Newcastle has never struggled for somewhere to get a decent coffee, but over the years I’ve developed a definite fondness for the independents: somewhere with good coffee, a bit of character and, ideally, a seat where I can indulge in one of my favourite hobbies, people watching.
I originally put this list together in 2023 after working my way around Newcastle, Jesmond and Gosforth with my highly scientific testing method of ordering a long black and seeing whether it made me happy. Very rigorous.
A few things have changed since then, cafés have moved, businesses have evolved and Newcastle’s coffee scene has become even better, so I thought it was time for an update.
These aren’t places selected from somebody else’s “best of Newcastle” list. They’re places I’ve actually visited and enjoyed.
Burds, Jesmond
Burds remains one of my favourite finds. Hidden away at The Gatehouse on Burdon Terrace, it has always felt slightly removed from the bustle of Newcastle despite being very easy to reach.
When I first visited, I loved sitting outside with a coffee, listening to the birds and generally doing very little, something I increasingly think we should all schedule more often.
Burds is still trading in 2026 as a café and brunch spot in Jesmond.
Good for: a slower coffee, brunch and escaping the city for an hour.
Laneway & Co, Newcastle
Laneway & Co was one of those cafés I originally found after searching for somewhere new and then wondering how I’d missed it. The original café is still on High Bridge and the business has since expanded to Tynemouth. Its Newcastle branch now serves speciality coffee, brunch and food during the day, with evening service on Fridays and Saturdays too.
I remember the Newcastle café being compact, busy and full of personality and crucially, there was cake.
Always important.
Good for: city-centre coffee, brunch and a break while exploring Newcastle on foot.
North Shore Coffee, Grainger Market
North Shore Coffee was always my double-espresso stop. This is not necessarily the wisest drink choice if you already have a tendency to walk everywhere at speed, but it certainly puts some enthusiasm into an afternoon.
North Shore still has its Grainger Market location and has grown considerably, with other Newcastle outlets and its own roastery. Grainger Market itself is one of my favourite places to wander, so this makes a brilliant coffee stop if you’re exploring the city centre.
Good for: serious coffee and pairing with a wander around Grainger Market.
Société, Grey Street
Société Café Bar sits at 93 Grey Street and is still going strong. I’ve always liked the interior here and there is something particularly enjoyable about sitting with a coffee while Newcastle carries on outside the window. It’s also more café-bar than traditional coffee shop, so it works well if one coffee somehow turns into an afternoon drink.
These things happen.
Good for: people watching, central location and lingering longer than planned.
Ouseburn Coffee Co, Jesmond
This one was originally an accidental discovery.
I ducked into OUseburn Coffee Co when it started raining during one of my walks around Jesmond and discovered a lovely relaxed space, great coffee and inevitably cake.
Ouseburn Coffee Company’s flagship coffee house is still St George’s Terrace in Jesmond. Ouseburn Coffee also now has a Fenwick Foodhall concession and weekend presence at Tynemouth Market.
In 2026, Ouseburn Coffee Co even received national praise as one of Britain’s notable speciality coffee spots.
Good for: Jesmond wandering, locally roasted coffee and escaping North East weather.
Baby Grey, Gosforth
Baby Grey Gosforth has developed considerably since my original visit.
It’s now firmly established as a Gosforth brunch destination, while still retaining that neighbourhood coffee-shop feel I originally enjoyed. Its official site currently lists weekday opening and a shorter Saturday coffee service.
I particularly liked the window seat here. Give me decent coffee and something interesting happening outside and I can entertain myself for ages. It now also mentions that work desks are available, so an ideal spot to get out among people instead of being cooped up at home!
Good for: brunch, Gosforth exploring and a proper sit-down coffee.
Cake Stories, Jesmond and Hoults Yard
Cake Stories Coffee House & Cakery needs one of the biggest updates from my original article. I first knew Cake Stories in Jesmond, where I was very happy to discover an impressive choice of vegan cakes.The Jesmond café closed in May 2024 after nine years, but Cake Stories didn’t disappear, it moved to Hoults Yard in Ouseburn, but sadly in September 2026 that too has closed.
Thankfully their wholesale bakery is still providing gorgeous cakes to cafes and garden centres across the UK!
So if you follow my original recommendation, don’t turn up at Brentwood Avenue wondering where the cake has gone.
Good for: cake. Frankly, enormous amounts of cake.
Etto, Gosforth
Etto on the Park remains at Gosforth Central beside the park. I originally liked the spacious interior, terrace and the fact it felt very different from many cramped city cafés. It continues to serve speciality coffee and brunch and the park-side location makes it particularly good on a brighter day.
Good for: sunny mornings, brunch and combining coffee with a walk.
The Canny Goat
The Canny Goat is another place where the details have changed since my first article.
I originally visited a tiny Newcastle city-centre location and loved the friendliness, quirky feel and locally roasted coffee.
Sadly, this closed and moved to Heaton and as of September 2026 I can’t find them!
Sometimes updating an old travel or lifestyle article is a reminder that cities don’t stand still.
Neither, hopefully, do we.
And one that has gone…
Camber Coffee was already marked as closed when I last updated the article and rather than quietly deleting it, I’m tempted to leave it here. It was the first new Newcastle coffee shop I visited alone after Martin died. That made it more significant to me than simply somewhere that served a good cup of coffee.
Places disappear, businesses change and life moves on, but sometimes what matters about a café isn’t whether it’s still there. It’s who you were when you walked through the door.
And I think that deserves its place in the story.
So where would I start?
If you’re visiting Newcastle for the first time, I’d make coffee part of exploring rather than simply searching for the nearest chain. Start around Grey Street and High Bridge, wander through Grainger Market, or hop on the Metro and explore Jesmond, Gosforth or the coast.
Pick somewhere that looks interesting.
Order something you actually enjoy.
Sit down.
Watch the city for a while.
It’s often the unplanned little stops that become part of the memory.
Some other places I’d like to mention in and around the Newcastle area and those are; Gosforth Traders, Fern at Jesmond Dene House, Cullercoats Coffee in North Shields and Regular Jo’s in Tynemouth.
