City Tavern in Newcastle upon Tyne

Met family hadn't seen for long time lovely gentleman opened up the upstairs for us all to sit together

Fantastic bar with great atmosphere, good beer (including a good range of traditional ales and stout) and tasty food

Lovely little pub and lovely food and staff

One of my favourite venues in Newcastle City Centre, The City Tavern, a bar that I’ve seen under various guises and different names since the mid-90s, but my favourite version of The City Tavern for the best part of over a decade has been under the ownership of David and Julie King who transformed this place from a dreary one pint pit-stop on your way to a City Hall gig into an eye-catching, warm, family and dog friendly tavern serving up top quality beers, ales and ciders served alongside great locally produced food items, top lunches, dinners and puddings. I had a table for two booked for myself, a lady friend and her dogs so we could have a spot of Sunday/Xmas dinner in the city centre. Grant, part of The City Tavern’s management team looked after us, he was absolutely spot on and attentive for customer service, even the dogs were well looked after and given bowls of water. Grant did prewarn us the kitchen was very busy and that there might be a bit of a wait for food. Personally I’d rather wait, if food comes out within seconds of ordering then I’m immediately suspicious everything has been microwaved, food at The City Tavern definitely isn’t zapped. Ok, so we did have a little bit of a wait but nothing tiresome or inconvenient, we were certainly ready to eat when we received our starters, a cold day called for some hot soup and these soup starters were lovely and hit the spot, the hint of Stilton in the flavour sublime. Our huge mains arrived soon afterwards, I was cheeky and had asked for both turkey and beef on my dinner, I received generous cuts of meat, accompanied by beautifully baked vegetables and a tasty onion gravy, now, my only complaint here was there wasn’t enough pigs in blankets, there was only one pig in blanket served up with two roasties, but I am a greedy fat lad, three pigs in blankets and three roasties minimum would have been fabulous, the food was great anyway, so I’m not really complaining here. The desserts were my second choice, as unfortunately all the other greedy punters who had got to The City Tavern earlier that day had scoffed all the cheeseboards, but the warm chocolate brownies I opted for instead served with ice-cream, orange peel and marmalade were quite the taste sensation. I ended up having to eat both desserts though as my dinner date was stuffed after our huge main courses. My dinner date commented out of everywhere we’d been so far that The City Tavern was the best quality for food, so we’ll definitely be back to check out a new burger that’s getting served in The City Tavern in the New Year. I’m more than happy to recommend The City Tavern, Newcastle upon Tyne, give it a go and enjoy a top quality three course meal with decent portions in the £30 per head zone in truly great surroundings, the ambience is ok too, even the Xmas music played didn’t irritate me.

Great staff, perfect pint! Dogs allowed 🥰

Very busy being Christmas build up. No service upstairs! Cocktails were nice but a bit pricey!

La taberna de la ciudad es una verdadera joya escondida en el corazón de Newcastle. Después de una larga mañana explorando estábamos en necesidad de una bebida y un lugar para poner los pies en alto durante una hora. La taberna era ese lugar y golpeó el lugar magníficamente. Cómodo con el personal muy amable. La comida era fantástica y sin duda volveremos la próxima vez que visitemos la ciudad. Hazle una visita, no te arrepentirás.

Appalling attitude to customers. Table tampering - be warned they'll throw you off your table at the drop of a hat. Saw it happen to a couple and was horrified. It then happened to me and a couple of ladies who had bought lunch. They still had half a bottle of wine to finish. I refused to move, had a row with 2 staff and "manager" and was then told that they had called the police to remove me. There was no reservation on the table when I first sat down (3 hours previously) then it appeared AFTER I was at the bar. Ten minutes notice to get off the table for some DJ Muppet. Very poor attitudes.

Been here a number of times and it never disappoints. Very attentive, friendly service, food was amazing (the Christmas One Pot Pie was incredible!) and the atmosphere and ambience was so relaxing despite being in the heart of Newcastle City Centre. Highly recommended 👌

The Christmas dinner was sensational, succulent turkey, crispy roast potatoes, creamy buttery mash, fresh veg, one of the best meals I've ever ate out on par with iconic restaurants, flavoursome pork stuffing, pit village crispy yorkshire pudding with fluffy centre and delicious jus Shame the mediocre wine was way overpriced and served in bog standard spoons glasses, at £11 a glass I'd have wanted a crystal glass! I couldn't really make out what the barman was saying when he muttered 'half an hour' to myself and the previous lady at the bar, who sat down, but turned out it meant the food would be half an hour, which was very acceptable for the quality, perhaps I didn't hear him properly for the noise. Food more than made up for the expensive drinks though, kudos to the chef. I applaud that it is dog friendly

I haven't tried the food yet, but what i saw looked good.

