Castro's, the Latin-inspired bar in Newcastle city centre that was billed as the 'hottest' new venue in town when it opened in 2021, has closed for good. The venue, located next to Tyneside Cinema, has gone quiet on all social media channels, and it is now confirmed the bar has shut its doors permanently.
A short-lived run for the 'hottest' venue
The bar was the immediate successor to Beeronomy, which, like Castro's, opened amid significant hype before fading away quietly. Castro's welcomed its first customers in August 2021, at a time when the nation was just coming out of the Covid pandemic and its restrictions. There was considerable excitement surrounding its arrival on Tyneside, as many people were looking to get 'back to normal' after a tough 18 months for the hospitality industry.
The bar and restaurant offered a range of cocktails and Cuban-themed food, including traditional chicken, fish and rice dishes, as well as twists from Cuba's neighbouring Caribbean islands and countries in South America.
Brunch events and a Sam Fender connection
Castro's offered its own bottomless brunches and was also used by nationally known party brand The Brunch Club for events themed around pop icons like Taylor Swift and Spice Girls, as well as Primary School Assembly Bangers.
The last public post on Castro's Facebook was in 2025, ahead of Sam Fender's trio of sold-out shows at St James' Park. The post promoted the bar's Fender-themed brunches, which included 'North Shields Nachos,' urging fans to book up. On Instagram, Castro's shared a video of a cardboard cut-out of Sam Fender doing the rounds in town, writing: 'BIG SECRET!! We know where Sam Fenders having his pres before the gig! Right here at Castros.'
Silence and confirmation of closure
Since then, there has been absolute silence on all of Castro's social media channels. It is now official that the bar has gone for good. ChronicleLive has indicated it will keep readers updated on what will happen to the building.
