please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
It's been several years since I last visited the Head Of Steam and I don't believe I've reviewed it on here previously. So I paid it a return visit on Thursday. The pub is directly opposite Central station. It is on the first floor of the building. I felt it always had a rough feel to it. But it felt decidedly less edgy on this visit and it may have had a refurb. The ale range was decent - Leeds Pale, Exit 33 Nicaraguan Rum Stout & Light Weight, Brinkburn Canny Sculler & Camerons Blue Mountain Jamaican Coffee & Rum Ale. The cider was Woodhall's Wizard's Sleeve. I enjoyed a swift half of the Camerons beer before moving on. I'm sure I'll be back much sooner.
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Modern first floor bar across the road from the station. Good selection of beers that were well kept.
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Head Of Steam pubs are now part of the Camerons empire. This has been recently refurbished to a high standard. Up to six real ales on from Camerons and other local breweries. Well worth a trip up the stairs.
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The beer I had was exceedingly warm, too warm to enjoy. From the other comments I am guessing this is not normally the case. Thought the atmosphere was OK.
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The pub didn't look welcoming at all from the outside, it is probably like this all of the time, but looked even worse, being covered in scaffolding - inside, it's a little dingy, and yes, even a little smelly, whilst some of the women in our group looked questioningly why we were in there - Still reading ?
Well, the pub has one saving grace, and that's the decent selction of real ale served on the bar - whilst ever real ale remains relatively 'rare' in city centre's this pub will be okay, but if this becomes more prevalant, then this pub will just become a bit of a hole without the 'different' ale to attract people in.
If you like real ale, then visit for one - If not, then maybe a walk past is in order
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I love the pub, but the building itself is ugly and the main bar is far too small.
Great beers, but any more than ten people in and it feels packed.
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Waaaaay better than it used to be. The beers are kept better and the staff are excellent.
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Atmosphere-wise its fine, especially Thur/Fri/Sat nights. the mix seems to be improving with the studenty presence being a bit diluterd of late.
Beer still great and barstaff on the ball.
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Always thought this bar lacked any atmosphere. Simply a place to go for a pint - one pint - then leave.
Actually, I don't even have one pint there now, there's better bars close by.
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Very unpromising looking place from the outside, and a bit gloomy and claustrophobic inside too. However, this is made up by a good selection of real ales including a nice pint of Stallion Bitter from the reliable (if lengthily-named) Nick Stafford's Hambleton Ales. Fine for a quick one if waiting for a train, but I wouldn't hang around for a second.
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Cn be intimidating due to the distinctive clientele smoking outside the doorway, blocking the entrance and the stairs. Once braved, however, its worth a look for good real ales and a selection of unusual bottled beers. Still smells a bit but its heart is in the right place
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I usually call in here on a Tuesday or Wednesday night when I'm in Newcastle, so I don't know what it's like at weekends. During the week they always seem to have at least one very unusual real ale on so it drags me in like a magnet. It's pretty quiet then as well so you can get a seat if you want or lean on the bar. Not bad at all if you can withstand the student b*llocks being talked about all the time.
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Some good ale is usually on and you can get Weihanstephan in bottles and Erdinger on draft. Music's good and theres a less testosterone fuelled atmosphere in there which is handy on match days.
Bar staff have been fine when I've been in.
Nice
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Update! Toilets have been done out. About time too.
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Even though the place smells funny, the staff are unfriendly and the toilets a disgrace i dont mind The Head of Steam. When its busy the atmoshpere is good and has a decent selection of lager.
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I actually quite liked this pub when I popped in on passing the other day but then again I like the kind of music associated with the pub and the relaxed atmosphere on the place. Well, it was relaxed at 4pm on a Sat afternoon anyway. I don't know how well real ale goes down with the pretentious student crowd but *idea* if one of the breweries was to put a picture of Che Guevara on a pump clip they'd probably make a killing :)
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Visited on what I presume to be an ordinary Friday night...heaving,steaming,loud and sweaty. Good selection of beers behind the bar and an apparently good range of local beers on four handpumps, but having bought two of them, the clips were turned round on ALL FOUR within five minutes. One of the two pints we had was very bottom-of-the-barrel stuff, so it looks like they decided to maximise their profits for the night by serving the bottled stuff only quicker than they could change the barrels and pull real pints. For your actual ale-drinker, a visit at a quieter time must be best, otherwise be prepared to sweat pounds, spend even more pounds and have your senses assaulted by the noise level from what seemed like hundreds od students/bright young things in what seems like a phonebox.
