The Five Swans (JD Wetherspoon), Newcastle Upon Tyne

This place really does have an awkward layout. I entered from the John Dobson Street side and there are two areas with low seats and chairs. To get to the bar you have to traverse a short staircase. I don't have a problem with that but the idea of having to carry a pint downstairs is very offputting. I found a room to the right of the bar but there was a table of shouty students nearby. I managed to live with that for the short time I was here. The bar has two sets of five hand pumps which had the JDW Trio of Doom, Adnam's Broadside, Rudgate Volsun, Allendale Adder Lager, Maxim Samson, the JDW footbore Defender, Vale Gravitas and Great Newsome Holderness Dark. I had time to try the Adder Lager and the Volsun both at £2.55 and both were in excellent condition. Despite the noisy students and the stupid layout I liked this one and would happily return.

Big rambling 'Spoons with a mish mash of rooms, the counter is particularly badly placed in a long narrow space at a higher level than the rest of the pub. Usual 5+5 pull set-up and although the beer was in fair nick there wasn't much variety, other than the standard two there were a couple of pale hoppy ones at 5%+. Returning later to wait for a bus, Batemans XXXB was on for a bit of variety and jolly nice it was too.

Fairly new JDW converted from some stone built offices and with a conservatory added. The place was packed with students and shoppers having an early lunch when we called in. There's loads of outdoor seating, but as it was absolutely perishing no-one was using them. The pub is on several levels making wheelchair access difficult as we saw at first hand. The bar staff were OK for a JDW and the pint of Salopian Vapour Trail I had was fine if a bit cold as usual. It's nothing to write home about but we would call in for one if in this part of town.