North East England
Rainy day date ideas in Newcastle
Updated
Newcastle has plenty under cover for a wet day. BALTIC, the Laing and the Lit & Phil are all free, so you can spend an afternoon between contemporary art, Pre-Raphaelites and the galleried rooms of an old library. Grainger Market is covered, with street-food counters and seats in the middle, and the Tyneside Cinema shows new releases and classics with a bar inside. For the evening, book a concert at the Glasshouse, share pasta at Pani’s, or save House of Tides on the Quayside for an anniversary. Then choose from dozens of gins at Pleased to Meet You, table service at Mother Mercy, or late cocktails at Lola Jeans.
Our picks
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)
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.
Quick answers
What's free to do in Newcastle when it rains?
BALTIC on the Gateshead bank, the Laing Art Gallery in the city centre and the Lit & Phil library by Central Station are all free.
Where can we hear live music on a wet night?
The Glasshouse on the Gateshead riverside is home to the Royal Northern Sinfonia and hosts touring bands and singers of every kind. Get there early to watch the lights come on over the river.
Save these to your jar
Dote keeps every date idea you find in one jar you share with your partner, and tells you which ones suit the weekend weather. It's free on iPhone and Android.
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