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I popped in here last week while waiting for a train at just gone noon. I was the only customer and the place had a disinfectant smell about it (no longer masked by stale smoke since the Ban). The beer was okay but not in the best -kept state perhaps.Unfair to judge too harshly on this visit given the time of day.
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Dreadful staff who spend all their time chatting to their mates rather than serve.
anonymous - 4 Jul 2007 19:56 |
Another first for me, three real ales on and Geordie Pride was great, very busy Sunday around 7ish all seemed like students upstairs, nice place but felt like an old man.
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good beer n cute barmaid,8/10
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Used to love it - great beers and atmosphere. Now, it gets TOO loud downstairs and the beers aren't kept as well as they should be. Beware of going during the week: live bands tend to attract sixthformers!
anonymous - 14 Apr 2006 21:02 |
Getting a bit frayed at the edges, but beer choice good and served in fine condition.Seems to cater for a mixed age-group.
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The Head of Steam is like a weary band playing live, doing what they do best but in a manner that suggests past glories rather than exciting new material. But punters want to hear the hits, and the HoS duly serves them up. You'll struggle to find a better selection of draft continental lagers (they stocked Staropramen before most pubs had even heard of the Velvet Revolution) and you can usually summon a bottle of something strong with a black label from the fridge. My friend tried to get a job here once, and that they didn't take him on makes me sad to this day. In its own way, an institution.
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Has gone downhill since the days of J Ives, but still a relaxed place to drink amongst likeminded dossers and the occasional post office worker. Random drinks, eclectic music and the owner's photos make the place unique. I spent a lot of time there with my wingman Graeme and miss it a heck of a lot. Former barman Dave Campbell was possibly the greatest pintsman in history, and wee Sarah brightened even the darkest day. Happy times.
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Gets busy but I've had no trouble getting served and certainly not seen anything else untoward. Interesting continental beers (Liefmans Kriek! Yay!) and trad ales in a youngish bar - thoroughly excellent.
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Good pub but can get very busy and slow to serve. Beer is always excellent though, staff helpful and you can generally avoid a lot of the lager boys/alcopop girls who frequent this area.
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Good studey/slacker atmosphere...Beer was pretty decent
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Top pub with a bit of bar mixed in. Happily the 'bar' bit just means that it plays excellent music (do they still have the live DJs?), and there's a good selection of beers. Good place to kick off a night. Sarah's comment about the toilets is right though - always very confusing.
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Good times, take a torch cause the lightings low. Racist? Hope not - nah - this is a cool bar. Don't be a goose!
Plato - 6 Nov 2004 10:15 |
wicked pub.. excellent choice of beers which is unrivalled anywhere in newcastle (apart from it's sister pub the cluny)
very laid back atmosphere, nice food aswell..
liam - 19 Feb 2004 13:51 |
I love this pub. In the 7 odd years I've propped up its bar, I've never had anything but fun there. It is soooooooo laid back and I love it. No matter what you look like, what you wear, nobody could care less. There's a good mix and a good atmosphere, and always good tunes.
J - 22 Dec 2003 13:14 |
This pub is class - posh eastern european lagers on draft, more in the bottles mixed with excellent music. Upstairs is superb for a few pints with your mates if you're feeling sophisticated, while downstairs plays host to a wide range of DJs and bands. Sadly, no matter which bar you're at, the toilets are always on another floor.
sarah d - 20 Sep 2003 14:05 |
Eh!??think you've got confused angela.There's no fat bald white man who works there, so that must of been a random stranger.On the rare occasions we have anyone on the door it's the big black man who is also the manager.I know this because i'm the skinny black guy who's the assisstant manager.please come back...
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I have been in Newcastle for almost 2 years and had never experienced the 'racist' attitude associated with the Northeast until I went to Head of Steam. When greeted downstairs by the fat bald white man at the entrance he asked if I were in the right place cuz they didn't play RnB there. After I called him a bunch of names, I left. Will never go back. Point of this tirade? Nice place for folks to hang out except if you're black.
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