- Play Hard
- 17th Oct 2025
- 0
- 0 minute
14 new openings to know about in the North East
Awesome Franks
Lyndhurst Avenue, West Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 3HH
Jesmond just got a new sandwich bar with serious style. Created by Alex Walker (of Scream for Pizza fame), Awesome Franks serves artisan sandwiches made with locally sourced ingredients and bread from Northern Rye, plus coffee, fine deli goods, natty wines and quirky vibes.
Flower Café, Jesmond
73 Osborne Road, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 2AN
The popular Newcastle hangout, Flower Café, has brought its signature pink interiors, fresh bakes and matcha to Osbourne Road. From morning coffees to after-work cocktails and everything in between, this is a great new hangout spot, particularly for students as they have student offers every day (£2 matcha, such a bargain).
Namaste Prosecco Bay Lounge
3 Queen’s Parade, Seaburn, Sunderland, SR6 8DA
A beachfront Indian restaurant, cocktail bar and prosecco lounge in one? Namaste Prosecco Bay is bringing top-class Indian dining and seafront sunset drinks to Seaburn. Expect butter chicken + bellinis, a music lounge with vibes every night, and live music every Friday and Saturday from 9.30pm. Definitely not your standard curry house.
Skin & Co
16 Oldgate, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 1LX
A beautifully designed new skin clinic in Morpeth offering luxury facials, injectables, peels and results-led skin treatments, without feeling clinical. Think muted tones, warm lighting and expert-led consultations. Time to get the best skin of your life.
Sunday Coffee & Kitchen
49 Pudding Chare, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1
Sunday Coffee & Kitchen is back. Colourful décor, chilled atmosphere and a much bigger space, you can expect all of your favourites, with a menu that only uses premium, vegan ingredients. Think acai bowls, matcha, pancakes and delicious things on toast – with a side of friendly service. You’ll want to stay for hours.
Saela Sauna
Cobalt Studios (Back Yard), Stepney Road, Shieldfield, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 1TZ
Scandi-style wellness hits Ouseburn. Saela Sauna offers a wood-fired sauna cabin, handcrafted in Denmark, with a cold plunge pool, fire pits and vibes. Book a session, sweat it out, then jump into the cold. No experience necessary – it’s a great place to hang out, meet likeminded people, unwind and connect.
Sanco Pizza
The Forge, Forth Banks, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3AA
Pizza lovers, your prayers have been answered with this new opening. A new concept for the North East, this is pizza with no limits. Turn on the light at your table and you’ll be brought slice after slice of authentic Neapolitan pizza – no ordering, no choosing, this is pizza roulette where you can try a bit of everything – and it only stops when you turn off the light. This is what we imagine heaven to be like.
Fika & Co
7a High Street, Norton Village, TS20 1AH
A new Nordic-inspired venue bringing chic minimalism, excellent pastries and reimagined tapas to Norton. Slow mornings with breakfast platters, a lunchtime pick-me-up, or laidback evening vibes Thursday to Saturday, the menu here looks so good. With a vibe of slowing down, sharing food and spending time well, this is a new favourite.
Steam & Bean Coffeehouse, Middlesbrough
Unit 2 Rede House, Corporation Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 1LY
Just one look at their Instagram and we can tell this is our kind of place. Steam & Bean is a new daytime speciality coffee spot in Boro, serving ceremonial grade matcha in every flavour you can think of, sweet and savoury brunch, and excellent coffee. A solid laptop-and-latte location.
Scotswood Showbar
78 Scotswood Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 7JH
Camp, comedy, karaoke and cabaret in one. Scotswood Showbar is Newcastle’s newest live entertainment venue hosting drag nights, tribute acts and outrageously good times in the heart of the Toon. If you like your weekends loud and glittery, this is the one.
Lazy Bear Tipi Bar
Neville Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 5DL
The autumn/winter pop-up with full alpine energy is back for Chrismtas. Lazy Bear is a twinkly tipi bar serving hot cocktails, toasted marshmallows, and mulled everything. Think fire pits, blankets, live music and Christmas market vibes before the markets even arrive. Festive mood, activated.
Omniplex Cinema
4 Lambton Street, Sunderland, SR1 1TP
OK, not strictly a new opening, but Sunderland’s Omniplex cinema has had a £4m glow-up and now features The Avenue, a luxury cinema experience with reclining seats, cocktail bar and dine-in snacks that go way beyond nachos. Movie night but make it boujee.
Aperture Alehouse, North Shields
63-65 West Percy Street, North Shields, NE29 0DS
One we’ve been waiting for. Aperture Alehouse is a neighbourhood gem in North Shields, merging bar and bottle shop vibes. Expect a curated selection of craft beers, natural wines, local spirits and relaxed charm. Think exposed brick walls, golden lighting and serious devotion to drinks that deserve to be savoured — not slammed.
The Rabbit Hole at The Vampire Rabbit
29 Collingwood Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1JE
Open every Friday and Saturday night, The Rabbit Hole at popular cocktail bar The Vampire Rabbit promises an immersive experience where guests can gather around a piano and enjoy timeless classics performed live. A new bar in the space, Bar Diablerio is an intimate, French Baroque-inspired hideaway where master mixologists will create the signature cocktails that the bar is known for.
Subscribe
Subscribe now to receive our twice-weekly emails and exclusive offers for High Life North readers.