Fog on the Tyne very early on Saturday morning may have hidden some of the river's standout landmarks, but there's one place that the view is always sublime.
The Free Trade Inn in Ouseburn has the enviable location that offers an uninterrupted vista of The Millennium Bridge, Tyne Bridge, Sage Gateshead and BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art - just to pick out a few of the city's most recognisable sights. And just weeks after being named as one of two places in the North East with the best beer gardens in the country, it's in the news again.
This time, the multi-CAMRA award-winning boozer has been highlighted as one of the best pubs, restaurants and cafés in the UK with a view by Guardian Travel. With a two-tier beer garden and huge windows, it's especially popular during the summer months.
Read more: Northumberland coastal pub named one of the best in the UK with a sea view
And it's no surprise that there was outrage over proposals to build a tower on Malmo Quay which would have radically altered the view - with a huge public backlash forcing developers returning to the drawing board on plans for the controversial tower in April.
Of the Free Trade Inn, the Guardian wrote: "When it comes to pubs and views, beauty is in the eye of the beer-holder. Some yearn for rural idylls and rolling hills, but this spartan beer house with its sensational vantage above the River Tyne is unbeatable.
"On a warm day, you might watch the sun set beyond the Gateshead Millennium Bridge from the two-tier beer garden. But gazing at the Newcastle-Gateshead skyline – the Sage music centre’s silver curves just visible in the distance – is equally compelling from a window seat on a wet, grey afternoon.
"The Free Trade’s beer range is reliably impressive: 21 pumps, pint from £3.80, and tap-takeovers from high-calibre breweries such as Deya and Marble. Weekly visits from North East street food stars complete the package."
To read the full article on the Guardian of the UK’s best pubs, cafes and restaurants with a view, click here.
What's your favourite pub, café or restaurant in the North East with a view? Let us know!
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