Grey Owl Café bar in Newcastle upon Tyne

A nice little bar to start the afternoon with. Lots of cocktails but a limited supply of good draft beer.

Great for solos who like cocktails

Love, love, loved this bar on our visit. Really friendly staff, gorgeous drinks and a perfect place to people watch.

Experienced the best customer service I’ve had in a very long time from Bella and Olivia the duty managers after a billing query cropped up on a busy Saturday night. Not only did they spend so much time on a busy night trying to resolve it, they also invited us to revisit for a drink on the house, which was over and above our expectations. Thank you girls, and to the rest of your lovely staff.

The manager Olivia was beyond amazing I couldn’t recommend this place enough !!

The team was absolutely amazing from the moment we arrived. Their warm welcome and genuine care made us feel right at home. Although there was a very minor hiccup at the door, management immediately stepped in and turned what could have been a negative experience into a truly positive one. A quick call and the generous gesture of a complimentary bottle of wine set the tone for an unforgettable night. Every staff member contributed to an atmosphere of hospitality and excellence, showcasing their commitment to turning challenges into opportunities for exceptional service. It’s rare to see a team so dedicated to ensuring every guest leaves with a smile, and this experience is a testament to the power of great customer care

Great pub with quality service, never been disappointed. Only place in Newcastle that does a nice Martini.

Nice bar,but these cocktails are not cheap so you expect the cocktail to be good,I had a mojito it was pretty poor if I'm honest,my wife had a porn star martini she said was good.

Drinks were good, made with good alcohol and good measures

Great staff, great cocktails, great location

Lovely pub 🎄 but you have to watch for added service charge on your bill just for drinks even when you collect them yourself at the bar.

One of my fav places in Newcastle. 1minute away from The Monument so it’s just outside the hustle & bustle of the main shopping area. A great chilled atmosphere in a cool trendy bar. Dogs are welcome. In the summer they set up an outdoor seating area which is great to people watch! Loads of other bars very close-by to bounce into. A great selection of wines and spirits at reasonable prices for a City centre bar. The Staff are super friendly and helpful. Table service available

Great bar, nice atmosphere, window seat is good people watching.

Table service is bad...we waited for someone to take our order and no one came. People arrived after us and got served first. Won't be back.

Fantastic outdoor table service. Blond guy with lovely smile very helpful when choosing drinks. Lovely sunny day sitting outside. Had a wonderful birthday thanks 😊

2 4 1 cocktails sitting out front on stables in street ppl watching, perfect in summer on sunny day... Fridays are the busiest but always nice buzz ..doorman is a 7' Hungarian, we called him Puskas the perfect gentleman 😊

Good wines, great staff, nice loos Lovely place to sit outside on a sunny day…when we get them!

First time in very nice, comfortable

I booked a table for my Mum’s birthday to start her day off with a glass of fizz. I had an email confirmation of the booking for 12pm, opening times according to the website is 11am. We arrived just before 12 to find it very closed, we waited outside but with chairs still stacked up inside and no sign of any people inside we went elsewhere. Very disappointing as the booking had been acknowledged and it was a special occasion.

Quiet Saturday lunchtime drink very nice

Lovely cocktails, very nice setting

It was quiet when we visited, but it was a Thursday. I always judge a bar on how well they do a Margarita cocktail. They Grey Owl passed with a five star.

We booked here for a group of 12 and the staff were amazing, reserving the champagne terrace for us, offering us table service and being really attentive and kind throughout our stay. We’d definitely recommend and hope to return soon. Thanks Grey Owl staff you went above and beyond to make our group feel special this evening

In for a couple of drinks. Sat at a table from 1930 and told that last orders were at 9pm….table of empty glasses sat on the table next to us for an hour.. Plenty of people still in there, when we put our empties on the bar…. Hours say 2230…Won’t be back.

Really great staff and delicious cocktails

Absolutely the worst customer service I’ve experienced in a bar , the so called male manager needs to take a lesson or two in customer service he’s rude obnoxious to customer and even worse behavior to his female members of staff , I own two bars myself and if any of my staff or managers treated my staff or customers they way he did he would be sacked the owners of the bar needs to look into this I WAS a regular customer in this bar but not now , no wonder they can’t keep there staff especially the good ones

Absolutely love this bar. The music is fantastic, well done to whoever put the playlist together! The staff were also super friendly and helpful. The interiors are lovely with lots of nice cosy nooks. We will definitely be back!

Good bar, service bit slow at bar

I visited this bar with my mum and my sister on 15/02, where we ordered 3 French mocktinis as we have done before. Unfortunately when we went to the bar to pay we realised that they’d given us 3 French martinis. My sister doesn’t drink, namely because of medication that she is on, so this could’ve been really dangerous but fortunately she was ok. They took my details and said they would be in touch with some sort of compensation but that never happened.

