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Disappointment of the week with Mobyduck
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Detail Pages
The Head Of Steam, Newcastle Central, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE1 5EN
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Head Of Steam
Newcastle's original Head of Steam is located close to Central station. The bar itself is located up a flight of stairs on the first floor. It's quite a compact drinking space, with an L-shaped bar counter.
On our Wednesday evening visit (note the pub no longer opens on a Monday or a Tuesday), there was a bouncer on the door and it was quite lively inside. This used to be our pub of choice when visiting Newcastle. However, having discovered so many other better places across the city, we hadn't been in for almost 6 years.
It was disappointing to find just 2 real ales - Cameron's Thirst Red & Ossett Strawberry Fields. After ordering the Thirst Red, I subsequently noticed some boxed ciders at the right-hand corner of the bar. There were 3 boxes. 1 was Weston's Cloudy Vintage and another was Thatcher's Cheddar Valley. I couldn't determine what the third box contained. It may just have been a second box of one of the other ciders. Craft beers meanwhile were Deya Steady Rolling Man, Tooth & Claw Jellyfish Nebula, Cameron's Road Crew & Bigmouth Yeastie Boys.
The choice of pubs in close proximity to Central station has grown significantly over the past few years. With places such as the Newcastle Tap, the Mile Castle, the Centurion Bar, the Victoria Comet, the Gunner Tavern, the Split Chimp, Beer Street and the Delta Lounge, there is a lot more competition in the area these days. The Head of Steam stays open until 2am. So, that was the main reason for us rounding off the night here. Otherwise, the pub is no longer as attractive as it used to be.
On 31st October 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Head Of Steam
Situated just across the road from Central Station in a particularly unappealing building, this is a first floor bar and live music venue from the eponymous Head of Steam group. The main bar has a simple bare boarded, L-shaped layout, with a similarly shaped servery in the rear right corner. The bar counter has a pleasant detailed decorative frontage whilst the bar back is considerably more restrained. The front section of the room has a partly carpeted seating area with long banquettes, standard chairs and low stools underneath a good collection of breweriana, some mirrors and plenty of photos. The room extends further back to the left of the bar, where a long U-shaped banquette with a jazzy upholstered back can be found, broken in places by the insertion of some small round tables. The walls here have some unattractive wood plank cladding which again have been covered with items of breweriana, lots of photographs and a large image of some sort of unidentified piece of industrial equipment. The whole place seemed to be well kept and smartly presented and I had no trouble settling down on one of the comfy banquettes and enjoying my pint whilst listening to the rather intriguing alternative rock soundtrack. The place was fairly quiet on a Sunday evening, but the few other customers who were in all appeared to be slightly nutty, which is perhaps inevitable at times for a pub with this kind of location. There is also a separate live music venue downstairs with a bottle and can only bar, but this was closed on my visit, so I was unable to explore.
As with most Head of Steam pubs, the ale range was pretty good, with options on this visit comprising Portobello Northern Line Stout, Allendale Yarm Pale, Anarchy Anti Venom, Mordue Five Bridges and Wylam Silver Ghost, with a final pump sporting a turned clip. A strong range of keg and bottled options was also available, with the full range detailed on a large board on the staircase - not the easiest place to try and figure out what you want to drink next. My pint of the Stout was very enjoyable and the lone barman seemed very friendly, if perhaps a little weary of some of his more challenging customers.
I quite liked the feel of this place, which I felt was a well run operation with some good beer and comfortable surrounds, making it a good option for anyone straight off the train. It lacked that bit of character needed to make it an indispensable pub, but I found it to be a solid option and I'd have no problems with a return visit.
On 16th May 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Head Of Steam
The main bar is up a flight of stairs and downstairs is used as a music venue. The pub was quiet on our Sunday night visit. There were four handpumps in use, I went for Hadrian and Border Tyneside Light Ale. The music played was at a decent level and staff friendly. Toilets need a refurb.
On 8th August 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about Head Of Steam
Handy for Newcastle train station 4 real ales.
On 21st December 2011
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Head Of Steam
Very unpromising looking place from the outside, and a bit gloomy and claustrophobic inside too. However, this is made up by a good selection of real ales including a nice pint of Stallion Bitter from the reliable (if lengthily-named) Nick Stafford's Hambleton Ales. Fine for a quick one if waiting for a train, but I wouldn't hang around for a second.
On 12th September 2009
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about Head Of Steam
I usually call in here on a Tuesday or Wednesday night when I'm in Newcastle, so I don't know what it's like at weekends. During the week they always seem to have at least one very unusual real ale on so it drags me in like a magnet. It's pretty quiet then as well so you can get a seat if you want or lean on the bar. Not bad at all if you can withstand the student b*llocks being talked about all the time.
On 19th August 2009
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3223 recommendations about 3134 pubs]