The Cooperage (Newcastle)

...this place under clubs. While the Coperage has several popular club nights it is first and foremost a pub and I wrote this before I found out the category had changed.*


Nestling in a dramatic curve of very old timbered buildings close to Newcastle’s Quayside, the Cooperage is one of those establishments which manages to be all things to all customers without ever losing what makes it so special. The Cooperage itself dates back ...
...formelry the premises of a cooper (a barrel maker).Downstairs as you enter there is a lovely traditional bar with a couple of tables and a few high stools at the bar and at the windows – a great place to sit and watch the world go by. The view is a little restricted by recent developments but you can see the famous arch of the Tyne Bridge and beyond it on the Gateshead side of the river you can see the wonderful curved roof of the new Sage Centre ... more

* Before you read this, I must stress that Ciao has decide to put this place under clubs. While the Coperage has several popular club nights it is first and foremost a pub and I wrote this before I found out the category had changed.*

Nestling in a dramatic curve of very old timbered buildings close to Newcastle’s Quayside, the Cooperage is one of those establishments which manages to be all things to all customers without ever losing what makes it so special. The Cooperage itself dates back to the 14th century and – you’ve guessed it! –was formelry the premises of a cooper (a barrel maker).Downstairs as you enter there is a lovely traditional bar with a couple of tables and a few high stools at the bar and at the windows – a great place to sit and watch the world go by. The view is a little restricted by recent developments but you can see the famous arch of the Tyne Bridge and beyond it on the Gateshead side of the river you can see the wonderful curved roof of the new Sage Centre for Music.

Next door an adjoining room is basically a “games room” for want of a better word with pool table, darts board and TV set for the football matches.There’s a hatch for bar sevrice meaning you don’t have to stray far from your game.

To the left of the main pub entrance it’s a bit more upmarket and is known as Bar Coco and Club Havana, a fairly recent addition to the premises. From 12.00 until 7.00pm this room is used for meals and is known as the “Three Regions Restaurant”. As yet I’ve not eaten here but it is on my list of places to get round to eating at. The cuisine is Peruvian – in fact the only Peruvian restaurant in the city and for some distance beyond – and I’ve heard only good reports. The chef is a personal friend of the ex-Newcastle midfielder Nolberto Solano (now at Aston Villa) and the story goes that Nol was so homesick for home-cooking that he suggested to his friend that he should set up somewhere in Newcastle. Many dishes bear similarities to Mexican food with beans and rice featuring heavily but there is a wealth of seafood to choose from too. You can choose between lighter tapas style plates or full main courses. Its also possible to order the more typical bar snacks and meals such as filled baguettes and jacket potatoes in the main bar area.

Upstairs is a good-sized space which is used for all kinds of events. There are regular monthly or weekly club nights for all kinds of musical genres; a weekly Cuban salsa night is very popular comprising an hours dance lesson followed by a general dance night and a regular goth night has been well patronized for several years now as well as indie and rock nights. While it is not really suitable for full gigs, the large floor space make it suitable for dancing and the little nooks and crannies mean that even at an event which is quite noisy, you can usually get a table far enough away to be able to chat with friends. This space is also used regularly for one-off events such as album release promotions so it’s always worth keeping an eye open to see what’s coming up.

The Cooperage is somewhere that has been a favourite haunt for many years. Its varied jukebox has always had a good mix of classics and new tunes as well as having a selection from most genres. It’s a great place to come with a group of people with differing tastes; no-one feels uncomfortable, no-one sticks out like a sore thumb.

This is also reflected in the variety of drinks available. Not only does the Cooperage stock a good range of tequilas for the demanding party folk who frequent the Quayside but it also sells a frequently changing range of conditioned cask ales as well as Stones, Worthingtons, Caffreys, Grolsch, Bass and Carling. While drinks are not at rock bottom prices they are considerably cheaper than most of the bars in this area. Some younger folk do drink in the bar but most come for a particular club night, enjoying a drink downstairs before going up to the club venue. This leaves the bar open to people over the age of thirty (I would estimate!) and makes the Cooperage a much more pleasant and comfortable option than other places in the area.

There are toilets upstairs in the club venue as well as downstairs for people using the bar. Those downstairs are accessible to wheelchair users but, due to the age of the building, it is not possible for wheelchair users to use the facilities upstairs.

There is some, but not much, parking nearby and Sunday drinkers will find the parking even more limited by the Quayside market which is held on the parking area! The nearest Metro station is Monument and the Cooperage is a five minute walk down the grandeur of Grey Street. The uphill climb back into town is one I never relish!

For architectural interest the Cooperage is surely worth a visit. To enjoy a good beer in great surroundings is a definite bonus….and if you sample the food, let me know what it’s like!
 

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