Bar & Block, a well-known restaurant in Newcastle city centre next to The Gate, will shut its doors for good on September 3. The closure is part of a wider move by parent company Whitbread, which is shutting nearly 2,000 sites across the country, including 20 Bar & Block locations.
Broader closures and job losses
Other venues affected include Beefeater restaurants—such as the one in Whitley Bay—and Brewers Fayre pubs. Whitbread estimates that around 3,800 jobs will be lost across its estate. The company said the overhaul is part of a new five-year strategy to save £250m, driven by cost pressures from business rates and national insurance contributions.
History and customer response
Bar & Block Newcastle first opened at the end of 2019, but closed shortly after due to the first national lockdown. It reopened in July 2020 and participated in the Eat Out to Help Out scheme before another lockdown at the end of that year. Despite those challenges, it maintained a strong reputation, earning a 4.4 out of 5 rating on Google reviews. One recent customer wrote: 'Highly recommend this place especially for kid. My son had steak and chips and he gives it 1000 out of 10.' Another said: 'The Sunday lunch is excellent, good selection of vegetables, the meat is always tender and full of flavour.'
Final day
Bar & Block Newcastle will serve its last meals on September 3, the same day as closures in Birmingham, London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Nottingham.
