What a gem right in the middle of town. Tucked upstairs in the Eldon garden, right by car park for…read moregetting your shopping back easy. It's Full of local artists work. Loads of gift ideas at a range of prices. Really friendly staff. Thoroughly recommend. Wheelchair friendly. There is 10 rooms I think of art. It was better than the trip to Laing art gallery

From the owner: Here at North East Art Collective we specialise in providing the best of local art and design to…read morehome owners of around the North East. Situated in Eldon Garden Shopping Centre we currently display and sell the work of over 150 artists and designers living and working in the region.

My personal favourite place to buy meat, veggies and bread…read more Big barn type market in the centre of Newcastle. Numerous stalls that offer all types of different services. Numerous award winning butchers that offer prime cuts of meat, fantastic mince and healthy plump chickens and eggs! Wonderful bakery that makes the best breads and pastry I have tried. Wonderful vegetables and fruit stands where you get can a serious deal on great vegetables. Cheapest and most authentic pick and mix selection I have ever seen Fish monger, show repair, tea shop, cafes, clothing and boot sale, cd shops, home repair, clothing alterations ... Even a room with a scale in it! Grainger Market is magical. A must see, I consider the market a tourist attraction because of how traditional it is. The people in the booths all seem very authentic and very helpful.

It took me far too long to actually go to Grainger market. I love places with lots of little…read moreindividual businesses. I was used to markets being places with cheap tat and someone with a thick Black Country accent yelling from a van about sausages, and it's just definitely not like that here. There are still veggies, butchers (and decent cheeses to boot), but there are some seriously talented craftspeople too. It's good for a look around even if you don't feel like buying anyth8ng, odds are you probably will end up doing so.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the side gallery on my last day of being in Newcastle having come…read morefrom Edinburgh and this was high up on my list to do's but wasn't sure if I'd have time but thankfully I did and I'm so glad. I came bouncing in with suitcase and bags which the man that greeted me kindly let me dump beside him so I could admire the works of Jimmy Forsyth, Robert Doisneau and New York's WEEGEE. I love this kind of style of photography and I'm a big fan of Don McCullin and some of the works of WEEGEE really reminded of him, in fact the side gallery reminded me of the Tate gallery in Liverpool but on a much smaller more intimate scale and I'm so glad I got to visit, the work on show and what the side gallery has to offer is absolutely worth a visit and it's free to enter. There are also books, posters and postcards available to buy and I could've bought so many books if I had enough space in my case but I ordered online when I got home so I'm happy!

From the owner: Side Gallery, part of Amber Film & Photography Collective, is committed to exhibiting the best in…read moreinternational humanist documentary, its concerns rooted in a long term engagement with working class, marginalised and threatened communities in the North of England - and by extension with the experiences of those documented by some of the finest photographers working across the world.

Exceptional, not-to-be missed gallery/museum. As an American visitor, I think some of the 4-star…read morereviews come from Brits and other European visitors who are used to the expansive and impressive collections, such as the British museum. It is small, as they have noted, but the quality of the curation more than makes up for its size, which isn't that small in comparison to our pitiful museums in the US. I was most impressed with the curation of the 19th century works with more modern pieces. The galleries tell a story. This isn't a museum to rush through. Reading the descriptions of each piece really helps you see the total theme of each exhibit. That is some detailed work by the museum staff, and one that should be applauded. Also of note: what a fantastic museum gift shop! Perfect for those local artisan gifts and museum pieces that you won't find in other shops. That alone is worth a stop (and doesn't require a ticket to enjoy).

Laing is a smallish but distinguished, well-maintained gallery of "traditional" art, with an…read moreemphasis on the 18th and 19th centuries (both British and international). It is housed in an ambitiously designed building that fuses old and new architecture. It looks much bigger from outside, the actual galleries are few and small. Expect to spend nor more than 1 hour at this place, which makes it perfect for a rainy day (which this was). Laing Art Gallery is located on the corner of New Bridge St. and John Dobson Street (opposite of the bus stop where many of the cross-country bus services, by like Megabus, stop). Its permanent collection is free of charge. and contrary to what I had read previously in forums, I DID take non-flash photos and didn't do it secretly, so it's allowed. Don't expect too much though: While there are indeed several masterpieces by British (Holman Hunt, Burne-Jones, Alma-Tadema) and international painters, the total number of paintings is low, and there's mostly exactly 1 painting per master. This might have to more with the size of the exhibition space than the actual collection, as their website claims that paintings are exchanged regularly to "show the impressive range of art". Anyway, compared to the faux and crap modern art at The Baltic Centre on the other side of Newcastle's city centre, Laing is pure gold. There are also examples of local and regional crafts and arts. See some photos for reference.

July 6, 2024 Love…read morelove love The Biscuit Factory! Located in an old biscuit (cookie) factory, this beautiful old building displays contemporary art over several floors. Wide, open staircases carry you to each floor where your eyes take in the tastefully planned displays. Little benches here and there invite you to sit and soak in all the art. All the artwork is for sale. The best part for us - we enjoyed Afternoon Tea in the Biscuit Factory Cafe. We were able to choose from their regular offerings, vegetarian or vegan. Our delicious food included mini quiches, mini sandwiches, avocado toast, lemon blueberry cake, brownie bites and cherry scones with Chantilly cream. I know how much my partner loves me when when he gave me his little pot of that incredible cream! Free admission to the gallery. Really nice gift shop. Beautiful art!

It was not what I had expected going in, but I was pleasantly surprised! The Biscuit Factory is set…read moreup like an art gallery where all the pieces are for purchase. On the outside, it looks rather small but once you are inside, the rooms actually extend really far back and it is a lot bigger than you'd expect on both floors. One of my favorite things about this gallery is that most (if not all?) pieces here are made by local artists and a lot of the pieces they had were all tied to a Newcastle theme which is one of the reasons why I am very drawn to this gallery! The Biscuit Factory features so many unique pieces that you just aren't able to see in any musem or gallery.

I love the exterior of this building but the interior is a major disappointment with 5 floors of…read morenothing, a total waste of space. This is supposed to be a building to house contemporary art but the art was very minimal and nothing that excited or inspired or touched me in any way. The only good thing I can say about this gallery is the roof top terrace gives a fabulous view of the bridges and the shop has some cool things but apart from that, it left me uninspired and disappointed.

I came across it by accident. It was a very foggy Saturday morning in Newcastle and my head was…read morebegging for a cup of coffee. First I spotted the cafe, then the bookstore, which was a treasure trove of sorts, then I noticed the label Free Entry and I was already walking towards the reception desk. The receptionist met me with a very warm smile eager to welcome me and tell me about the exhibitions - from all five floors, only two were open. The ground floor contained an installation by Jordan Baseman and the second floor had a pharmacy exhibit by Damien Hirst. Baseman's work consisted of three audio/video clips with disturbing stories of people being sexually harressed or somehow psychologically damaged or scarred. The second exhibition was a bit disappointing: in a very small room the whole arrangement was that of a pharmacy store with the counter installed in too. Only after reading the brochure I realized the artist's idea behind it, which I found a bit fa-fetched and untruthful. I spent almost an hour inside because of the shop and the cafe which treated me with a great service: I bought a melting chocolate flapjack and a hot cup of espresso. For such a lovely architectural design, I though it was a bit of a shame that they do not to use the whole space for art, I am sure there is a lot of interesting art that could be and should be made available to the public.