Craft beer is something that seems to be on the rise in Newcastle.  Not too long ago all we had in the way of after work drinks were the regular chains with one or two little hidden gems dotted around the city.  Since the opening of Brewdog on Dean Street we've been spoiled for choice as dozens of independent pubs spring open with their delicious hoppy offerings.  One such place has been highly anticipated by local brewheads was The Bridge Tavern.  The difference with The Bridge Tavern and other pubs is this one has a microbrewery right there in the bar, cool huh?

Since my other half is quite the beer lover we decided to pop down for lunch and try out their delightfully comforting menu as well as a few sneaky tipples. Their twists on traditional British pub grub is simply perfect for a cold and blustery Autumnal afternoon.



Since the BridgeTavern boasts a range of house brewed beers we thought it would be daft to try anything else.  I went for the Tavernale which was a light beer with a citrus taste while Kris opted for the darker, more complex All Hallows Ale.  Both were delicious but I think I'll take my usual gin and tonic next time.


The menu features everything you'd expect from a pub, beef and ale pie, fish and chips, sausage and mash but with a few lesser seen numbers like the deep fried oysters or haggis toastie (this has been earmarked for a future visit).  Sausage and mash swung it for me, in my eyes the perfect meal for a cold and blustery day.  Kris went for the bacon chop with black pudding and triple cooked chips.  Both meals were utterly delicious, the mashed potato was just so perfect I could have tucked into a huge bowl on its own.




For the purpose of our review we thought it best to try the deserts on offer, all for your benefit of course.  Although the stout float sounded super tempting I just couldn't walk away from the plum crumble smothered in vanilla custard.  I knew what Kris would pick before he'd even glanced at the choices and I was correct, once he spotted the salted caramel ice cream with chocolate sauce and peanut brittle it was all I could do to prevent him ordering two portions.



Again, everything was delicious but I feel my pud could have done with a few more Wintery spices in the crumble, not that it wasn't delicious I'm just a bit of a cinnamon addict.


The Bridge Tavern, in my eyes is one of the best bars in Newcastle.  Good food, good atmosphere, slightly pretentious staff but hey, what do you expect in a place like that.  I'll be back soon!

The Bridge Tavern