Nightlife in Newport

Claiming to date back to 1403, The Carpenters Arms on the High Street isn’t just the oldest pub in Newport but one of the oldest in Wales. It is also one of the best-established pubs in Newport and has adapted well to the changing times, with a pool table, jukebox, all the live sports on big-screen TVs and quiz and disco nights. The beer selection is decent, with several guest ales at any one time and they have a standard pub grub menu boasting all the usual suspects.

Another venerable drinking institution, Potters has also moved with the times and, following an extensive renovation, is a warm and friendly pub offering impressive food and drink menus and live music every Friday and Saturday. But its real calling card is its brand new roof terrace and bar offering views across the city and the River Usk. The only one of its kind in Newport, it’s the perfect spot for a pint on a sunny day.

A Grade II-listed building, Ye Olde Murenger House - also on the High Street - has been pulling pints since the 17th century, although the building itself is recorded as far back as 1533. The pub retains a great deal of its history inside and out, and maintains a strict no music or TV policy meaning the attention is squarely on the food, drinks and atmosphere. With guest ales, a decent lunchtime menu and a cosy network of interlinked rooms with low-beamed ceilings and Victorian-era fittings, it more than fits the bill for traditional pub drinkers.

Le Pub eschews any French influence suggested by the name and is instead one of Newport’s most dependable pubs, having been serving up pints and putting on gigs for more than 20 years. Dedicated to ‘providing a vibrant arts space,’ the pub showcases regular live bands, comedy nights, art showcases and even film screenings, all fuelled by an exciting food menu and some of the best drinks around.

If you’re serious about your beer, there’s only one place to head first. Tiny Rebel has a staggering range of beers on tap - 20 at the last count, and dozens more brands and brews in bottles. An award-winning brewery as well, they also have a decent food menu spanning sourdough pizzas, burgers, salads and sharing plates and also throw regular events including a monthly quiz.

A bar with a difference, Hogarths not only serves up a quality range of real ales but has one of the best gin ranges in Wales. A Victorian-style gin palace, housed in one of the better-looking pubs in Newport, Hogarths serve up tempting gin tasting platters or, if you know your juniper berries from your natural botanicals, you can choose your own from the impressive ‘Gin Bible’.

A supremely chilled bar, the Drago Lounge is on the edge of the Friars Walk Shopping Centre. The floor-to-ceiling windows flood the bar in natural light, while the outdoor terrace is an excellent spot for sunny café and bar days. The imaginative food on offer spans everything from gluten-free and vegan menus, while the kitsch interior is a mix of Tom Jones portraits, floral lampshades and imaginative lighting.