Molten Gallery and Cafe

The Molten Gallery and Cafe sits in Whitley Bay, a spot that's become something of a local favourite if you know where to look. It's part working glass studio, part gallery, part cafe - the kind of place where you can watch craftspeople actually making stuff rather than just gawping at finished pieces behind velvet ropes.

What you get is a proper working space where glass art happens in front of you. The pieces on display range from functional tableware to more ambitious sculptural work, and there's usually someone at the furnace if you time it right. The cafe side is decent enough for a coffee and a cake, nothing fancy, but it feels genuine - you're not paying London prices for a flat white.

It works best for anyone who actually cares about craft and process. Kids under ten might lose interest after twenty minutes unless they're the type to stare at fire for ages. Art types and makers will spend a couple of hours easy. The whole thing has that unmissable indie vibe that's worth a detour from Parkdean Resorts Whitley Bay or Old Hartley if you're staying in either.

Admission details aren't readily available online, so ring ahead before you visit. Allow an hour minimum, longer if someone's doing a demonstration. It's worth building into a wider wander around Whitley Bay rather than treating it as a standalone destination, but as a working studio-gallery goes, it's the real thing - no pretension, just people making glass and serving decent tea.