N

ewcastle isn’t all stags and hens. Far from it. This sophisticated northern city has arty romance for the taking if you know where to look.

Begin your evening early with a chilled glass of Chablis in the Circle Bar and an art house film at the 1930s art deco Tyneside Cinema where there are three beautiful screens to choose from. In ‘The Classic’ screen has Italian leather handmade seats for two which means you can cosy up and enjoy at seat service for drinks.

After your film, take a stroll down the architecturally striking Grey Street and on down Dean Street to the River Tyne where you can cross the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, known locally as the Blinking Eye. Just on the other side is the ultra cool Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, where you can catch a cutting edge exhibition until 6pm and then take the glass lift up to Six, a sophisticated restaurant with British modern cuisine and stunning river and city views.

Don’t miss a trip to the toilets ladies, with a magnificent floor to ceiling river view. If time allows, you might want to catch a late night concert at The Sage Gateshead music venue. You wouldn’t expect to find a romantic boutique hotel tucked away in its own woody setting in a city like Newcastle, but the Dene House Hotel is just that, in the little known Jesmond Dene.

Wake yourselves up on Sunday morning with a hearty breakfast at the hotel, a gentle walk through this wooded dene and a browse around the Sunday morning art sale on Armstrong Bridge.