3SIXTY Newcastle – The Champagne Bar at Hadrian’s Tower
Sitting every proudly at the top of Hadrian’s Tower, 3SIXTY Newcastle had been open just over a week when we visit on Thursday night. The first of its kind in Newcastle and with panoramic views over the whole city, it aims to provide something very different – a luxurious cocktail bar and fine dining restaurant with true northern hospitality. Here’s my experience and what I thought of the place.
I’ve been inundated with messages on Instagram from people with tables booked over the coming weeks, so will try to answer them all. One of the questions was does it have a separate lift to the apartments that make up the rest of the tower? Yes, it does. The exact location is Hadrian’s Tower on Rutherford Street, but probably easier to work out is that it’s just behind Hana Hana.
You enter the tower and are met with a concierge desk, who checks your reservation, scans you in to track and trace and hits the lift button for you. The lift is for 3SIXTY only, and it’s decked out inside with a shiny black finish and Marilyn Monroe champagne quote on the wall.
Now I’m not one to get too excited about lifts but it’s done well so that the experience of the place begins as soon as you’re in it. When the doors open you’re met with the bar entrance at the top. It is impressive, the logo stretching out along the floor to the desk, an oversized baby pink chair to the left, charcoal grey and shiny black walls, the bar to the right and a view for miles stretching out behind.
We were shown to our table which had big plush seats and matching pink and black 3SIXTY cushions. There was a Laurent Perrier champagne glass cabinet display built into the wall, and a pink blossom tree by the wall. For me at places like this it’s all in the details, and they’ve done this very well. I loved the colour scheme and finishing touches.
It felt like a champagne bar, it reminded me a lot of the W rooftop bar in Amsterdam. It didn’t feel like a hotel bar lounge, and it definitely didn’t feel like I was in Newcastle. They tick the box for being different.
The area we were in I think was more of the restaurant, as it was all tables and the view was sort of side on to the river. It’s high up so your ears do pop and you can see for miles. We got the sunset view too which was very nice.
We were brought menus and I had a good scan. There are plenty cocktails, spirits and of course a big wine and champagne list. We ordered a bottle of wine and I also got the signature 3SIXTY cocktail.
Food wise we got the olive, feta and bread platter to share to start, then I went for the prawn skewer on rice with Asian greens, and Kieran ordered chilli and garlic marinated steak with twice cooked chips.
The summary of the food experience on their website is bringing in flavours and foods from across the world in a fine dining experience, and I’m just going to address head on that before our visit we had heard mixed reviews of the food.
It’s brand new and I’m always prepared to give anywhere new in Newcastle the benefit of the doubt. I remember going to Aveika the week it opened and the food wasn’t good at all, but it’s now some of the best and one of my favourites.
Places need time to listen to feedback and make adjustments, but of course if you’re going to launch a champagne bar and fine dining restaurant with paying customers, you need it to be good. The incredible views won’t carry you alone.
The bread and olive platter was lovely, good sized olives – I hate it when you get those tiny flavourless ones, the feta was amazing and it came quickly. It actually came before our drinks did but cocktails always take longer.
Main courses arrived and the first thing I noticed was that the prawn skewer prawns were quite small. There were four of them and if you’re only getting four I’d have probably expected decent size or shell on prawns. So I was a bit disappointed with that aspect as a main course. Eating it though with the rice, veg and salsa it was packed with flavour. It wasn’t bland or tasteless at all, but it was a small portion.
Kieran said his steak was nice and I tried one of his chips they were good too. I ordered the raspberry and apple crumble desert which was beautifully presented and tasted good, just could have done with a touch more custard.
So to summarise the food had a lot of flavour, but I could have done with more of it, and I was a bit disappointed with the prawns themselves. However, I personally didn’t go to the ‘champagne bar’ for the food, I went for a night out with Kieran, drinks and food almost thrown in, so I didn’t feel disappointed with the experience as it wasn’t all hanging in the balance with the food.
I was having a great time with the wine and cocktails, watching the people come and go – that’s what I was there for.
There was a total mix of people, of all ages. There were couples with girls all dressed up, groups of friends clinking glasses in the bar area, older couples, and the odd business drinks or after work drinks. It was a bit of an older crowd, or maybe I should say a more mature crowd.
It definitely wasn’t the Stack, Market Shaker or Beach Box crowd at all which is definitely a good thing for a venue like that. No offence to them, I can be just as much up for that depending on the night out.
The toilets were round the other side from where our table was, and that’s where I think the best part of the venue is. It’s more of a cocktail lounge through there, with a big water feature wall and views of the quayside. Absolutely stunning. The tables are smaller and more intimate, rather than restaurant tables and they all face out of the floor to ceiling windows. That is where this place excels.
When I go back, and I definitely will, it will be for drinks and I’ll be requesting one of those tables. It’s perfect for date night drinks, drinks with the girls, or occasion drinks as it does tick the boxes for atmosphere (live music at weekends), view and a luxury environment. The service is spot on too, lots of staff, they all chip in to clear tables whether they’re the bar staff, waiting on or running the show.
To me 3SIXTY is absolutely an atmospheric, luxury champagne bar and cocktail lounge. I would like to try their brunch menu sometime though, but I’d probably not choose it as a restaurant again for a while.
As a package you get a new experience that is different to anywhere else in Newcastle which is what I was hoping for. While I was there I was messaging some of the girls saying we have to come for a bottle of Whispering Angel on a Saturday afternoon, and Kieran and I both said it’s a good date night venue. Our bill came to £108 with £40 of that being the wine.
That’s my honest opinion of 3SIXTY and a genuine account of my experience. We’ve booked it for drinks for Kierans birthday next month, but it’s worth noting that they’re fully booked on Saturdays until September. Keep an eye on their website as they might get cancellations though.
Overall, 3SIXTY is a great addition to the Newcastle bar scene.
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