The Tiny Toad, Newcastle Upon Tyne

Now called The Tiny Toad, I doubt this place will retain its Good Beer Guide status for the 2026 Guide. Most of the micropub's 4 handpulls have been removed, leaving just the one which was dispensing Vocation Bread & Butter on my Saturday afternoon visit. Cider could be found on top of a fridge with a good selection of cans and bottles. The 5 ciders on were Seacider Rhubarb, White Peach & Blood Orange ciders & Weston's Old Rosie & Vintage Organic. The pub now appears to be majoring on their keg selection, which included Vault City Sugar Plum Spritz, Camden Eazy & Stout, Galway Hooker Lughnasadh, Black Sheep One For The Toad & Allendale Pennine Pale. There are a couple of small rooms. The front room with the bar has just one table and a drinking shelf. We occupied the table which is in the window. I sat on one of casks which act as stools at the table. I was expecting there to be to some kind of padding on top of the cask, but it was in fact just a loose cushion directly on top of the cask, making it extremely uncomfortable. There is a second room to the rear with more seating. The one other customer who came in ventured into that space. Whilst I never visited the premises when it was the Heaton Tap, I get the feeling that it has gone downhill and the changes made have been for the worse. Hopefully this place gets more custom at other times of the day. Otherwise, I fear for its future.

Facebook page of The Tiny Toad - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of The Tiny Toad - www.facebook.com

Narrow side-street micro-pub, with only enough room for a few tall stools in the compact bar area, but further seating is available in the back room and at a few small tables out front. All beers - cask (up to four) and keg (up to seven) - served from taps on the bar-back. Although tempted by some of the latter, I went for an Ossett White Rat (£4.80) in the end. Also has a range of canned and bottled offerings in the fridges.