Laing Art Gallery — Attraction in Newcastle upon Tyne

Disappointing. I'm sorry but everytime I visit this cafe the staff seem to be in a rush to get home, the service is efficient but abrupt. I was made to feel unwelcome by the staff member who served me as if my arrival was onerous to the cafe and at 2.30pm I got the impression they were about to close. The staff are usually hidden in the kitchen but there doesn't apear to be a necessity for this as the cafe is usually very quiet. I would have appreciated more information about the 'ciabatta ham and cheese toastie' as I ordered the toastie without realising there was only ciabattia bread on offer. I'm not fond of Ciabatta bread. The cappucino I ordered was too hot to drink initially. The salad was fresh and plentiful. The food plate was plonked in front of me without any engagement. Also there seems to be an over emphasis on cleaning up though I appreciate this is important. I'm writing this because the Laing Art Gallery is such a beautiful space it really does deserve better. In my opinion the cafe needs to meet the standards of other enjoyable cafe spaces in different cities and where the service, food quality fits in with the ambience of the venue. Maybe I just happened to be unfortunate but as this is the second time this has happened to me I felt compelled to say something about it. Sorry if this appears unreasonable but it's just how I felt. I was supposed to be having an enjoyable experience visiting the lovely exhibition 'with these hands'. 😥 The cafe really is an amazing space with so much potential. This is what...

The Laing Art Gallery has to be one of best free things to do while in Newcastle. Outside, the building is a fun mixture of urban art and modern architecture. The interior of the building is stunning, designed in a mixture of Baroque and Art nouveau.

The range of paintings and exhibits on display is pretty good. On the day I visited, much of the space upstairs was taken up with an exhibit of works by Glenn Brown. I quite enjoyed the contemporary take on more classical style of art in the main. I feel like I have to mentioned several pieces of what I think are contemporary take on Alexander and Bucephalus. If Glenn Brown’s intention was to elicit a reaction, then well done. Sadly, having a interest in classical history in the Hellenic Period just made me annoyed at seeing this pieces.

On the ground floor between the shop and the cafe is more local works of art including paintings of local subject matter. Plus exhibits of glassworks and metalworks linked to the industrial past of Newcastle.

Definitely...

I was very slightly disappointed by the Laing! Given the size and importance of the city of Newcastle I had expected both more and more great art! However it must be remembered that the philanthropic Mr Laing provided the empty building but not the contents. It was left to other eminent Victorians who begged, borrowed and, occasionally, pulled their wallets out to inhabit the space! I hope and believe that the current special exhibition of water colours by, for and relating to Victoria & Albert has more to do with the bi-centenary of Victoria's birth than a total imagination & aspiration breakdown by the director and trustees! It's a shame that the representative of the friends of the gallery knew so little about it but was, nevertheless, prepared to disseminate inaccurate information! Ignorance is entirely forgiveable; talking rubbish is not! It's also a shame that the excellent soup was served with a...