Heaton and Byker

Another trip east of Newcastle, this time taking in Heaton and Byker. A surprisingly varied crawl featuring two standout venues that made the journey worthwhile.

The Waiting Room

Area: Durham
Style: Railway Snug
Visit order: 1

The usual starter before boarding the train. Not a new one, but a refreshing pint on a sunny afternoon.

Heaton Road

The Last Resort

Area: Heaton
Style: Atmospheric Micropub
Visit order: 2

A wee walk from Byker Metro station and past the Tipsy Toad, which wasn’t open yet but ready for a visit on our way back towards Shields Road.
The Last Resort was a great find with a few friendly folk enjoying an afternoon drink. The owner gave us plenty of detail on the beers and the pub itself. They’ve recently opened an event space downstairs and the pub is embedding itself into the community and becoming a real asset.
We stayed here longer than planned. It was worth it for the beer and the chat. This place was a real find. Credit to my drinking partner for the day as it was his recommendation.

Brewery	Beer	ABV
Twice Brewed Brewing Co	Best Bitter	3.8%
RedWillow Brewery	Effortlessly Citra	3.7%
weekend project	meadows (keg)	5.2%
Brass Castle	Hoptical Illusion (keg)	4.3%

Tiipsy Toad

Area: Heaton Road
Style: Micropub
Visit order: 3

Not so many steps back down Heaton Road lies the Tipsy Toad. A compact micropub with additional seating stretching further into the unit and an eye-catching set of speakers that looked like they could pack a punch. A brief stop for a couple of beers before continuing our journey towards Byker.

Brewery	Beer	ABV
Pomona Island Brew Co.	Phaedra (keg)	5.0%
Brains Brewery	Barry Island IPA	4.5%

Shields Road – Byker

The High Main

Area: Shields Road
Style: Wetherspoons
Visit order: 4

Obligatory food stop at Wetherspoons. The outside doesn’t promise much, but it’s hiding a lovely interior. Food, beers and onwards.

Brewery	Beer	ABV
Metalhead Brewery	Pretty Vacant	4.1%
Arkell’s Brewery	Spring Hopper	4.0%
Erdinger Weissbräu	Erdinger Weißbier (bottle)	5.3%

Stepney Bridge – Byker

Donzoko Brewery And Taproom

Area: Byker Bridge
Style: Elegant Brewery Taproom
Visit order: 5

Having missed it on a previous visit, I was very please to finally make it here. Brewery taprooms vary in their comfort and warmth. We were rewarded by the effort that the Donzoko team have put in. Nice seating, an inviting bar and an excellent atmosphere. It’s a little like entering a speakeasy. And the most important thing, the beer was great. The Gose was a revelation, not up everyone’s street, but well worth a try.

Brewery	Beer	ABV
Donzoko Brewing Company	Smog	4.7%
Donzoko Brewing Company	Hidden Sounds	5.2%
Donzoko Brewing Company	Chile Lime Gose (keg)	3.5%

Central Newcastle

Gunner Tavern

Area: By Central Station
Style: Modern and popular
Visit order: 6

Back to the Gunner whilst waiting for the train. A couple of tasty brews in this fine establishment.

Brewery	Beer	ABV
Brew York	Maris The Otter	3.9%
Burnt Mill Brewery	Beyond The First – Citra & Centennial	4.8%

Another little trek to the east of the city. One that rewarded us with two highlights, the Last Resort and the Donzoko Brewery Taproom. Both well worth the trip out. I could have happily spent the whole day between the two of them.