The Quayside (Lloyds No 1), Newcastle Upon Tyne

I don't believe this is no longer a Lloyds as when I visited it on a Thursday afternoon there was music playing, something that generally only happens in a Lloyds. The other pointer was the poor ale selection which I'll cover later. I failed to spot an upstairs area but it seems to be an old warehouse type building (or buildings) with a U shape and an inviting cobbled open area between the two sides. I also didn't venture into the open area overlooking the river. The bar has just six hand pumps which had 2 unused Sonnet 43 Raven Porter, Ruddles, Maxim Swedish Blonde and the boring JDW International beer that is supposed to celebrate a football competition. If this were a standard JDW rather than a Lloyds this choice would be laughable. I went for the Raven Porter (£2.39) which was in good nick. I left here thinking it could be so much better.

Blessed with a perfect location on the banks of the Tyne, this is a large, rambling U-shaped Wetherspoons pub. The pub has entrances on both the road and river sides of the building. Entering from the river side, you pass a very appealing patio area with a good amount of seating overlooking the Tyne and neighbouring Swing Bridge - no doubt a great spot for a drink in the summer months. The main bar area is to the left of this entrance and is separated from the rest of the pub, which provides several seating areas. The bar area has some nice stone walls and large wooden beams above the doorways. To the front of this space there is a slightly lower seating area in a fairly dark recess and a nicer mezzanine up some steps which looks down over the bar. You turn right from the bar for a long seating area which completes the U shape by wrapping around a sizeable central courtyard. This is a long disjointed space where the seating is primarily in the form of standard tables and chairs, some of which also offer good views out towards the river. The décor is much the same as you'd expect in any other Wetherspoons bar and there were the usual TV screens showing vapid promotional material. Stairs lead up to a first floor bar which was empty on this visit but no doubt provides much needed overspill on busy nights. The courtyard has a good deal of picnic bench seating and has a nice arched gateway leading out to the road, with the pub's name spelled out across the top. There were six handpulls on the bar dispensing three guest ales and two 'Spoons regulars, with the final pump unused. I visited for breakfast, so I didn't bother with any of these options and instead settled for a mug of tea with my fry-up. The food was the usual cheap but reliable stodge and the bar and waiting staff were all very friendly. I found this a very unusual pub, set in a fairly impractically shaped building which I imagine would be awkward to navigate during particularly busy periods. The real highlight here is the riverside setting and should I return during the summer, I would definitely make a beeline here to bag one of the benches outside. As it stands though, this is a fairly middling 'Spoons experience and not really worth skipping some of the city's finer pubs for.