Good bar (Kiss Bar)

Member Name: Pamsy

Product:	Kiss Bar
Date:	02/10/01 (758 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Partying atmosphere, Decent prices, Well situated

Disadvantages: Don't go here for a quiet drink after about 6pm - any night of the week

I previously worked in Kiss Bar, so I know the ins and outs of the place.

Situated opposite the Pig & Whislte and next to Balmbras, down the road from Liquid, Beehive, and loads others, in the bar-filled streets of the bigg market, it gets quite full.

The music played is mainly chart, though somehow the place avoids the stigma of being a cheesy bar, despite it's (in my opinion dreadful) name, and the fact it plays mainly chart music.

From the outside it appears quite linear, though there is a fair amount of room for dancing at the back, and an upstairs too. Having worked there though, I can assure you, it gets, when not absolutely packed out, pretty full every night of every week. As anyone who's been out in Newcastle on a Sunday for example will know, geordies look for any excuse to get absolutely hammered, and the toon is pretty full every night of the week, with an unrivalled atmosphere.

Happy hour lasts until 8:30, during which time you can buy all pints and selected bottles for a quid, among some other good deals.

It has the usual array of dancers, and the DJ stand overlooking the main bar.

All in all the bar is kept clean, and fights are a rarity, as there are numerous bouncers manning the entrance and stairway, who can stop any violence within seconds.

The location makes a great addition to any pub crawl. To those who haven't been for a night out on the lash in Newcastle, the attitude locally is quite different to what I've experienced in other parts of the country. You see, pub crawls in Newcastle are basically a mandatory thing. Noone spends the night in one, two three, or four pubs. Everyone you see is moving from pub to pub, getting absolutely hammered. It's an all or nothing attitude towards drinking - if you're going to drink, you drink lots. That is, of course, the Bigg Market and Quayside I'm talking about.

To those considering going, here's my adv
ice on the best times to go:

Monday night is student night, the bar begins to fill up between around 7-8pm, with a younger crowd, and cheap prices. It gets packed out by about 9-9:30pm. The place is absolutely jumping by this time, though few places in the Bigg Market aren't, to be fair.

On Friday's and Saturdays, beyond about 8:30 the place is absolutely heaving. Unless you absolutely hate chart music, you'll definitely have a good time here after this time. My problem often is though, that in the Bigg Market at this time, everywhere is partying like crazy and it's difficult to choose where to go. Many people face this problem, hence why geordies go to as many bars as they can cram in in one night.

On Sundays the bar does close early at about 10:45-11pm. It gets quite full at around 9pm, though not heaving. Just about right, in my opinion. Certainly, if you're going out on a Sunday, include Kiss on your pub crawl.

Most days of the week are roughly the same as Sunday.

As for the clientele, most are late teens and twenties. This bar welcomes students (few bars don't in Newcastle), and it does not attempt to lock out the slightly older crowd. A few in their thirties come and have a good time, though anyone older tends to stay near the entrance, probably because the music's a bit quieter.

Seating facilities are pretty crap beyond about 7-7:30, because this is when they remove the seats to let people dance.

The range of drinks is moderate. Certainly no Real Ales or the like here. A couple of the flambouyant drinks are served, such as alcoholic slush's and what-not. But mostly your mainstream drinks are offered here.

All in all, I say this is an awesome bar, with a partying and friendly atmosphere, and well situated for a night out

5 stars.

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