Time Out Names Heaton One of the UK's Coolest Neighbourhoods

Heaton has been ranked seventh in Time Out's list of the 11 coolest neighbourhoods in the UK for 2026, published in October. It is the only North East entry on a list topped by Govanhill in Glasgow, with Belfast's Cathedral Quarter second and Newington Green in London third.

What Time Out Said

In a follow-up feature on the area, as reported by Time Out, writer Frankie Lister-Fell describes Heaton as a former mining area that now mixes students with young families. Time Out's Kitty Chrisp calls it "the Toon's current gastronomical place-to-be", and food and drink makes up most of the case for its place in the top ten.

The venues picked out will be familiar to anyone who walks down Heaton Road or Chillingham Road:

• Pizza and burgers: newcomer Stupid Good for pizza, and Burt's for burgers, the sister venue of Flint.
• Coffee and daytime food: Roma Coffee and Handsome Sandwich, plus Smoke and Sear for brunch and Dot Bagel.
• Drinks: Elder Beer for craft beer, Mother Mercy for cocktails, and House, a wine and beer bar.
• Dinner: Nest, which runs an evening tasting menu.

Beyond the food, the article points to Heaton Park as the green space at the heart of the neighbourhood, and mentions the Novum Summer Festival in August. The festival brings around 200 artists to the city centre, and its programme spills out into Heaton.

The Rest of the List

The 2026 list leans towards residential neighbourhoods with strong independent scenes rather than city centres. After Heaton come Beeston in Leeds, Central St Leonards, the Georgian Quarter in Liverpool and Old Market in Bristol. The places above Heaton are Underbanks in Stockport, Leith Walk in Edinburgh and Crookes in Sheffield.

For the independent businesses named, most of them small and locally run, the ranking is a welcome bit of national attention going into the run-up to Christmas.

Browse the Heaton directory for more local cafes, restaurants and bars.