- Play Hard
- 18th Sep 2026
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17 new openings you’ll want to know about in the North East
Your local explore list just got longer…
Introducing the newest North East hotspots to have on your radar.
Jungli
3-5 Hood Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6JQ
The award-winning team from Jesmond favourite Chakh Dhoom is bringing Jungli, a vibrant new day-to-night café, bar and dining concept, bringing a playful, modern spin to Indian-inspired food. You can expect small plates and sharing bites alongside firm favourites with a twist, served up with signature cocktails and live music.
Aurelius at Matfen Hall
Matfen Hall, Matfen Village, Northumberland NE20 0RH
Northumberland’s only five-star hotel has unveiled Aurelius, a brand new spa marking the final phase of Matfen Hall’s transformation, bringing together water and hydrotherapy, thermal experiences like a Himalayan salt sauna, and dedicated relaxation rooms for quiet reflection. Beyond the treatments, it introduces some of the region’s most advanced wellness therapies, including whole-body cryotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and red light therapy, alongside a salon for hair and beauty and The Garden Kitchen for a relaxed, nourishing menu.
Padel Court Club
Quorum Park, The Hub, Benton Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne NE12 8BU
Padel Court Club has officially opened its Newcastle venue at Quorum Park, part of a growing UK-wide roster that already includes York and Sedgefield, with further sites planned across the country. Beyond the courts themselves, the club is built around coaching, group classes, food and drink, and a social side, aiming to be a community as much as a place to play.
WYLD
Freight Island, 54 Newgate Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 5RQ
WYLD brings a new live-fire restaurant, late-night cocktail bar and stage to Freight Island Newcastle, opening Friday 25th September under Executive Chef Nick Grieves, founder of The Patricia and Ophelia, and Senior Sous Chef Lawrence Norman of SOKU. Expect live-fire cooking built around North East ingredients, panoramic city views, and evenings that shift gear into live vocals, sax players and DJs.
Full Circle Brew Co.
Fenwick Newcastle (first floor), 39 Northumberland Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7AS
Newcastle-based Full Circle Brew Co. is bringing its first-ever pub to Fenwick Newcastle, opening in October on the first floor space previously home to the Golden Flake Tavern, Fenwick’s 2025 collaboration with Greggs. The pub, Full Circle’s first permanent venue away from its brewery and taproom at Hoults Yard in Ouseburn, will pour 12 taps and two cask lines of its own beers alongside guest beers, collaborations and tap takeovers from independent breweries across the UK, with food courtesy of well-known Newcastle street food vendor Peckin’ Order.
Black Sheep Coffee
Upper Red Mall, Metrocentre, Gateshead NE11 9YG
Black Sheep Coffee has opened its doors at Metrocentre, the coffee chain’s latest expansion into key UK regions, known for being the first to serve speciality-grade Robusta coffee as its house bean. The large-format store seats 80, with the choice of settling in indoors, heading out onto the concourse, or grabbing an order-and-go, with a menu spanning house brews, espresso, ceremonial-grade matcha, smoothies and iced drinks, alongside Norwegian waffles, pastries, cakes and all-day breakfasts with vegetarian-friendly options.
Malarkey Vintage
14 Foundry Lane, Ouseburn, Newcastle upon Tyne NE6 1LH
It’s no secret that Ouseburn has a thriving vintage scene and Malarkey is one of the shops that proves that claim. Recently moved into a bigger permanent home, just two minutes down the road from its previous place on Stepney Road. The vintage shop, known for its Y2K pieces, accessories and jewellery, first caught attention with a pop-up at The BottleWorks, and this new space marks its next chapter after a very successful past year.
Forbes Finishings
No. 193, Park View, Whitley Bay NE26 3RD
Entrepreneur Aoife Forbes is bringing the North East’s first-ever gift wrapping shop to Park View, opening as a pop-up from Monday 14th to Sunday 20th December, offering a range of wrapping services from one-off items wrapped while you wait to overnight turnaround for larger gift hauls, alongside workshops, demonstrations and dedicated wrap parties. You can choose between traditional gift wrap or sustainable alternatives like old maps, comics and music scores, with discounts and incentives on offer if you bring in purchases from other local independent shops too.