Went on my birthday with a friend Went to the bar, was told to take a seat sat 10 minutes whilst we saw 6 people get served at the bar. All we got was attitude when I finally went to the bar, nasty looks and attitude. Waited ages whilst other people were served before us. I suppose we didn't spend enough or beautiful enough or young enough. Would not recommend. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!! xo

Probably the rudest barman I’ve ever encountered. He only had to serve a gin and tonic, but botched his first attempt so badly he had to throw it away (his decision). The one I received had so much ice it was hard to know if there was gin in there or not, especially as he emptied the entire bottle of tonic into it before handing it across the bar. I did drink it, but I mentioned when leaving that I’d never known bar staff to do that. He was extremely arrogant - “that’s the way people like it nowadays” was his reply. His attitude was very unpleasant and we will definitely never return.

Called in for drinks, beautifully cold and served in nice glasses which is always a relief! Service a little slow but very friendly

This place was supposed to be open at 10am but it was not, we went back at 11 and the staff were inside who came out and told us they were closed no explanation and no indication of when they will be open so I could not rate any of the food drinks or atmosphere

Stunning venue but the food was poor and the staff so disinterested they bordered on rude. Wont be back as there are so many good alternatives nearby.

Stylish and charming café bar bringing a continental flair to the heart of Newcastle. Charcuterie board was perfect for a post-work, pre-dinner apéro; but could perhaps be a bit bigger to echo European hospitality. Atmosphere is cool but comfortable. Great selection of beers, wines, and whisky generously priced for the location. And the staff are wonderful, especially Finlay. Attentive, polite, and great craic - five stars thanks to his awesome service!

This is such a beautiful cafe/bar! My first time coming here for a drink (pre-theatre) and it was fab. Thought the drinks were very reasonably priced too as the space is utterly gorgeous and in the centre of town too. I highly recommend!!

Service ok, feel it could be improved by having more bar staff on a weekend and promoting matum the bar glass collector to a bar tender as he is he is focussed and looks more than capable

Very classy cocktail bar with good tunes. Enjoyed the classic martini with Bombay. Shaken and ice cold just the way I enjoy it. Service was top-notch. Champion!!!

One of the best hot chocolates I have ever had

Perfect very quality cocktails well done made.

I took my friend after being out for a meal as I normally love this bar I walked in to be told find a table which we did and we sat and sat for around 20 minutes still nobody came to take our drinks order so we left to go to lady greys when we passed the window 3 bar staff/boys were laughing at us 😡 absolute joke I won’t ever go in your bar again !!!!!!!

Great little place, dog friendly

Always my motto to walk on the sunny side of the street and this us definitely it. Lovely ice cold tall italian moretti on a baking hot day. They stop food at 4pm midweek but I arrived at 3.30pm and they were done x

It was Saturday afternoon and very busy but not overcrowded. Just two of us. Cocktail very nice. Not sure if there was any food available as no menu was presented. Collect your own drink from the bar, but didn't wait too long to be served. There is an outside area at the entrance which is quite small and filled up quickly. However the windows inside are very big so you don't feel 'closed in'. There was an upstairs section but didn't venture up; possibly food was only served there. Downside is only one WC for male and female use.

Quite a nice bar, and nice decor inside. It's bigger than it looks outside with an upstairs areas and a few nooks and crannies you can sit in. The prices are average for a 'trendy' bar in this area of Newcastle (ie. quite high, especially the food menu). Had cocktails and wine, and both were of good quality, though the bar staff a little surly so it loses a star. And a star lost for the temperature inside the bar. For the love of all that is holy please install some decent aircon (or at least turn the aircon to a more powerful setting) as the upstairs seating area reaches about 30 celsious on a warm day and not much cooler downstairs at the main bar.

Lovely place for a good glass of wine or a whiskey. The place is much bigger than it looks too with seats up stairs.

Surprised about the negative reviews. Such a lovely place. The decor is so inviting and the staff really nice. Very good drinks selection and decent prices for a high end pub.

Situated close to Theatre royal this is an attractive looking restaurant/bar. Very quick service by professional staff with a good choice of food and drink. I had bruschetta and glass of merlot and he plumped for cheese (gruyere which was lovely) and tuna melt with beer. Both very tasty and served quickly but thought £30 was expensive especially as they add a 10% tip. Toilet wasn't working on first floor so had to go up another flight of stairs but did go past a lovely snug area on top floor.

Our second visit and just as good as the first time, the staff are excellent very accomodating, smart clean lovely place to have a drink. Also although not on the menu the best Pinacolada in toon, this one prepared by Sam .

