Collingwood Arms

You'll find this tucked into Brandling Village, where the Jesmond bubble meets actual neighbourhood life. The Collingwood manages that rare trick of being both a student-friendly spot and somewhere the locals who've been here since the 90s still pop in for their evening pint. No gastro-pub pretensions here – just solid beer, reasonable prices for the postcode, and the kind of atmosphere where you can settle in with the Sunday papers or catch up with mates without anyone trying to upsell you on small plates. The regulars clearly know something the rest of us are catching onto. It's got that lived-in feel that newer Jesmond spots spend years trying to manufacture, and the staff actually seem to enjoy working there.