Advice on visiting Newcastle, UK

I am visiting a friend who is studying there. I ll stay for 5 days.

Any advice e.g. where i should definitely go ?
Any advice what i should definitely avoid??

Another friend who is studying in Nottingham told me that in order to eat good food in a restaurant in England you have to pay a lot of money for it.
Is there any place in Newcastle I could prove him wrong??

Yep student here toooo

Thanx!

Not the classiest tips I've ever given, but you will have fun despite yourself:

1. Leave your coat at home, you'll look like a tourist.
2. Do as the local weekend millionaires do: bung a small bottle of spirits into someone's handbag and buy only mixers.
3. The former Poly bars are probably better than the Uni still.
4. Bigg Market. You'll hate yourself in the morning but... the Magaluf of the North.
5. Curry Hell, formerly Rupali, on the Bigg Market for the way home
6. The Boat - if it is still open. Oh the memories...

...I could do that if the sun is up and the temperature is round 15'C... I guess thats not the case so I ll probably look like a tourist...

Orrrr I could buy some isothermal underwear and stuff...

Thanx for the info !!!

Haha, sound advice. The Boat is indeed still open... not sure if the revolving dancefloor is still in action but the hordes of underage chancers/hen nights in pink feather boas/Gateshead lads looking to score certainly are! It's a laugh but I'd only recommend it to a visitor if I knew their tongue was firmly in their cheek! ;-)

Curry Hell is definitely one to go for, of course particularly if you like hot stuff (you can find more of that in the meat market... er sorry I meant Bigg Market outside) though the owner sadly died recently which was a cause of city-wide sadness. Best curry in town, to sit-in, anyway. You can eat well elsewhere, I'm a vegetarian so I swerve toward the more out of town independents but there is plenty of good scran to be had in the city centre. What's your preference?

Hmm, what else? Pubs and clubs... well I spend all my time in my friend's pub, next to Central Station (railway station) so I'm biased but it's a good, studenty, laidback area. Studenty is misrepresenting it a bit as students in Newcastle get on my tits and I love it there - it's just very laid back, people who don't give a fuck and who aren't checking the label on your jeans and whether the heels on your shoes are "so this year". You don't really get that anywhere in the Toon, but you're guaranteed not to get it round Pink Lane area. The name might give away that it leads into the Pink Triangle which is home to Newcastle's gay scene.

Don't know if you're after wild nights, and my advice on those is equally blinkered... but World Headquarters is the club I've been to pretty much every Saturday night since I was 16 is the best in my opinion. I can proudly proclaim to have only met three arseholes in there in the last six years (dated them all, ha ha ha, joke's on me). Even the doormen are lovely and the women's toilets are fabulous. It's one of their selling points, trust me. Granted I haven't enjoyed it quite so much since I knocked the illegals on the head but that's by the by. It's quite difficult to find, too, which keeps the the lairy drunks away... they get lost between the car parks I'm sure...

Other than those two (I recommend them so much) there are a million-and-one paint by numbers clubs down on the Quayside etc. Expensive, but if you're only around for one night then maybe you want to experience the night out your average Geordie has (just after payday, anyway!). Your pal will have their own ideas of course, just wanted to recommend :-) If you have a specific music/atmosphere in mind then just say and I'll suggest other options... Newcastle nightlife is my area of expertise.

Other than that - what else do you want to do? There's loads of cultural sightseeing and visiting to be done! Of course you will see the gorgeous Quayside etc. Erm, I'll get back to you... thinking on the spot is hard!

Fifteen degrees is time to put your shorts on in Newcastle!

Its nice to hang round the Quayside and the bridges on a nice day. I think the baltic art centre is free to go in and you get a cracking view if you go to the top level. I find the art odd.

Places to avoid. Biker (spellign probbably wrong) and Walker - unlikely you'd end up there anyway.

There are nice pubs in Jesmond.

The beaches at Tynemouth are stunning - though it will probably be a bit nippy for a swim. If your there go round to the fish quay and get some truly excellent fish and chips.

