Treat Yourself and Your Family This Summer

With many of us unable to go abroad on our summer holidays, we are looking closer to home for ways to unwind and treat ourselves after a tumultuous year.

The North East has an abundance of fun and family-friendly ways to make lasting memories this summer and we have run down our top picks.

In Newcastle’s city centre, Blackfriars Restaurant and Parlour Bar offers visitors a luxurious but welcoming dining experience. Specialising in British cuisine, the restaurant strives to provide healthy and sustainable food for customers, sourcing ingredients as locally as possible.

Sit back, relax and prepare to be wowed by the former friary’s interiors as well as the award-winning menus. The Little Monks Children’s Menu is also full of tasty treats for the little ones to enjoy. The alfresco dining experience in their garden allows visitors to enjoy the glorious North East sunshine as well as green space for the kids to explore if they get a bit fidgety.

Lundgren Tours are renowned for providing exciting and unique experiences, and the Harry Potter Tour of Alnwick Castle is no exception. Your enthusiastic guide for the day, ‘Ron Weasley’, will take you through the magnificent state rooms, corridors and grounds of the Norman castle and take any aspiring wizards for broomstick training.

 Whilst on your visit you will have the opportunity to grab lunch at the world’s largest treehouse and have fun trying to walk across the nearby wobbly bridge. A day out to Alnwick Castle will create lasting memories for the family.

With almost 60 stalls, Grainger Market is a charming hub in Newcastle’s Grainger Town with a real community atmosphere. As you peruse building you’ll find tasty treats – we’re talking pizza by the slice and local mac n cheese caterer – as well as dozens of independent and vintage retailers.

The Grade I listed building is steeped in history, opened in 1835 it was originally dedicated to selling meat and vegetables and was the largest indoor market in Europe. You can still find plenty of fruit and veg stalls and butchers in the building, but it is now also home to loads of small businesses ready to give you a warm Geordie welcome.

We know the great British weather doesn’t always like to co-operate with our plans, but the Metrocentre in Gateshead has you covered. One of the UK’s largest shopping complexes, Metrocentre is a one-stop for a world-class retail and leisure experience. As well as hundreds of shops to suit the whole family, the centre houses a 17-screen Odeon cinema which includes 3D and IMAX screens.

Namco Funscape will keep the kids entertained for hours. The space includes a soft play area to captivate the little ones and a bowling alley and arcade games that are fun for the whole family.

Beamish Museum is the region’s only open-air museum and also one of our largest. A fantastic day out for the family, Beamish has acres of land to explore. Dedicated to preserving and showcasing the everyday industrial history of the North East, the museum is dedicated to using its collections to connect to people from all walks of life.

Create lasting memories as you hop on and off the tram, visiting the 1900s town, pit village and farm. At lunch time head to Davy’s fish and chip shop for traditional coal-fired fish and chips or head to the town for delicious baked goods at Herron’s Bakery. With tons of green space around the museum, picnics are always recommended on a sunny day.