Explore Grainger Street With Us

Food

Because it’s primarily a shopping street, the food outlets on Grainger Street tend towards the fast food and snack variety, and there are plenty of them. There’s a McDonald's of course, and because of its central location, it’s open 24 hours a day, every day! 

A more recent arrival is Taco Bell, a Stateside institution known for its cheap and tasty Tex-Mex offerings. Cinnabon is another recent arrival from the States and its simple but pleasing menu of cinnamon bun variations and excellent coffee makes it acgreat filling station in the middle of a shopping trip.

Greggs is a Tyneside triumph of course, and the Grainger Street branch is open till 4am for your post-Bigg Market pasty cravings (or lunchtime sandwich needs too). Dicksons is another North East institution and as well as being a quality butcher of the kind you don’t see that often these days, it offers plenty of takeaway snacks and such too. 

Mark Toney & Co is apparently Newcastle’s oldest coffee shop and began life as an ice cream seller, though these days it offers sandwiches and light meals alongside its delicious ice creams. Creams is the Newcastle outlet of one of the UK’s first and biggest chains of dessert shops, a 21^st century phenomenon that’s bringing a lot of joy to the sweet of tooth, with all the cakes, shakes and sundaes you could want.

If you’re hoping to keep things a little healthier, Super Natural Café is Newcastle’s oldest vegetarian café and a tasty, healthy oasis at the bottom of Grainger Street, with plenty of cakes and good coffee alongside a varied and appealing main menu.  

Island Poke is a fairly new arrival at the other end of the street, and also aims to keep things healthy with its Hawaiian meets Japanese take on rice bowls. Sushi has a strong reputation for healthiness too, so nearby Nudo Sushi Box is another great option. It offers a wide range of bento boxes, sushi platters and rice bowls and is perfect for a protein-packed lunch or after-work boost. 

Even after all these years, watching the food travel round the conveyor belt in YO! Sushi is fun and the food is pretty great too. Noodles are a reliably cheap, filling and tasty option and Yo Yo Noodle certainly fits the bill, with an appealing blend of Chinese and Thai dishes on offer. Or there’s Oodles, which keeps things really simple – pick your base, your sauce and your protein and you’re good to go.

One of the first Tex-Mex joints in Newcastle, Zapatista serves an excellent burrito – made to your specifications right in front of you – with a strong supporting cast of tacos, quesadillas and churros and some authentic Mexican drinks too (mmm, Jaritos!). And if you have a need for chicken, there’s Chickalicious – the clue’s in the name – that serves up fine fowl in more combinations than you can imagine, along with excellent sides, shakes and sweet things.

Finally, in contrast to all the tasty but hasty suggestions above, there’s Cote Brasserie, a charming and authentic brasserie with a distinctly French menu that ticks all the boxes – onion soup, steak tartare and the rest.

Drinks

Whether you’re looking for excellent coffee, a refreshing pint or a bespoke cocktail, Grainger Street has that covered too. A fairly recent arrival on Grainger Street, Black Sheep Coffee not only gets the coffee right but all sorts of other things too, from waffles to shakes – and sells beans and pods too. The charming Flower Café – also a relatively new arrival – has excellent coffee too but also serves cocktails, including some very tempting creations, in a lovely setting.

Another bar catering to all tastes is Slug & Lettuce which boasts several menus, some very elaborate cocktails and lots of offers too. Right opposite Central Station nestled in The County Hotel is The Hudson - a bar and restaurant by day that turns into a very fine cocktail bar by night, with a long and impressive cocktail menu, some appealing bar snacks and even the occasional live act or DJ. And of course, there’s The Mushroom, the renowned cellar club that has a well-deserved reputation for a great atmosphere, great DJs and great cocktails.

Fashion

Of course, Grainger Street is primarily a shopping street and it’s teeming with all sorts of stores, including plenty of clothes shops. 

Fashions may change but Dr Martens never really lose their appeal, even 120 years after their creation. You’ll get a vast range of their instantly familiar footwear here, but also plenty of accessories and merch. Offering an all-in-one lifestyle package for almost fifty years, Urban Outfitters will get you dressed, shod, groomed and ready for action all under one roof and send you off with a weird little gadget or an unlikely book too!

Garms opened this summer and has already made a name for itself with its range of classic fashion, streetwear and sportswear. 1Lux covers a similar area, growing out of a personal shopping service into a store sourcing and stockig the rarest and most sought after kicks and clothes. size? are all about sneakers, from big brands to rare or unusual drops of the latest limited editions. From familiar Vans to the latest Yeezy, size? will stock them – or order them in for you.