Very nice place for a pint. Lots of tables and covered outside area. Good selection of drinks. We didn't try the food. Only issue was a tiny bar with not enough staff. One person had waited 15 mins for a drink. Just a very busy time. A quirky thing is they have a small "cinema" upstairs.

La comida era encantador buenas porciones, el ambiente era encantador y acogedor! Harvey fue fabuloso y nos sirvió con recomendaciones estupendas de barril : )

The food arrived cold. When I complained they microwaved it. I ordered slow cooked beef and was expecting it to be tender and melt in mouth but it was so tough I couldn't even cut it with my knife. The gravy was watery and everything tastless. My friend had the salmon which she said was lovely but again it wasn't at all hot. We complained got 2 free drinks and a full refund on my meal. The people on next table also complained of food been cold and tasteless.

Absolutely fantastic venue. I organised a scavenger hunt at work and wanted to hide some challenges round the pub. I didn't call ahead, just turned up on the day, hoping they would accommodate. The manager on shift helped out and even joined in by hiding a challenge himself. Super service!!!! I have been here a number of times now, and enjoyed every visit.

Entró a tomar una copa antes de ir al Ayuntamiento para un concierto, así que el pub estaba muy ocupado. No hay cola en el bar - cada uno por sí mismo, es decir, que podría gritar lo más fuerte! Cobré £ 11 por una gran copa de vino que debería haber consultado, pero estaba agradecido de ser servido finalmente!

Usually very good food, but went today for Xmas dinner. It was awful. Supposed to have veg, but didn't get any other than potatoes.. Thick dry chewy turkey. Whole meal was same colour beige. We complained and got apology and offer to bring out veg, but too late as food cold by then. Very disappointed after spending £80 between 2 of us for food and drinks.

Just had a nice pint of amstel, not cheap but it is city centre. Good sevice and atmosphere.

First we've every been in a beautiful bar, great service and beer.

Fish and chips were top notch, especially the chips! The wife went for their classic burger which she found phenomenal. I tried their in house gin and it was really smooth. Very very lovely ambiance, though the upstairs was only manned by 1 staff so took a while to get food out etc. Other than that, it was excellent. A real gem in the middle of the city centre.

Great atmosphere, very cozy at Christmas time. At this time of year, the drinks menu features seasonal drinks that warm you from the inside.

Booked here before going city hall, really good food and service really nice Xmas decorations and you get Xmas crackers I'd recommend it very good Xmas menu

Almost £7 for a pint of Cruzcampo. Mine was flat, the barman checked the line and it came out fine. Offered me the explanation of “sometimes there is is soap in the glass”. No offer of a refund (I said I don’t have time to wait for another pour). I’ve been going here for 7+ years and today was the last visit. The prices are obscene and the customer service non-existent.

Nice olde world pub, £3.35 for a Coke zero is a bit top heavy though

Great selection of beers and spirits.

Food brilliant. Atmospheric in lounge. Loved my Old Moat Cider too

Fui después de una película con mi amigo y hermano para el almuerzo y me encantó. Tiene un ambiente increíble y me encanta la decoración, muy peculiar. Me encantaron las fotos de los perros y el pequeño bar oculto. Estaba muy ocupado, pero solo esperó unos minutos para ser servido. Aunque el personal estaba ocupado, eran felices, amables y conversadores. Amplia gama de bebidas, querida rubia Alfie recomendaría. Una buena y amplia gama de comida con un montón de opciones vegetarianas interesantes. La comida llegó bastante rápido, ya que el personal de la cocina debe haber sido apresurado de sus pies. Todo crédito para ellos. Tenía un yorki gigante de peluche. Todo estaba cocinado a la perfección. Todo al rojo vivo y fresco. Me encanta que utilicen proveedores locales. Mi hermano y amigo tenía la hamburguesa con patatas fritas las porciones son enormes y todo está tan bien cocinado y presentado. Las mesas se despejaron rápidamente. Lo recomiendo encarecidamente. Cerca de un teatro y tiendas. Los baños estaban limpios y bien mantenidos. Admite perros.

Nice pub. Pricey. £7.30 a pint of Neck Oil anyone? Never enough staff serving behind the bar. Customers like to queue for drinks?

