Free bowling and drinks are offer to families this Saturday as a new entertainment venue opens inside Eldon Square.
Gorilla Bar and Bowling will be opening its doors on the upper floor of the Newcastle shopping centre to reveal a whole host of attractions - including big screen sport, My Delhi street food and Anachy Brew Co. beers - as well as a vibrant graffiti art look. It's a complete transformation of the previous bowling alley with the aim of catering more for an evening crowd as well as daytime guests.
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To showcase its massive refurbishment, it is inviting families to enjoy free bowling and soft drinks on Saturday between 10am and 2pm. As it geared up for its launch, manager Lucy Barrett showed ChronicleLive around on Friday while finishing touches were being made to the main space.
Gorilla Bar and Bowling is next to the Jungle Jack children's soft play area which, as with the previous bowling alley, closed before lockdown. It reopened in February and on Friday was enjoying booming business.
Together, the venues are bringing a new lease of life to the floor, which used to house a gym and is accessed by elevators from the back of Eldon Square 's food court. First customers to Gorilla will find eight bowling lanes waiting for action as well as four pool tables, arcade games, table tennis tables and dartboards.
There is a big screen to show BT sport and the alley's walls are covered with graffiti art - colourful scenes capturing the Tyne Bridge and The Angel of the North - created by local talent Mark Shields who on Friday was busy completing the next step of his work. The graphic designer and mural artist was using neon and UV paint which means that when the lights dim over the bowling alley in the evenings, the artwork glows luminous from the walls.
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Food and drink will be a big part of the attraction at the venue which has scored a coup with its suppliers. Newcastle -based brewery Anachy Brew Co. has been signed up to provide the beer and the award-winning My Delhi has created a menu of Indian street food which will be unique to Gorilla.
The city favourite has come up with ideas such as naanza - Indian pizza made with naan bread and its own sauce - which will be easy to hold and eat while bowling. Also on the menu will be such options as curry bowls, tandoori grills an Indian takes on burgers.
Drinks-wise, the newly fitted-out bar will be serving the likes of Anarchy's Blonde Star and Citra Star as well as other beers on tap as well as in bottles and cans. There will be spirits too plus a selection of wine including prosecco and Champagne. For more about Gorilla Bar and Bowling see its Instagram page here.
