The Merchants Tavern

You'll find this proper pub right on St Peter's Wharf, where the Quayside meets the river and the views actually matter. The Merchants sits in one of those Victorian buildings that survived the redevelopment, giving you that authentic Newcastle pub feel without the tourist trap nonsense that plagues some of the more central spots. The crowd here is a good mix – locals who've been coming for years, office workers grabbing a pint after work, and the occasional visitor who's wandered off the main drag. The food goes beyond your standard pub grub, though they haven't forgotten how to do a proper Sunday roast. When the weather's decent, the riverside location really comes into its own.