The WonderBar

You'll find this place spread across multiple floors in The Gate, and it's exactly what Newcastle nightlife should be - unpretentious, energetic, and reliably good fun. The bar staff actually know what they're doing, the music policy doesn't try too hard to be cool, and you can move between different rooms depending on your mood or how many drinks you've had. It's not trying to be the fanciest spot in town, and that's precisely why it works. The crowd is a proper mix - students, office workers letting off steam, and groups celebrating something or other. You'll queue on weekends, but it moves fast enough that you won't lose the will to live before getting in.