10 hidden gems to discover in Newcastle this summer

If you’re after getting coffee from somewhere a little different than your usual local cafe, then pick up a brew from Zee’s Beans. They serve specialty coffee, along with freshly baked sweet treats, out of a converted old Land Rover. You can find them at the City Stadium on Warwick Street, Heaton, Monday-Sunday.

A tiny dumpling house in the Grainger Market in the city centre specialising in handmade authentic Chinese dumplings, wontons, and baos. Everything on the menu is worth trying and thankfully it is also incredibly affordable, which means that you’ll quickly work your way through sampling everything they have to offer.  

Inspired by Hungarian teahouses, this place offers an extensive menu offering a huge variety of teas from across the world. Alongside the vast teas to sip on, they also plates up breakfasts, toasted sandwiches, salads and soups, alongside freshly baked goods. Downstairs they have a wonderfully cosy cinema showing a range of films, often with a different theme each week, and they are always free entry.

A taproom and event space run by local craft beer brewery Northern Alchemy. Housed, as the name suggests, in an old coal yard. The beer is also poured directly from the on-site brewing tanks, so you’ll be hard pushed to find a fresher pint. Although you don’t have to just be a beer head to enjoy your time here, they also serve up wines, spirits, soft drinks and tea and coffee.

Located up a hidden-away staircase, tucked inside the entrance to the Grainger Market, this foliage-covered spot serves up excellent cocktails. Alongside the drinks there’s a series of events held, ranging from DJs to music quizzes, and you’ll also find grub served until late by Zucchini pasta bar.

Ernie is a little deli serving freshly made focaccia sandwiches, coffee and snacks from their outdoor counter. Inside is also a great selection of local produce and crafty booze. Ernest is the café bar above the deli, focusing more on tasty fresh food, beers and cocktails. Pre-COVID they also hosted DJs, film screenings and comedy events, so keep your eyes peeled for the hopeful return of those.

A tiny two-floor photography gallery showing a variety of interesting exhibitions, with a specific focus on documentary photography. It’s always free entry and the staff are incredibly knowledgeable and helpful, providing their own interesting input on the work being displayed. There’s also the Side cinema, an intimate 51-seat cinema, showing a thoughtfully curated series of films and related discussions.

 A department store of independent sellers offering a vast range of vintage treasures such as furniture, homewares, vinyl, books, comics, clothes, electronics and accessories. Alongside this there’s plenty of original handcrafted goods, as well as a large selection of plants.

A bicycle café at the end of the Quayside, away from town. They offer reasonably priced bike hire, along with tasty coffee and fresh food. It’s also conveniently situated on the start of the Newcastle-Tynemouth cycle path, which is a great activity to do as a group or a family – especially on one of the tandems that you can hire from there. There’s also a workshop there should you need to tune up your bike before your next outing or get that longstanding puncture fixed.

A volunteer-run DIY space hosting a range of events such as films, club nights and gigs. It is set up as an open-to-join co-operative housed in a building it owns, dedicated to grass roots culture. Every aspect is programmed by the community involved with the place, and the result is an eclectic and intriguing, yet consistent, series of events. They’re always looking for new volunteers, too, should you want to get involved and start putting on events for the community.