please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Tilley's was my final stop on my Monday evening crawl of Newcastle pubs and it was a fitting finale. How on earth has this pub not been in the Good Beer Guide since 2010? Tilley's is part of the Head Of Steam group of pubs. I'm amazed I've never been in here before. But if in this part of town, we often end up in the Bodega instead. I was suitably impressed. The single bar has sufficient seating and is a nice drinking environment. The ale selection was good - 7 were on - Camerons Apocalypse Now & Blue Mountain Jamaican Coffee and Rum Porter, Credence Coffee Porter, Mordue Workie Ticket, Leeds Yorkshire Gold & Midnight Bell & Tyne Bank Mocha Milk Stout. The cider was Old Rosie. Quiet when I initially walked in, it soon got much noisier when a loud and clearly quite inebriated group walked in. No trouble though. I will definitely be back here.
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Excellent selection of real ales and other , good interior (a bit dark for people who need glasses though), barstaff who really know their stuff and attracts a fairly relaxed, friendly crowd. Unless they have a DJ in, the music and atmosphere are great.
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Just along from the excellent Bodega, Tilleys is well worth a visit. A good number of quality real ales to choose from and some good lunchtime food options.
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As visiting Arsenal fans found this ok busy as you'd expect being a matchday but generally ok.
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I like Tilleys a lot. Good beers, good food and the cinema club is a nice touch. Beware the toilets though, they are rank!
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Good selection of real ales, but like those at their sister bar, they're not well-kept.
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I have to say that I feel that the comments above are quite unfair and I would go as far to say unrepresentitive of the pub. I am a frequent user of this bar and quite regularly enjoy the ales it has on offer, which usually has 5 or 6 on offer at a time. I have found them to be very well maintained and the staff are usually quite knowledgeable of the beers on sale.
I have only recently discovered that the pub also offers a fantastic food menu (I am an evening drinker and just recently the kitchen hours have been extended to as late as 8pm) of which I have sampled quite a few different home cooked dishes, none of that microwave rubbish. All tasty and all very reasonably priced (�3.99 for a main).
The range of beer and food is excellent. The staff are very friendly, and the music played is great.
Oh yes, I almost forgot. They have a free cinema showing films daily, so you can grab some food, a beer and sit and watch a classic.
I felt I had to leave a comment here because I really do enjoy this pub. It's not overly fancy. The gents do pong. Some more exotic pints are out of my price range. But overall I don't think you'll find a more homely pub, that tries it's best to give you a friendly place to be.
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The real ale has really gone down hill in here (from indifferent to shockingly bad!). Ordered several different beers on several different occasions, at several different times of the week and all have had to be returned due to being warm (HOT in some cases!!). There are much better pubs in Newcastle, avoid.
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Pleasant bar with trendy plain pale green walls and pale wood floor. 5 casks. Decent food. Limited menu on Sundays.
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I like this pub, but once again I'm not really sure why. Has a good range of ales, usually with one or two interesting ones, usually well kept, but occasionally not. Always looks a bit scruffy and they are very prompt to throw you out at 11 in midweek. You're often made to feel really uncomfortable even if they've only just served you a pint at last orders when 3 minutes later some loudmouth is constantly shouting "drink up please". I only go in early doors these days due to this, but I still like it. Strange.
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Late comment from August. Enjoyed 3 Coach House beers at this friendly pub.
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I do like Tillys but sometimes the service can be slow and a bit unfriendly. Serve a wide range of beers from all over. I do find Tillys a tad expensive mind. As a whole tillys is a canny bar. Always seems to be quite busy and has a friendly atmoshpere.
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Good range of beer indifferently kept. Staff aren't really with it; it bothers me to see some mook standing around chatting when there are customers queueing. Apart from that the atmosphere's pretty good, although it still manages to give off the feeling that it's smoky! Don't know how. Not as pleasant as it's sister pub, the Head of Steam, but the beers fare better here; neither are as good as the Cluny.
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A bit too trendy for me - at 42 I reckon I was old enough to be the father of almost every other customer, all of whom were certainly under 30. Ales were in good nick but it was too dimly lit to read my paper. The Bodega up the road is more my scene.
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Not as friendly as the Bodega, and a bit more expensive, but OK.
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I was told not to visit this pub but decided to as it has real ale and wasn't disappointed, bit place but not many in, mind it was early Sunday afternoon, staff not impressed but there you are.
Real ales were as follows:
Hop Back-Summer Lightning 5
Archers-Golden 4.2
Hook Norton-Old Hooky 4.6
Black Sheep-Bitter 3.8
and also
Westons-Scrumpy.
The reason we popped in as it was on our circuit, quiet liked the place and will re-visit.
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Fab range of beer, lager and ciders, friendly staff and not a bad Sunday roast either! Can get a bit smokey on fuller nights, so strange that the no smoking area is not in keeping with the rest of the pub so you feel a little out of place.
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No longer a Jennings pub, I believe, but usually has a good choice of beer and a decent (is smoky) atmosphere. You're right about the bar staff, however...
anonymous - 18 Apr 2006 19:57 |
I prefer this place now to the Bodega next door. Beer is excellent in both places, but Ijust prefer the ambience in here. More comfy/slouchy chairs to sit in, that kind of thing. That and the fact that it opens later than the Bodega now.
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Worth popping in to, and is next to the Bodega so not a bad stop off point. Can get a bit crowded, and is VERY dark. But beer decent as is the atmosphere.
A word to the barmaids though-yes we know you want to chat to your pals/boyfriends when you are working, but don't be so rude-all I want is a beer, not to feel like the invisible man!
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Total revamp summer 2005, now all light wood and comfy chairs. Beer range is exceptional by any standard, with good choice of cask,(only one Jennings though), but wide selection of lagers including Belgian and Czech beers. Also first in Britain to serve Budvar Dark. Prices not bad either.
Interesting menu on blackboard.
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Can anyone tell me what this bar was originally called?
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Good Jennings pub, a mixed clientel depending on day/time of day you go.
Nothing outstanding really, but the beer is worth going for... bar staff are generally good too.
mike - 10 May 2003 14:31 |
