Free Trade Inn

Real-ale pub with the best Quayside view in the city

A scruffy, glorious 1960s pub on a ridge above the Ouseburn with a beer garden that has the single best view of the Newcastle bridges from anywhere in town. The interior is unimproved: torn benches, mismatched chairs, graffiti you should not read. The beer list — fifteen rotating cask and craft taps — is the regional yardstick.

Get a pint, take it outside, sit on the wall and watch the trains cross the King Edward VII Bridge. Closes early on weekdays. No food beyond pies and crisps; do your eating elsewhere and come for the drinks.

bars and cafes pub ouseburn