Initial Reaction: Being that we were unexpectedly staying for the night due to the weather further…read morenorth, through my Yelp search, I found some cocktail lounges to check out. The Botanist was an excellent find when we stayed the night in downtown Newcastle. Located on Monument Mall, you have to up three flights of stairs or take the lift (elevator) to reach the main bar and lounge that has a strong botanical garden theme that is quite beautiful, especially with the location being under a dome. The dome is gorgeous and really enhances the botanical garden and atrium effect. The cocktails are very good as well. I ordered a buttered coconut old fashioned that was quite rich and creamy, but very satisfying with the toasted coconut and butter-washed Makers Mark bourbon with homemade salted honey syrup. My wife enjoyed her Botanist Ultimate Gin & Tonic as we took a table with these plushy lounge chairs. The bartender was fantastic and friendly in making us the cocktails. Really nice guy who made us feel at home. Additionally, they have a rooftop balcony to enjoy the drinks; however, on this evening, it was windy and cold (at least for us Floridians) to where we decided to stay warmer inside. But we would return in a heartbeat.

Best kabobs eve! The peri peri chicken was moist and had tremendous flavor. Incredible atmosphere…read morein the main atrium. Save room for the shared cookie dough; one of the best desserts I've had!

We first fell in love with The Alchemist in London and now we make sure it's always on our list to…read morego back to whenever we can! The Social #1 is perfect to share for lunch or a light dinner, which includes nachos, pulled pork croquets & tempura prawns (amongst other goodies!), however, if you are a vegetarian, the Social #2 also sounds delicious! Our favourite experience of the entire visit, was The Mad Hatters sharing cocktail, as it adds a bit of theatre - we had everyone in the restaurant staring at us!! The price of everything here is a little bit more than what you would pay for at a normal bar but absolutely worth it. To read our full review visit: https://www.sandlblog.com/post/our-last-escape

The Alchemist is located in Grey's Quarter in intu Eldon Square, I called in here while walking…read morearound the city of Newcastle after grabbing my Hilton breakfast but thinking of somewhere to go for my lunch or dinner later, so I called in here hoping to grab a menu. This place was quiet. Very quiet. Due to the quiet and not very busy nature of this place when I called, I expected good, quick service and the member of staff to explain the gluten free menu to me more and what I could and couldn't eat however that didn't happen. I just waited. And waited. And waited. After about 3 or 4 minutes, I just decided to leave as despite a member of staff being there and noticing me, she made no attempt to come over to me, greet me, attempt to sit me at a table or anything like that which was a real shame. I know The Alchemist is a chain, and judging by the Yelp reviews of its' branches in London and Manchester it seems to be fairly popular, however this one located in the Eldon Square shopping mall really does lack for service, the overall feel of the place was reasonable, it felt like they had tried their best as it basically seems their store is on the mall's floor rather than a separate store. One star rating is warranted for slightly poor feel to the branch and awful, rude staff who basically seemed unwilling to work and serve customers, despite being open.

Really nice and clean bar. Music was just the right level that you can enjoy it without screaming…read moreat each other. Drinks and food were delicious. We had the 2 course set menu which is fantastic value. Do not pass up the sticky toffee pudding!

I have been taking my spaniel here for over 5 years without a problem. The staff have given him…read moremedicines when needed, and even cuddles, which I so appreciated. He is sadly no longer with us, but after a stay on the hottest days last summer, I know staff worked long and hard to keep everything cool. Also, after lockdowns, when kennels everywhere were full, and I didn't know when exactly I needed to travel, due to a family emergency, Ryan offered to find my dog a place whenever I needed, and followed through. It was one less thing for me to worry about, and I was very touched by their kindness. So I really can't speak more highly of everyone here.

I love a joke and a pun, especially science ones and this place is full of chalk board puns and…read morejokes. The decor is pretty awesome and runs the science theme with the likes of Einstein and Hawking on the walls. We went in quite late on a Saturday night for a couple of drinks and were happy to find an array of gin on the menu as well as an impressive cocktail list. It was relatively quiet but there aren't a lot of tables or seats so only got a table when some people left. The tables are chalk boards and provided a fair amount of entertainment during our drinks. I would definitely go here again if I'm near Central for a drink or two. A nice casual atmosphere and a great location adds to the plus points.