Great tips there, nearly forgot the very good pies at St James' Park (though it pains me as a Boro supporter to type that), if you're interested try and catch a match.
Biker? rich_mole you're showing your youth. As for Jesmond? Posh boy.

I didn't know the Rupali man was dead - that's a bloody shame.
The Casino Royale has many memories for me including helping folk chuck the benches over the side witnessing random acts of vandalism and seeing drunk folk spin off the dancefloor.
Newcastle is a top night out and a half.

Wear underwear of any sort up North and you'll stand out like a sore thumb.

My advice, (unless its changed) would be to avoid the big market.

As has been said, its going to be over freezing this weekend up North so leave your jacket at home and most NE English people will have no idea what a scarf is.

I would also leave your Umberalla at home, they do not use them either.

If you get bored of Newcastle (not an easy thing to do) you could also try Durham (nice city to visit, night life is, ok..) or Sunderland (night life is ok but there isn't much else there).

Compared to germany you will laways have the feeling things are more expensive, because they are..

Exceptions to this are the William jamesons pub chain.

Which Newcastle? There are four of them in England alone according to Wikipedia:

1. Newcastle, Herefordshire
2. Newcastle, Shropshire (Newcastle on Clun), Shropshire
3. Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire
4. Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear

Thanks for the info people.
Really interesting i ll definitely go to Curry Hell and some of the clubs you suggested. As I get it there are a lot of things to do during the day, i hope the weather isnt bad...

So no coat , no underwear, hmm that leaves some free space in my suitcase...

Leaving tomorrow i ll get back to you when I return!!

Schadenfrau I d love to do some cultural sightseeing but it also depends on what my friends would like to do...

But i think with what all of you are advising and my friend's ideas we will have a great time there!

From my experience of Newcastle on a Friday night wearing anything apart from your underwear makes you stand out.

Ok I am really curious to see what people are wearing there...
Maybe I shouldnt even take my suitcase with me...
Now that i think of it...
Does that nudist-fly air company leave from Munich airport to Newcastle???

Really, the girls in particular wear next to nothing. Maybe it's changed recently but I doubt it.

I've seen lasses wearing something akin to a nightshirt when it's freezing.

Haha, it's funny 'cause it's true!

I was out on Friday night and the general uniform was something resembling three tic-tacs held together with some dental floss. That's without even mentioning the "hen night uniform".

However it's not like that everywhere. The places I mentioned and in the bars down by Central Station it's a lot more normal. By normal I mean there are some lasses in dresses and heels but nothing obscene, and there are also people in jeans and Converse. In the Bigg Market and The Gate (big enclosed complex of bars and restaurants) it's more akin to nightshirts. Uniform for men there is a checky shirt and offensively-bad-fitting jeans or the preppy uniform which is some kind of Pringle-esque jumper, loafers and a modified mullet which horrifies me. You will have a good chuckle pointing and laughing, if nothing else ;-)

Oh, I hadn't been to this cafe/restaurant for ages but I was there for lunch today and reminded of how fab it is. It's called Belle & Herbs on Heaton Road in Heaton (suburb). Cheap and loads of really creative dishes. There's also the Sky Apple Cafe in Heaton which is a veggie cafe but is also wonderful. Heaton's pretty good for cheap, off-the-radar but yummy food.

Have fun! Report back when you return

What Katrina said, but with more and MORE sneaked into the nightclub vodka.

Jesmond's "nice" but there are hardly any pubs there becasue of the areas history.
Byker and Walker are NOT "nice" and don't feature on a tourist itinery but some canny drinking along the City Road.

Picked up a bloke there in the taxi office under the Metro viaduct, funny story and a half that one but a bit too risqué for TT.

It should be also noted that in Newcastle you may be offered a different type of ride home in the taxi queue.
Lovely trip down Nostalgia Lane this thread.

A mate of mine in Newcastle reguarly used to pay for his taxi ride with favours so to speak.

Don't remember seeing that one. What happens there?

And to answer the original question. When you go into a bar ask for a bottle of dog. Then once you know what it is try ordering the same in any other part of the UK and look for the glazed look from the barstaff.

Sounds like you need to come on my North of England appreciation evening on Friday.

