Redhouse

You'll find this handsome Georgian pub right on the Quayside, where the cobbles meet the Tyne and the views stretch across to Gateshead's glittering waterfront. The building's got proper bones – all dark wood and characterful nooks – but there's nothing dusty about what's happening inside. The beer selection runs deep, with local breweries getting their due alongside well-kept classics, and you'd be mad not to grab a table by the windows when the light hits the water just right. The food punches well above typical pub grub – think elevated comfort dishes that actually complement rather than compete with your pint. It's the sort of place that works equally well for a proper catch-up or settling in solo with the papers.