The Marsden Grotto is one of the more unusual pubs in the country, a bar and eating house half-cut into the sea cliff at Marsden Bay. You reach it by a cliff lift or a zigzag stair down the rock face, and drink with the North Sea crashing below Marsden Rock. It has had spells of closure over the years, so it’s worth checking ahead before you make the trip. East Boldon Metro is the nearest station, a few kilometres inland.