Crocs Outlet
Dalton Park, Murton, County Durham SR7 9HU
The North East’s first Crocs outlet is opening at Dalton Park this autumn, with a full weekend of offers to mark the arrival. The store brings Crocs’ clogs, sandals, slippers and accessories for adults and children at outlet prices, with personalisation at the heart of the experience through a wide range of Jibbitz charms. As temperatures drop, the range extends into cosy fleece-lined Crocs and slippers, alongside classic styles and stocking filler-friendly accessories.
Balér
23 Fawcett Street, Sunniside, Sunderland SR1 1RH
Balér brings authentic Filipino cuisine to the former Vestry site on Fawcett Street, serving Chicken Inasal, Lumpiang Togue and Ribeye Beef Salpicao, alongside traditional drinks like Ube Latte and homemade Filipino ice cream. Another must-try spot serving up high quality asian cuisine in Sunderland’s centre.
Blacks Corner
Culture House, Keel Square, Sunderland SR1 3DX
Blacks Corner brings its farmhouse cheese and charcuterie speciality to Sunderland city centre, another major step for the business after proving its success with its East Boldon and Seaburn locations. The new spot presents its cheese in a fresh way via the North East’s first cheese conveyor, alongside breakfasts, coffees, snacks, small plates and wines in an 80-cover bar and restaurant.
Image credit: @geordie.scran
Atletico 70
Ashbrooke Sports Club, West Lawn, Sunderland SR2 7HH
The team behind Mexico 70 on Sunderland’s High Street West are now serving their delicious Mexican small plates in the historic Ashbrooke Sports Club. Burritos, rice bowls and tacos served casual takeaway style, whether you’re eating in the bar area, pitchside or grabbing a bite to take home. It’s the kind of addition that will take this beloved club to a proper hangout spot.
The Forth
Gosforth Central, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 1JZ
The Forth, a new independent bookshop, is coming to Gosforth Central, the latest addition from the team behind award-winning Forum Books. This fourth venture promises a hand-picked, eye-popping range of beautiful books for all ages and tastes, with the same warm, browsable feel that’s made its sister shops local favourites. Work on the fit-out is already underway, with a Gosforth opening date expected to follow soon.
The Standard
2 West Percy Street, North Shields NE29 0AG
A long-empty corner of North Shields, sitting at the junction of West Percy Street and Church Way, is finally getting a new lease of life. After years of speculation and online guesswork about what might move in, the building is transforming into The Standard, a new coffee shop opening late October. The cosy corner spot will serve up speciality coffee, other hot and cold drinks, sweet treats, sarnies and other bites.
The Riverside Cafe
Ground Floor, The Beam, Plater Way, Sunderland SR1 3AD
Restaurateurs Vito Farigu and Tam Hassan, the pair behind Sheepfolds Stables Vito’s Osteria and Ember, have opened The Riverside Cafe on the ground floor of The Beam. The bakery counter and grab-and-go fridges cover fresh pastries and bread baked daily on site, alongside juices and coffees, while the cafe side serves brunches, including waffles, pancakes, French toast and sandwiches made with the in-house bread, plus an extensive wine menu.
Spuds with an Indian Twist
Queens Parade, Seaburn, Sunderland SR6 8DE
Namaste Prosecco Bay Lounge in Seaburn has grown, with owner Razz Ahmed converting an archway between Namaste and The Promenade into its own small kitchen and entrance. Hearty spuds topped with a variety of curries, open seven days a week and the perfect way to warm up after a long, chilly walk along the coast.
NIPO
95 Quayside, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3DH
Japanese-Brazilian dining is headed for the Quayside with the opening of NIPO on 23rd September. Taking its name from the Nipo-Brasileiro community of São Paulo, shaped by more than a century of Japanese migration to Brazil, the concept brings Japanese precision together with Brazilian fire, sushi and robata-style cooking meeting fire-cooked picanha, served up among leather banquettes and beautiful floral displays.
Molly Ferry
CONTENT ASSISTANT
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