As a regular to this lovely pub we've always had a great experience. Unfortunately, last night, October 30th was far from it. Waited over 1hr 40mins for food. When asked where it was, we were told it's because it was busier than usual. Annoying thing about it other customers who ordered food after us in the queue had eaten and left the pub and we where still waiting for hours.

Excellent pub close to the City Hall

Lovely place. Lovely setting. Nice relaxed atmosphere & lovely staff. I had a problem with waiting for my food. Technical issues. But staff was so kind and gracious. Thank you for the lovely food great service. Hidden gem in the city. Best Sundays dinners.

Great...surprising the food was good although on the small side

Dinner was OK. Disappointed with the roast potatoes that tasted like they had been frozen and re cooked so they weren't crispy. The beef was nice. Would I come back probably not. It's was nothing to write home about.

City Tavern ideally placed for exploring Newcastle city centre Drinks served here were very expensive & mediocre.

We called in on route to City Hall for a quick drink before a gig. It was relatively busy for a Thursday evening, but we were served nice and quickly by a lovely lady. My cocktail was slightly pricey but well worth it, tasted amazing! It’s a great pub, got a really cosy feel to it and the decor is class. Would highly recommend.

A hidden little diamond of a pub with traditional pub themes as you would expect in an old pub but not in a pub today. Brilliant food and service and a nice cosy atmosphere.

Must visit pub in Newcastle! The beef sarnie and chips is an absolute masterpiece!

Amazing place, great venue and atmosphere

Nice pint of Murphys, had a hot beef sandwich that was cold no onions on it and the beef was tough

This pub is a hidden gem, with a warm country side ambiance The food has always been amazing and continues to wow. Literally the potions are massive and so tasty The chicken burger was from the child's menu - picture - The chips are massive btw

Nice place but I think they overcharged me. Almost £11 for a softy and a half pint

Expensive as hell could do with a new paint job

Great dog-friendly pub with nice interieur, good food & beer

Didn't know what to expect when first went in but it's a nice little cosy place. Food was absolutely beautiful and decent portions. Would come again. Thanks

Great place to spend an evening its also next to primark so you don't have to go in with the mrs

Barman was a bit grumpy but amazing pub and atmosphere..didnt have food but great drinks and vive. Dog friendly xx

Staff are nice and have a good atmosphere, but the food lets it down big time. Whilst the pie was good, they sent chips instead of fries with the burger, and the burger supposedly being pulled BBQ style wasn't the sort of thing expected, instead just being a patty. The puddings, though, were the biggest letdown - the ice cream was effectively an icey sorbet, the Brownie underwhelming, and the sticky toffee pudding an overly dense stodge of unheated substance, that you struggled to get a spoon into, covered in an overly sweet sauce - we left the majority. I'm not sure if there's a new chef or management since previous visits, or perhaps the kitchen was just having a bad day, but sadly, it's put me off dining there again.

I went for some food late lunchtime. It wasn’t full, but there were a couple of guys with laptops operating some sort of employment agency interviewing people? Anyway, I went for the Cajun burger with fries. The slaw was lovely, but the burger, the six chips you got with it and the two onion rings tasted of nothing. Cost £20

Every visit is amazing. Not sure of the two lads names tonight but they handled a difficult situation with a vulnerable lady really well. Nothing but respectful and friendly with so much reassurance. I don’t know their names but I hope they get recognition. I’d no doubt feel safe in here if I ever had an issue. Well done lads! And thank you! 😁

Loved our time at City Tavern. Great staff, amazing food and really dog friendly. Will return.

Great find, good food but drinks etc a bit expensive.

Visited here Friday and I was greeted by the friendliest staff member Micky! He was constantly checking on visitors making sure they were good & checking if they were ok for drinks, very fast friendly service. He is a great addition to an already beautiful bar.

Some of the best nachos in all of the commonwealth nations. Jolly good!

Randomly found this place and glad we did! Lady serving us at the bar very friendly and welcoming. The whole place felt really nice to be in and playing shrek in the cinema in the garden. Great atmosphere and great beer. Will definitely have to visit here again and try the food too! Hidden Gem.

My girlfriend and I had a few hours to spare before our coach so we called in for Sunday dinner and I'm so glad we did. Service was impeccable and the food was out of this world. Yorkshire puddings were like clouds and they melted in my mouth. There wasn't too many people in at the time we were in but I'm giving it 5 stats for the atmosphere anyway. We will be going back again.