I've been a regular at Alvino's ever since moving to Newcastle and it still deserves its 5 star…read morerating! Ideal choice if you're looking for somewhere more casual and laid back as you won't find any Geordie Shore wannabes in here. Funky cocktail menus either in retro cassette tapes or comic books, random art work draping the walls and a foosball table in the back give it a trendy hipster vibe. Try hiring out the 'snug' room if there's a small group of you and definitely check out the bar and outdoor terrace upstairs! I'm told they have a good selection of draught and bottled beers and the prices seem reasonable! Bar snacks...check! Free WiFi...check! Friendly bar staff...check! What more could you want?! Get on down!

This is a great find in Newcastle, especially during the summer months due to the decent amount of…read moreoutdoor seating and weekend boozy slush machine... the view may not be the best, it's towards the back alley, but when the weather's nice it's still nice to have the option and on occasion they have a BBQ outside and the outdoor area is high up enough to avoid actually feeling like you're in the alley. I actually really like the venue... it's almost like three in one, and to write it off based on the downstairs entrance view would be a shame. That said, you can hang in that area if you prefer standing around the bar, find a cozy seat somewhere downstairs, have a seat with a group of friends in a larger area upstairs, or past the second bar upstairs out back where there's some large benches, space heaters, etc., outside. I haven't been out back since the proper cold has set in, but definitely put this place on your list of places to go for the nicer months if you like quirky interiors. I may be committing blasphemy here, but while their menu is awesome (comic book style) and the drinks inventive, Optimus Rye (priceless!), I'm still looking for "my drink" here... I did have a moment where I drank their weekend slushy machine dry, but those flavours rotate out and the potency varies. This said, I'm still going with five stars for these guys because I'm certain "my" drink is there... I just need to find it. (Most I've sampled have been too far one way or the other on the sweet scale for me personally, but try and try again I say!) Besides, they will make the standard requests and have a selection of beers, etc., it just feels a shame to go that route with a fun menu such as theirs. The staff have always been friendly which is another plus, and despite not being far away from the madness of the town centre (it's about one street over) it often escapes the pure madness that abounds in Newcastle... if you're after that madness perhaps deduct a star, if you want an a decent cocktail bar that escapes it however then this may just be your place.

Fun eclectic strange but awesome bar. Took my American girlfriend there last month and she…read moreabsolutely loved it as I do. Brilliant atmosphere great drinks and live music. One of the first must dos on every trip back home

Impeccable service and attention to detail from the moment we walked in to when we left. The…read moreatmosphere and decor was very classy and the food was fabulous! Would definately go again.

Fantastic Service! Food was delicious Bar & Restaurant…read moreeverything my heart desired Best thing, our Partner Couple Hand to leave because of Baby sick at home... urgent leave! We did not have to pay there Food all thoughts with Baby

It had just opened the week of our visit but you would have never known... Lots of people, great…read moreservice and some wonderful drinks. Perfect stop on your way to the theater and a nice destination for a night with friends & cocktails. They have a small food menu that looked good. Looking forward to going back and trying some of their other cocktails offerings.

It would have 5 stars if there was a dedicated dance floor. The music is too good not to have one!…read moreGreat drinks and fantastic atmosphere!

This is quite a classy bar inside but some may also call it a bit pretentious. Good destination on…read morea weekend if you like RnB or hip hop music which can be quite a difficult find in Newcastle. There is a dance floor but sometimes it can also be a thoroughfare to the fantastic beer garden out the back. Cannot fault the outdoor space...ample seating and heaters with a huge gorilla which proves to be a popular photo stop! Drinks are very expensive so don't make the same mistake I did in ordering a round....out comes the card and that awful moment the next morning when you wake up and find the receipts in your purse!!! There is an upstairs VIP section but cannot say I've ever seen it open to the general public. It can be hired out though!