Telegraph Bar

Tucked away behind Newcastle’s impressive central station, The Telegraph isn’t that hard to find. The pedestrian tunnel at the end of the station’s taxi rank takes you straight there.

Opposite one of the more bizarre sculptures in this area (a giant made of scrap iron with a hammer and one foot much larger than the other), this corner bar is popular as a venue for local talent and as a sports bar showing football and rugby.

The Venue
The L-shaped bar is the main feature with tabled seating and a few settees all around it and under large windows. There's a drop-down large screen for sports, and at the back is a jukebox with booth seating, a few more tables and access to the toilets.

Upstairs there's a function room and a terrace with impressive views of Newcastle and the river Tyne. It has heat lamps for the colder months and a mix of metal and wooden tables. The upstairs function room is a small music venue that nonetheless sees plenty of talented local bands perform.

There’s also a DJ most nights towards the later half of the week, playing until midnight. This room, also available for private parties, contains a small but fairly well-stocked bar, so you don't have to trudge downstairs for your favorite tipple.

The People
During the day, a mix of businessmen, rail workers and postmen come for lunch or drinks. In the evening, it’s largely a student haunt, but being so close to the station sees quite a variety of faces. The staff are friendly and helpful, and especially chatty during the quiet evenings when there’s no match on, or no gig upstairs.

With a good atmosphere and plenty of standing room for the busy nights, The Telegraph can be a lively student haunt one time, a welcoming chill-out bar the next, with varying degrees of separation in the middle too.

The Food
Basic daily specials and the usual pub staples of sandwiches, toasties, jackets and other light bites are served daily until 5pm, with an option to take away, catering for the business in the area. On Sunday, a three course Sunday lunch is available for £6.95 and really good value for what you get.

Freshly made pizzas for either eating in or taking away are the only evening option (apart from the warm nuts available at the bar), but do good trade with those who have the munchies on a night out. Their value isn’t great but they do taste fresh and come in the usual variety of flavours and toppings.

The Drink
On tap, there’s Worthington's, Caffrey's, Grolsch, Carling and Guinness Cold as well as American lager Coors, and Arc, which pours while the glass spins and is meant to be served so cold there’s small fragments of ice dominating the upper half of your pint. It’s an interesting experience and definitely worth trying on a hot day.

For ciders, you can choose between Olde English and Red C, while the spirit selection is generous. The wines and bottled beers are a little limited compared to many places but there’s still more than enough to choose from.

The Last Word
The beer is reasonably priced and music isn't aimed at one particular demographic, making it a great place to visit if you’ve a while to wait for your train or want to escape the harsh noise and lights of the bars in the central station area on a night out.

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