Have visited a few times now as really enjoyed our first visit. Good music, nice interior, relaxed vibe. Polite and friendly staff. Good drinks list especially enjoyed their wine selection. Great little spot for a few drinks on Grey street.

Met a good friend here for some drinks before we went elsewhere for food, so cannot comment on the food side of things. On my arrival, I received a really nice welcome and then I sat and waited for my friend. Once he arrived, we enjoyed a couple of drinks each. It is table service, which adds to the experience. There is a fair (and very common nowadays) 10% service charge which is absolutely fine. The only reason for the 4 stars is that there wasn’t enough of the right ingredients to make any additional Bloody Mary cocktails which was a shame. But other than that, we had a lovely time. Such a lovely layout and there’s a fantastic seating area outside which no doubt is a big hit in the nicer weather.

Great table service for drinks. Top quality cocktails and friendly staff. Great music selection too.

Friendly staff and really nice design. the food as well is great

Lovely atmosphere. Great service.

Nice decoration but horrible food & drinks

Service was very slow .. at a time when the place was relatively quiet too .. second to that we were served a tea with milk that was completely curdled .. then our waitress who was friendly and well presented sadly was quite unprofessional throughout from not having a pen and paper to take our order at any point and trying to recall it and making multiple mistakes with what we had requested, to then once food was served standing a bit too close for comfort and watching eagerly and repeadly approaching to clear up as we were still eating ...the food was cold - warm at best, and looked like it had been well prepared but failed upon the execution of getting it to the table ..... Collectively we all felt very underwhelmed by this experience...the surroundings are beautiful but someone needs to be incharge it seems of service it's all a bit wayward ..sad because we really looked forward to visiting here & had made it a place to meet for a special occasion..

Lovely place for drinks before or after visiting the Theatre Royal. Food is nice also. A very pleasant place to visit.

Cracking little place found by chance before evening meal. Really friendly waitress, nice beers and lovely chilled atmosphere. Very pleasant couple of hours spent here and will be back!

Really surprised to find all the negative reviews. We popped in today just by chance and because it looked nice (and not busy). Everyone enjoyed the experience and the service was great. Minor evidence of disrepair such as damaged tap, handles missing and minor damages or would have been 5 stars for us.

Waited an hour for breakfast to be told another 10 mins. We upped and left to go elsewhere. We were charged for the tea which should've really been complimentary due to the wait. Never experienced anything like this before.

We won't be going back, I want a pint given to me at the bar not table service 10 minutes later and a charge put on!!! London prices aswell!!

Met friends there. Great cosy venue and excellent service. Class venue.

A lovely attentive red haired waitress is such an addition to your staffing compliment. Very polite, very informative, very efficient. A lot of other bars/restaurants would give their all to employ her.

Nice bar & decor. Good wine though a bit expensive. Service slow

Charged 15% service charge on 2 cocktails, would’ve taken them to the table myself. Would not reccomend

Lovely bar with a wide range of drinks available. Quite expensive at around £9 per cocktail, worth a visit on a special occasion.

Very expensive and was not made aware of the service charge. Asked for this to be removed. Venue is lovely but at the prices they charge we won’t be returning. Asked for peanuts and was served Bombay mix (which we agreed to) but £3 for the tiniest portion, left feeling ripped off.

Booked a table for food & drinks at 7:30 we were told by 1 member of staff they stopped serving food at 7 and another that it was 8 but the chef went home sick. No communication prior to showing up so we had no food reservation on a Saturday night. Manager took my email to offer us a voucher but have had absolutely nothing and no response to the email I sent. Drinks weren’t offered as complementary for the inconvenience and they ran out accusing us of not paying the bill even though I paid cash, service really poor.

Booked a table for Saturday night for food and drinks. Once seated we were told they had stopped serving food. We ordered drinks as we were already seated. There was no WiFi or Internet connection so we were unable to find elsewhere to eat. The ceiling is low when coming down the stairs and the lighting is bad. I fell down the stairs and I saw several people bang their head. I asked for a first aid kit to clean the cut on my leg, which was not well stocked and staff had to go to the office to get a plaster. The corridor into the toilets has no lighting. The toilets are unisex and had wet floors, toilet seat up and the flush didn't work. We asked for the bill and there was no reduction for the poor service or incident. In fact there was a service charge. On our way out we were chased by a member of staff shouting we had not paid the bill. We explained we had paid the bill and he let us go, however this was abit embarrassing and unprofessional.

Called in about 08 45 place was sparkling clean and tables set nicely.staff were smartly dressed a rare thing in this modern world. Coffee and toast for less than a fiver!!!!!!

