It’s a chilled venue during the day, where people can enjoy a burger and a beer.
But when night falls, the Dog and Parrot on Clayton Street in Newcastle city centre comes alive and is regularly packed from wall-to-wall.
Renowned for its rock ‘n’ roll music and cheap trebles, the boozer is popular with customers of all ages.
Now, those who love the venue have shared what makes the Dog and Parrot so special.
Liam Mcgraw enjoys visiting the bar on a night out in Newcastle and describes it as “the best bar for indie music since Gotham Town closed.”
The 27-year-old said: “The Dog and Parrot has a great atmosphere as it’s a mixed crowd and doesn’t attract trouble makers.
“Its a great bar to go to before gigs too, as they play a lot of that artist to get you in the mood.
“Before Liam Gallagher played at the arena, it was packed and everyone was singing along to Oasis songs - the atmosphere was quality.”
Calum Lea also has fond memories of visiting the Dog and Parrot on when visiting the city centre for a gig.
The 29-year-old said: “I used to drink here when I was 18 after I had been to a gig. It was great because you used to get all the bands drink here after they played.
“I remember drinking in here with the Libertines at one point.
“After you’ve listened to the Libertines since you were 13, to actually be sat in a pub with them is intense.”
Calum now enjoys visiting the bar during the day, where he can enjoy a meal and a more relaxed drinking with his friends, James Orton and Michelle Birtley.
As part of a refurbishment plan, Tommy Byron, who has owned the Dog and Parrot for the last six years, started serving Meat Stack food in the bar during the day.
And James, who has lived in America for most of his life praised the venue for their food.
The 29-year-old said: “It’s funny to see how different restaurants try to compare to the States, but the food here is actually really decent.
“There is a lot of places that try to do American style cuisine and burgers, but this is the only place I feel replicates that pretty well - even the fries are really nice.”
James adds: “I like the rock music they play here too. It’s nice to go to a place that’s not playing techno or rap music constantly, especially when there are so few places that still play rock music.”
Owner Tommy agrees that the number of venues playing rock ‘n’ roll music has declined over the years, explaining: “There’s not really a rock ‘n’ roll scene in town now so we really cater for that customer.”
After feeling there was a demand for a later licence, Tommy applied to extend his opening hours from 11pm until 1am.
It was accepted in 2018 and as a result business is thriving, allowing Tommy to refurbish the upstairs area with a new cocktail bar and outside terrace.
Manager Darren Pearce said: “In the three years I have been here, the place has always been busy. It’s good that we are working to meet that demand.”