If you’re a man looking for something a little more formal, Slater Menswear will be able to suit and boot you in style. Their vast stock and fifty years of experience meaning they can help find just the right fit for all kinds of special events - weddings included.

And if the groom is in Slaters getting fitted for the big day, the bride could well be in House Of Bellas, a renowned bridal outfitters offering a range of stunning gowns. Finally, Bonmarché has been providing all kinds of womenswear – aimed at women aged 50+ – for forty years, and has the reputation to match. 

Health & Beauty

If you’ve made sure your clothes are looking good, it’s time to make sure the rest of you is too. ABS'S Barbers is an old-school barbers that’ll sort you out with a sick fade and a neatly trimmed beard for a good price in a welcoming space. Cover Beauty is one of several local branches of the salon that deals with everything from nails to eyebrows, facials to hair in an environment that says ‘pamper me!’. Sally Beauty sells beauty products, equipment (straighteners, hairdryers, clippers and the like) and accessories, to regular customers or to people in the trade. 

Savers sells everything from household products to medication, beauty products to child card accessories, often at knockdown prices – you’re likely to go in for some cough sweets and come out with a cat toy! And if you’ve been concerned lately that your hearing isn’t as sharp as it was, you should visit Amplifon, the hearing solutions centre that can test you and fit you out with the right device to make everything crystal-clear again.

Geek & Tech

Grainger Street – especially at its Central Station end – is something of a geek enclave, with a number of collectible and tech shops in close proximity. There’s Travelling Man, part of a small chain selling comics and collectibles with a focus on manga and a reputation for expert service. 

Geek Retreat nearby caters to a similar audience (literally – there’s a café!) but is more tabletop-games based, with space for gamers to set up and get spellcasting. And of course there’s Forbidden Planet, the grandaddy of comics/collectibles stores with dozens of branches and a huge stock of everything from Marvel and DC comics to underground publications, Rick & Morty toys and manga DVDs.

On the tech side, CeX is a second hand buy/trade/sell chain with hundreds of branches that will take your old games console, provide you with games for your new one or kit you out with all the accessories you need. There’s electronic, phones, computer equipment and much more too. Or there’s CP Computer & Phone Shop, who will fix your phone in a jiffy whether it’s an iPhone with a cracked screen or a Huawei you dropped in the bath. They trade in old phones too, and they’ll mend your laptop.

Essentials

Convenience stores McGrain’s and Metro Express are both there for those little unexpected items you realise you need as you’re out and about - a pack of gum, a bar of chocolate to keep your energy up, that sort of thing - and they’re open late too. TJ Hughes is the kind of store where everything is discounted, whether it’s electrical goods or skincare products, a wardrobe or an ironing board. And Scribbler is a papyrophiliac’s dream, full of greetings and occasion cards, stationery and all manner of paper products and gifts.

And More…

We said at the start that there’s pretty much nothing you can’t buy in Grainger Street and it’s true. Perhaps you want some new ink? Pins Tattoo Studio has a strong reputation and as well as tattoos, offers piercings and – because you might need that partner’s name removed – laser tattoo removal. The Grainger Street branch of Pure Ink – one of several in town – also offers some great ink in a variety of styles, and does piercings too.

For all things photographic, head to Max Spielmann, one of several hundred branches offering photo printing, bespoke prints and gifts, and other services such as passport photos and photoshoots. If you’re a vaper, the Refill Station has everything you need – a dizzying array of flavours, plus kits, disposables and accessories. 

If you want to buy something cheap and do some good, the Cancer Research charity shop has everything from clothes and gifts to books and household items, and all profits go to an excellent cause.

H&T Pawnbrokers are great for when you need some money in a hurry, but offer all sorts of other services too, from jewellery repairs and cheque cashing to travel currency and Western Union services. Betfred is one of the country’s biggest chains of bookmakers, offering bets on any sport you can think of and all sorts of virtual and online games too, from poker to bingo. 

And if exploring all Grainger Street has to offer has tired you right out, Dream Apartments can help in that department with their range of full-serviced apartments perfect for both short and extended stays in the city.

We weren’t kidding when we said you can get anything on Grainger Street. You could pop out for a newspaper and come home with some freshly-threaded eyebrows, a dog basket, a tattooed dedication to your mum and a new World Of Warcraft game and still not begin to take advantage of everything this finest of streets has to offer. So, next time you're in Newcastle why not take a stroll along this varied and vibrant street?