From the minute we walked in, the Irish chap with the beard was super friendly! Had a Sunday dinner, and oh my, it was delicious 😋 I couldn't recommend it enough.. the Yorkshire pudding was by far the best I've had ... ever !!! I'm still thinking about it!! 😋 It's a lovely place. It's just a shame it was so quiet. I'm not sure why it's not busier tbh! Will definitely be back next time we're visiting Newcastle!!!

Went with family last week, 7 adults, 4 children. Excellent staff, very efficient in taking order for food and drinks, pleasant personalities. A wait for food, as place very busy, but well-worth the wait - delicious, and hot. Would recommend this place, and we will certainly visit again. Thank-you, Kimmie and Ryan! You are a credit to your Company!

£19.40 for 2 gin and tonics disgusting rip off wont be back used to drink in here every weekend in my hippy days please dont go there plenty other bars in Newcastle who dont charge stupid prices. Honestl hope you go bust

Pleasant traditional English bar, relaxing and good beers

The girl in the bar said I looked lovely. To a 43 year old man it meant a lot. :)

Nice pint in the town centre old movies playing on tv great

Had a lovely meal with our family for Father’s Day. In particular, we’d like to thank a guy called Micky who looked after us. He went way above and beyond to make our day special, even nipping to get some Iron Brew from the shop for one of our family members from Scotland as a surprise 🤣 as they didn’t have any. How canny is that. We had a hoot chatting with him. Huge thanks

Good beer a bit on the pricey side but staff are great service is great food is yummy. Just pricey is the only issue

Great bar for a few real ales (several which are exclusively brewed for this location) and has a food menu. I sat outside in a little street beer garden front area which was perfect in the sun. Friendly and helpful barman and nice atmosphere inside. I didn't eat today so can't rate the menu or food quality.

It's just okay, nothing special Nachos were underwhelming and the chicken in the chicken wrap was hard

I love the ambiance and atmosphere of the City Tavern however the last couple of times I have been there the menu has been poor. I have an allergy to chilli and always have problems eating out as lately all menus across the board have high levels of chilli or are highly spiced. It has become incredibly difficult to find anything on a menu which does not have chilli as an ingredient or flavoring. I was at the City Tavern a couple of weeks ago and told the waitress when I ordered food that I was allergic to chilli as I always do when out for a meal.I was told that the dish I ordered could be served without a chilli dressing so as there was very little to choose that didn't have chilli I opted for that dish. Unfortunately when my food arrived there was a small container on the plate of chilli dressing. I was astounded as the chilli dressing could have contaminated the rest of the food leaving me to be quite ill. I immediately brought this to the managers attention as mistakes like this should never happen and could potentially result in a flare up for myself possibly leading to hospital treatment and a potential law suit against the owners. Needless to say I will never eat at City Tavern again.

A good old school pub in Newcastle. A typical range of 6 new craft ales and stouts about every 2 weeks, with good portions of food to back it up. Dog friendly with the staff loving to meet the dogs as well, rare to find in the city centre. Down the road from the O2 City Hall, and 2 minutes away from the Haymarket metro. One of my favourites in Newcastle.

I recommend this restaurant, beautiful antique design. and decoration, friendly friendly all stuff helpful Speciall ms. Kimmie, A beautiful restaurant and I recommend visiting it, authentic English design

Having had a lovely Sunday lunch for Mother's day (which i highly recommend to family & friends), I booked a table for Father's day. (I ordered the beef). The food arrived, barely warm, gravy cold, middle of Yorkshire doughy. I asked for the meal to be heated up and there was barely any difference when it came back. I was offered a fresh meal but who wants a third attempt? My plate was collected (almost full), I paid my bill in full and at no point was a discount offered. I know I could have asked but that's not the point. We won't be back for food 😒

Love this quiet cosy pub. Perfect for a rainy day

Was very late visit after a gig at City Hall. Decent.

Great place, welcoming staff, brilliant vibes! Micky one of the staff was awesome

Have a been a few times for after work drinks, both solo and with friends. The staff are wonderful, have a good knowledge of beers and were happy to offer recommendations. Had a easy session IPA, and a great conversation with the staff. Thank you to Kimmie for a nice evening after work.

Popped in for a Beer but way overpriced, settled for single vodka and coke, £6.40 for a pint of old mout cider on draugh 😮. Have outside seating, it had been raining and tables were soaked but seats were dry. Tuesday afternoon, so looked very quiet. If you're looking for drink only then there are cheaper places in town.

