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United Kinkdom : New Castle - December 2008
Country Code: Dial ++44 for United Kinkdom
Newcastle comes alive with
Christmas spirit during
December. Marissa Carruthers
hits the town to do some
seasonal shopping, keeps the
winter’s bite at bay in the city’s
best restaurants and dances
the night away in some of its
hottest clubs
Getting around
Newcastle International Airport,
Train: Metros also run directly from the airport to various locations across the city centre. Trains depart every 15 minutes until 11.59pm. The journey from the airport to the city centre takes 20 minutes and a single ticket costs €2,66/£2.10
Taxi: You can pick a taxi up from outside Arrivals. The journey to the city centre will cost about €12/£10 and takes 10 minutes.
Tourist information: Newcastle Tourist Information Centre is at 8-9 Central Arcade in the city centre (tel. (0)191 277 8000).
CITY CENTRE
Take a stroll down the city’s historic
Grey Street, stop off at some of the
many cafés, restaurants and bars,
or hit the shops and enjoy the
spectacular Christmas lights on
Northumberland Street.
Sleep soundly – Enjoy a good night’s
sleep in the comfortable Surtees Hotel, right in the heart of the city.
Culture vultures – Take the kids to the
Theatre Royal’s (100 Grey Street,
theatreroyal.co.uk) panto Robinson
Crusoe and the Carribean Pirates.
Browse for locally crafted gifts –
including jewellery, paintings and clothes
– at the popular Art Bazaar Street
Market (Laman Street) on 6 December.
Must eat – Sample some of the
region’s finest food at The Grainger
Rooms (7 Higham Place, tel. (0)191 232
4949). Try the game sausages with roast
hazlenuts, boozy raisins and carrot
puree, or the North Shields smoked
haddock with a farmhouse Cheddar
crust and saffron. If you want something
a little different, tuck into tapas with
a Vietnamese twist at Barn Asia
(Waterloo Square, tel. (0)191 221 1000).
Must drink – to one of the city’s
trendiest spots, Tokyo (17 Westgate
Road), where you can sit back on comfy
sofas and soak up the atmosphere.
Shop til you drop – Hit the high-
City lowdown
street shops on Northumberland Street,
stopping off to look at Fenwicks’ (39
Northumberland Street) famous annual
Christmas window display.
HEATON
Despite being home to Newcastle’s
student population, Heaton offers
classy bars, upmarket eating and
attracts a cool crowd looking for fun.
Culture vultures – Wrap up warm and
take a walk through Heaton Park
(Heaton Park View). Sample some
typical Geordie humour at the famous
Shoe Tree, a tree hung with locals’ shoes.
Must eat – Kooky Sky Apple Cafe (182
Heaton Road, tel. (0)191 209 2571) is a
vegetarian restaurant offering delicious
dishes like Caribbean banana curry.
Must drink – Chill out over a bottle of
wine at Echo Bar (40 Wharton Terrace).
GATESHEAD AND THE QUAYSIDE
Sample some of the city’s best restaurants and bars while looking
out on Newcastle’s famous bridges over the River Tyne. Or venture to the other side of the water for a night out in Gateshead.
Sleep soundly – Escape the hustle and
bustle of city life at the Swallow
Gateshead.
Culture vultures – The Baltic Centre
for Contemporary Art (Gateshead
Quays, South Shore Road, balticmill.
com) is a must. From 14 December, it’s
home to Yoko Ono’s Between the Sky
and My Head.
Must eat – Try the upmarket Silk
Room Restaurant and Champagne
Bar (Pandon Bankside, tel. (0)191
260 3506) for a menu full of locally
produced food like loin of Northumbrian
lamb with black pudding or Hexham
goats’ cheese with red onions and ham.
Dance the night away – Hear a mix of R’n’B and funky house at Sea (Quayside).
Shop til you drop – The MetroCentre
(off the A1, Gateshead) is a must for all
those shopoholics out there. Enjoy the
Christmas lights and carols while you
browse the 300-odd shops here.
GOSFORTH
Escape the city, kick back and relax in
one of Newcastle’s quieter suburbs.
Sleep soundly – Take a break in style
at the Marriott Hotel Gosforth Park.
Must eat – Set in a former church,
Loch Fyne (West Avenue, tel. (0)191 255
9320), serves exquisite seafood, such
as grilled halibut with new potatoes or
smoked fish pie topped with
Isle of Mull gratin.
Must drink – Spend an evening
in the lively Three
Mile Inn (Great
North Road).
Compiled by Marissa Carruthers
|
Previous issues for New Castle
|
Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy,
please confirm event/venue details in advance. |