Interior is really nice bar the terrible music that makes you feel like you're sitting through the end credits of a children's animated film. Service was fine, but the charcuterie board is pretty expensive for what you get. We had to order bread on the side for an additional cost. £43 for 2 drinks, some salami, olives and a few slices of bread wasn't really worth it.

Be careful when coming back from the men's toilets. Coming down the stairs I banged my head as the ceiling was so low. I'm only 5'9 and still banged my head as I was ducking. Then as I got down the stairs one of the staff said "banged your head did you?" As if it was a common thing and has happened often. I said it needs to be highlighted (black and yellow tape etc) or made aware of it because that can be quite dangerous. Her reply was "we know about it but can't do anything as it's a listed building." Would've thought safety was paramount.

Charging for table service, no one asked you to bring the drink to my table, I'm capable of carrying two glasses !!!

Extremely disappointed! I hadn't experienced this new bar but heard fantastic reviews. My mam and dad have been a few times lately and really enjoyed it. Unfortunately tonight we must of have bumped into someone working who was having a bad day. Myself, mam and dad and 8 other family members attended around 630pm we were greeted with a very "I can't be bothered with this lot tone" We were asked if we had a table which My mam said no sorry and the staff said well we can't serve you. My mam then asked if we could just get a drink and stand by the bar to which another member of staff said you can't stand at the bar but you can stand there....an area probably that fits 3 people. Very let down, could of been handled better and certainly won't be a venue I will be speaking highly of in the future or recommending

I wasnt amazed, nice interian but lacking the attention to detail to the brands other venues, Gents are missing tap lables and bins are what you woild expect in any council lav.

Beautiful place, good service, really enjoyed breakfast and was a reasonable price. Would definitely go back.

Rubbish cocktails, margarita came twice and just tasted of lime, apparel spritzer was flat and watery. Walked out.

I love coming here.i have been a few times and lovely friendly staff.i celebrated my birthday last week with family and friends.i also got 2 complimentary drinks.which was a lovely surprise.will definitely come back here again.

Perfect spot! Great service,lovely staff.Our third visit.

We visited for brunch and really enjoyed the Eggs Benedict and Turkish Eggs. It's a stylish place and well-located for the theatre and shopping. The music didn't really suit the ambiance of the cafe and the staff visited the table a few too many times, but in general it's a nice new addition to Grey Street.

Coffee morning wasn’t great, was a ghost town as I was the only person in. Staff were ok but the coffee resembled something you’d find in a cheap airport lounge. Just style over substance in here. Also didn’t appreciate having to listen to the chef and his kitchen porters loudly shout and sware as they ventured through the bar. Customers CAN hear you!!

Recommended The Grey Owl to my mam for some birthday drinks. The staff were very attentive upon arrival. After a few issues re your prosecco being served warm and the bill, the drinks and bill were resolved, however we left pretty disheartened at the handling of the whole situation, specifically from the attitude of your front of house staff member. He was smartly dressed and certainly looked the part, but was fairly arrogant and is in need of some serious customer service lessons. A smile and an apology go a long way. Especially when you/your bar is in the wrong. Shame, as your bar is beautiful and the rest of your waiting staff were smiling and attentive. Your front of house let your venue down.

Over charged by nearly £9 for two drinks - took ages to sort out a refund which nearly a week on is yet to be credited back to my account. Have to assume the refund either wasn't processed properly or was cancelled after we left. Drinks are okay but expensive and they charge for table service. Doubt I'll be back.

Awful. There was one young lad who at least seemed a bit bothered. Other than his efforts, the service was dreadful. I think it’s expensive and queried the bill. There’s a service charge. I would not have left a tip. The owners ?? Who came in making business calls and admiring the new fridge would have been better noting that the staff could have done more to look after customers. They must lose loads of money. I was tired of waiting for service. We wanted to finish with coffees but were fed up of being ignored, - so we had them elsewhere. We won’t be back!

Just visited for happy hour cocktails not impressed majihto was overpowered with mint also when paying bill £2.40 added service charge if had seen this on menu very small print I would have not stayed object to these charges if I wish to leave a tip I will but not be forced into it will not be back

Tad expensive but lovely atmosphere, it's new give them a chance...

New venue in the city, great atmosphere, lovely professional staff, Great music, good start to the weekend 👍👍👍

Thought £23 for a vodka and bacardi was quite expensive will not go back

Nice looking bar but we went for happy hour cocktails but weren’t told we had to order 2 of the same until our 2nd round of drinks. Disappointed they didn’t honour the 2 for 1 offer. Left to visit another cocktail bar where it stated on the drinks menu we had to order 2 of the same to get the offer.

Had mojito- mint in full leaves not muddled! With a plastic straw ( why use a plastic straw?) called in on way from Rev d Cuba where the cocktails were also happy hour and they were so much better. Will not use again