Cloth Market, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1EE- Bar
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Romantic
- Cosy
Head down to a basement cocktail bar off the Cloth Market, with table service and inventive drinks alongside the classics.
Why it's a good date: Low lights and someone bringing the drinks to your table: it feels like a treat. Tell them what you usually like and let them suggest something new.
Lola Jeans
Market Street, city centre
Address: 1-3 Market Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6JE- Bar
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Big night
- Cheap and cheerful
Order cocktails in a lively bar and grill by the Theatre Royal, with a speakeasy downstairs.
Why it's a good date: Easy-going and open late, so it works after a show or as the last stop of the night. If you're hungry, the burgers are the thing to order.
Dates in Newcastle: quick answers
What are good rainy-day dates in Newcastle?
BALTIC and the Laing Art Gallery are free and indoors. The Lit & Phil library, a film at the Tyneside Cinema, a gig at the Glasshouse or grazing round the Grainger Market all keep you dry too.
Are there free date ideas in Newcastle?
Plenty. BALTIC, the Laing and the Lit & Phil cost nothing to visit, and a walk along the Quayside and over the Millennium Bridge, through Jesmond Dene or out to the Angel of the North is free.
Where should we go for cocktails on a date in Newcastle?
Mother Mercy, a basement bar off the Cloth Market, is the one for a quiet, special drink. Pleased to Meet You on High Bridge has a long gin list, and Lola Jeans by the Theatre Royal is livelier and open late.
Where can we go for a day out from Newcastle?
Take the Metro to Tynemouth for the priory ruins, Longsands beach and the weekend market in the old station. The Angel of the North, in Gateshead, is a short trip by car or bus.
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