Best Cocktail Bars & Drinks in Blyth

Let's be upfront: Blyth does not have a dedicated cocktail bar. There is no speakeasy, no mixology menu, no craft cocktail lounge. If that is what you are after, you are heading to Tynemouth, Whitley Bay, or Newcastle city centre. What Blyth does have is a waterfront pub-restaurant with a proper bar, a handful of locals that serve more than just pints, and enough options for a decent evening out if you know where to look.

Commissioners Quay Inn — The Waterfront Option

Commissioners Quay Inn on the harbour is comfortably the best venue for an evening drink in Blyth. Part of the Inn Collection Group, it combines a pub, restaurant, and 40-room hotel in a waterfront setting with views across the harbour.

The drinks menu goes beyond the usual pub offering. There are real ales on handpull, a well-stocked wine cellar with bottles from around the world, continental lagers, craft beers, and a cocktail bar. The food is good too — all-day dining and a popular Sunday carvery. This is where to come if you want something approaching a cocktail bar experience in Blyth.

Best for: Best drinks selection in Blyth, waterfront views, cocktail bar, hotel restaurant.

The Seahorse

The Seahorse on Plessey Road is a B&B, bar, and restaurant offering a more traditional pub experience. The bar is open Monday to Saturday from 3pm and Sunday from noon, with a popular Sunday carvery and home-cooked meals in the restaurant.

There is a function room for private hire and accommodation upstairs. Not a cocktail destination as such, but the bar carries a reasonable spirits selection and the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. A solid local for a quiet drink.

Best for: Traditional bar and restaurant, Sunday carvery, function room, B&B.

The South Beach

The South Beach is a family-friendly pub with a beer garden on the South Beach estate. It is more of a daytime and early-evening venue — live sport on big screens, outdoor seating, and a pub food menu. The drinks list is standard pub fare, but the beer garden is a genuine draw in summer, particularly after a walk along the beach.

Best for: Beer garden, family-friendly, close to the beach, pub food and sport.

The Waterloo

The Waterloo on Waterloo Road is a town-centre pub with a pool table, conservatory, and beer garden. It was recently refurbished under new ownership and has a spacious, welcoming feel. Live sport is shown daily. A straightforward local with no pretensions, but the refurbishment has smartened things up.

Best for: Recently refurbished, town centre, pool table, beer garden.

Blyth and Tyne

Blyth and Tyne on Regent Street is the late-night option — open until 3am at weekends, with daily special offers. This is where the evening extends past last orders elsewhere. It is a lively, no-frills pub that serves its purpose for a night out in town.

Best for: Late-night opening (until 3am weekends), daily offers, town centre.

The Honest Assessment

Blyth's drinking scene is built around pubs, not bars. The Commissioners Quay Inn is the clear standout — waterfront location, proper cocktail bar, good food — and it is worth the visit even if you do not live locally. Beyond that, the options are traditional pubs that do what they do well without pretending to be something they are not.

For cocktails specifically, your nearest dedicated options are Whitley Bay (20 minutes south) where Al Bear, Little Lobo, and The Lough Ran all serve proper cocktail menus on Park View. Tynemouth's Front Street (25 minutes) has PTMY, Lola Jeans, and Allard's Lounge. Newcastle city centre is 30-40 minutes by car or Metro.

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