Best Cocktail Bars in Whitley Bay
Al Bear, Little Lobo, and The Lough Ran — Park View has become a proper cocktail strip. Here are the best spots.
Whitley Bay's Park View strip has quietly become one of the best streets for evening drinks on the North East coast. Within a few hundred metres you have a Mexican taqueria with a tequila bar, an art deco cocktail lounge, and a crowd-pleasing bar-kitchen with 2-for-1 cocktail deals. Add in the seafront venues around Spanish City and you have a genuine cocktail scene — not bad for a town that was mostly known for amusement arcades a decade ago.
Al Bear — The All-Rounder
Al Bear at 46 Park View is the most versatile cocktail venue in Whitley Bay. Open seven days a week from brunch through to late, it serves pizzas, burgers, and tapas alongside craft cocktails and a solid beer selection. Live music at weekends adds atmosphere.
The standout deal is their Cocktail Club: 2-for-1 cocktails on the Bear Essentials and Fuzzy Bears menus, available Sunday to Thursday all day. That makes it the best-value cocktail option in town. The vibe is lively without being loud, dog-friendly, and welcoming whether you are in for a quick drink or a full evening.
Best for: 2-for-1 cocktails Sun-Thu, all-day opening, live music weekends, dog-friendly.
Little Lobo — Tequila and Tacos
Little Lobo at 167 Park View is a Californian-inspired Mexican taqueria with a bar to match. Tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and nachos sit alongside margaritas, frozen cocktails, and a tequila and mezcal selection that you will not find anywhere else on the coast.
The interior is bright and colourful, the portions are generous, and the frozen margaritas are dangerously drinkable. It works equally well as a pre-dinner drinks stop or a full evening of food and cocktails. Just down the road from Spanish City and the seafront, it is ideal after a beach walk.
Best for: Margaritas, frozen cocktails, tequila and mezcal bar, Mexican food.
The Lough Ran — Art Deco Cocktails
The Lough Ran at 203 Park View is a family-run cocktail bar and bistro with 1930s art deco decor — peacock wallpaper, plush velvet seating, and a flower wall. The cocktail menu features classics like Espresso Martini, Long Island Iced Tea, and Aperol Spritz alongside wine, champagne, and a gin selection.
The food runs to tapas-style dishes, charcuterie boards, burgers, and proper Sunday roasts. Open Thursday to Saturday only, so plan accordingly. The atmosphere is intimate and considered — more date night than big group outing.
Best for: Art deco decor, classic cocktails, intimate atmosphere, tapas and roasts.
Split Chimp — Craft Beer with Character
Split Chimp near Spanish City Plaza is a micropub and microbrewery rather than a cocktail bar, but it deserves a mention for anyone who prefers their evening drinks with substance. Converted from a former clothing shop, it has a corner bar with six handpumps, no jukeboxes, no TVs — just excellent real ales brewed on-site and proper conversation.
No cocktails here, but if you want craft beer done with genuine passion and expertise, this is the best option in Whitley Bay by a considerable margin. CAMRA members will feel at home.
Best for: Micropub and microbrewery, real ales brewed on-site, no-nonsense atmosphere.
Crab & Waltzer — Seafront Cocktails
Crab & Waltzer on Marine Avenue is a seaside bistro-cafe with a quirky interior — one of the tables is an old waltzer car from the Spanish City funfair days. Cocktails, beer, wine, and a full food menu sit alongside panoramic coastal views.
It is more of a casual dining venue than a cocktail destination, but the drinks are decent and the setting is unbeatable for a summer evening. Live music features regularly.
Best for: Seafront location, quirky interior, cocktails with coastal views, live music.
The Park View Crawl
Start at The Lough Ran for an art deco cocktail and charcuterie board. Walk a minute to Little Lobo for a frozen margarita and tacos. Cross the road to Al Bear for 2-for-1 cocktails and live music. If you still have legs, head down to the seafront for a nightcap at Crab & Waltzer with sea views. The entire route is under ten minutes' walking.
Tynemouth's Front Street is a short taxi ride north if you want to extend the evening with PTMY, Lola Jeans, and Allard's Lounge.
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