Dog comes from telling the wife that you're off walking the dog instead of going for a pint. Had to learn that bank in my student barmaiding days, can still pour a pint mind.
Think have something else on, but thanks for the invite!

Hannover Garden late at night if you want to get a good view of the <cough> "Swing Bridge".

So... I m back and had a really great time...

In general the things I alone planned for us to do where quite different from what we finally did. I had forgotten how it is to try and make plans with 2 other guys...We hadn't been together for a long time and we remembered the old "nothing planned , wake up and we ll see what we do..." times.

My friend's house is in Heaton, but we hang out in the centre most of the time. First night we went to Vineyard for a first beer, and then we went to the nearby club "Tup Tup "just opposite of St.Nicholas church.

Next day we were lucky as the weather was really good (I heard it reached 15'C ... ) We went for a coffee to a place next to the impressive Millennium Bridge and to the Baltic Art Centre. Yes art is kind of weird but the view is great.
But we were also lucky as there was the 32nd Newcastle Beer and Cider festival . We been there Thursday and Friday and I m really happy I tried some interesting beers and ciders ( Gazza's Tears 10% alcohol woohooooo)...

The next days the weather was quite bad. We been to Liquid club (big club not too crowded). Saturday we remembered our rock and metal years and went to Legends rock club, much better than I expected. 2 areas, the big one with metal,industrial etc while the smaller one with punk,ska etc. Sunday we been to Mushroom club, underground club, nice music.

Monday noon we went to Durham. I loved that place great landscape, and a beautiful castle and cathedral. Unique experience for me. Monday (our last) night we went to a huge club named Tiger-Tiger. Impressive place with many areas , good music, and lots of partying people.

I must say I had a lot of fun in Newcastle. I had no idea I would find such a nightlife there. People really party a lot (I guess thats everywhere in the UK?) and they love it.

And the girls...Oh the girls... Ok they dont wear too much, just whats needed, but most of them were so good looking and sexy. So they do well not wearing that much.
And the even better thing is that they party a lot , drink etc...
There were 3 very happy men in Newcastle for 6 days...
But really how can they go outside only wearing a mini skirt and a shirt, while the temperatures are round 0???Amazing. Maybe thats the reason for that perfect skin.
Oh ... those girls.

I guess the myth that English girls are ugly, and "cold" was spread from the ugly fat greek girls back home...

I totally realize what is written in some threads for English supermarkets and the large selection of products they have. Yep its true, how can we bring Sainsbury's in Germany (should we all email them? ) ? Sainsbury's because of those Quadruple Chocolate "Taste The Difference" Cookies. Heavenly taste i d say...

And the prices were really higher than the ones here. But i guess people there make that kind of money. Or they have to work also on Sundays to make them (weird all supermarkets there, were open Sunday till 22:00). I didn't visit the centre on that day...Are all shops in the UK open Sundays or just supermarkets ?
Another minor problem was that I learned English from a Canadian teacher so I found it kind of hard to understand the accent in Newcastle. But after a while you get used to it I guess.

And my advice for any person from southern (say Mediterranean ) countries visiting Newcastle... Take your jacket with you even if you look like a tourist...It can get really cold there and the wind is almost always there making things worse. Or wear isothermal underwear.

So I am planning my next trip to UK. To my friend in Nottingham maybe... We ll see...

No. They rob the posh cunts who live in Gosforth and Durham City, fiddle the social, the till where they work - and deal drugs.
Gan canny!

Hasn't changed - nowhere in England where I've been so far.
Going out in the evening wearing black trousers, relatively flat boots and "normal" nice t-shirt (meaning nothing extremely tight or with spaghetti straps etc.) - I always feel soooo out of place and frumpy. Here in Hamburg it's normal to wear casual clothes, in England you see a lot of bellies, tits and arses that would look much better covered with SOME fabric...
imo.

suggestions for a saturday night of debauchery in newcastle please??

A Saturday night in Newcastle is debauchery by definition.

Spot on Pas!

went to some rock place called Legends, then moved onto Liquid. The only place ive ever been which charges an unusual sum of £8.20 for entry. why not just £8...?
anyway, good night had by all