I went to Ouseburn's newest bar and found the best sun terrace in the city, but it has some teething issues
There are some areas of Newcastle where you wonder what else can fit into the available space, and Ouseburn is one of them.
When we first saw The Lockup start coming together, it was tough to work out how the eatery and bar would fit into its little corner of Ouseburn, the hugely popular area to the east of the city centre which has been described as one of the most trendy neighbourhoods in the UK.
A lot of the buildings in the area have taken the place of older buildings such as The Cluny, while other long standing pubs such as the Free Trade Inn have kept locals hydrated for generations.
The area’s newest bar, named The Lockup is nestled into the bank which separates the higher level Ford Street to the riverside Maling Street and opened on the first weekend of March. With just a few days under their belts, we made the most of a sunny Spring evening to pay the team a visit to check out how things look.
Part of a new development which includes The Hoi Polloi Barbers as well as convenience store Ooze, The Lockup has a small eatery, made up of a handful of tables downstairs as well as a sun terrace upstairs.
The terrace is the main calling for many, especially while the site is new. There are currently no reservations so, if you’re lucky, you can make your way up and check the site out for yourself.
Once you make your way up to the terrace, it is easy to see why the site was put together. Stunning views over the riverside are matched with a suntrap in every measure of the word. Hidden from the wind by the surrounding brickwork from the area’s industrial history, the only true open side comes from the west which, on a clear evening, means you can watch the sun set while catching up with friends.
Speaking to staff on the second weekend since the site opened, things have been busy, and haven’t been made much easier by the logistics of opening a new bar. The current reasoning behind the lack of reservations is due to no tables being delivered for upstairs yet, while by the time we were getting ready to head away, the site was running out of stock with many bottles sold out.
The bar currently has three options on tap, two from Camden Brewery and another local IPA, which I went with. I believe the latter of these will be changed now and again while many popular bottles were also options, as well as a decent ranging wine menu.
Despite these initial issues, the staff were lovely and accommodating to the vast numbers of people wanting to try out the terrace, although at no point did it feel overly crowded. The sun, background chatter, solid drink options and amazing soundtrack led by Ezra Collective made this a perfect place to spend a couple of hours on a late Sunday afternoon.
Once these teething issues are out the way, this will definitely be a must-see spot for anyone hoping to lap up some sun over the coming months and, with the likes of the Tyne Bar and Ship Inn offering limited seating, more outside space is needed in this hugely popular area, although space is now at a premium more than ever in this pocket of Tyneside.