Been here many times and always enjoy. Popped in for just a drink with a friend this time (although the food is great). Staff always friendly, atmosphere is ralxing, and it's dog friendly - alwaus a plus.

Cozy and dog friendly restaurant in the town centre, meaning its easy to get to. Absolutely worth while stopping by. Food was amazing and had to beg the staff for their tripple cooked chips recipe! Staff were friendly and welcoming. The prices weren't terrible either!

Call in most times out for a drink or 2 when out, always great atmosphere and friendly staff behind the bar! Haven’t tried the food but it looks amazing!

Visit here regularly for drinks after work with collegues. This pub has a lively chilled vibe and always a variety of clientel with a great selection of drink and lovely staff. Also serve great food and is dog friendly.

Stopped in here before heading to watch a gig at city hall, nice atmosphere and reasonable price. We even came back after the gig

Lovely pub who's staff are cheerful and polite and help set the friendly atmosphere that the pub has

Lovely gaff for a pre gig pint, just a shame about the queues

Wonderful little pub in the city centre, good food and good selection of drinks - can't fault the place

Wow, why haven't I ever been here before. Great pub and eatery in the middle of Newcastle. real home cooked food and an array of beverages alcoholic and non alcoholic. Plenty of choice for meat eaters and vegan options. Portions huge!! Staff were lovely and friendly, atmosphere was great too. Decor was fab, so well done. Definitely recommend to anyone. Dog friendly 😌 Gluten free menu 👌

Food OK - but the pies are not 'homemade' - we had the pork and leek pie and it was more a case of 'stew with a lid'. The pastry was just a production line oval of flaky pastry that got everywhere and hadn't met the filling until they were plated up. Best part of the meal was the chips. Very overpriced for what it was.

£6.65 for a pint of Moretti. WTAF!?

It was fine, nothing drastically wrong, however some clear issues. I spent 10 quid on a dark and stormy which the barman needed a video tutorial to make, it also took two minutes to order as the staff needed to finish their well mannered discussion about who made a mistake on a food order. No one discussed the waitress eating chips off a plate on the way to a customer though which feels like the bigger issue. For 10 quid you can go to the Alchemist or the Botanist and have an artist make you something really special, probably do that instead.

Not good. Will not be returning. Waited almost 40mins before I had to chase food up to then be faced with the Chicken Burger which consists of a lot of grease or oil in the batter and zero taste. The chips were quite nice though. Nachos and Chilli, not great no flavour other than the sharp embrace of spice now and then. Chicken skewers, over spiced and again not a great amount flavour.

Sat down at a table after ordering a drink, about to order food when a staff member walks past and puts a reserved from 5pm sign on our table. This was 4.15pm. Over the next 20 minutes 2 staff come over and tell us we're going to have to move soon. I've never felt less welcome.

Great staff and friendly employees who look after your with pleasure good beer and good food recommend this pub anytime

The real place to be here in Newcastle. The modern tavern with a very warm and welcoming design. I randomly found the place but enjoyed the little time I spent here. Thank you for the smile, the warm welcome and the service.

Nice atmosphere, nice staff, would definitely recommend.

Just popped in for a nifter after Darius Rucker 👍🍷🥃

Warm welcome, plenty of choice of real ales, happy friendly helpful staff.

One of my favourite places in town. Always visit on lunch break, with family and with friends

Very poor service, ordered food, after a 25 minute wait went and asked how long before food would arrive, I was told 25 minutes was normal and because we ordered for 4 ( 2 sandwiches, fajitas and a portion of pancakes) could be why it took a little longer. 15 minutes later still no food, asked again , manager said he would get back to me, waitress came and said it would be 5 or 6 minutes, 20 minutes later still no food, went to cancel my order, manager asked if I'd paid as order had not gone through, I showed him debit from my bank, he finally agreed to reimburse my money for food only. Half hearted apology.

Always a good pint Had a Berger as well really enjoyed it

Lovely food and great service from Kimmy who was rushed off her feet but was always smiling, professional and helpful. Thanks so much. Also great for gluten free and vegan options too

Had a table booked here prior to a gig. Good was delicious, very well kept inside. Great decor. Staff warm and friendly, felt right at home.

Took my daughter for Sunday lunch, opted for the pork with home made apple sauce & crackling got neither. Told the lady who served us she said she'd inform chef, no apology. Not the cheapest lunch & definitely won't be back

Great menu for Coeliacs, staff very knowledgeable and aware of risk of cross contamination. Food was lovely, will definitely visit again.