Alongside the impressive Friars Walk - a Newport shopping centre with plenty of retail, dining and entertainment options - the city also offers visitors an extensive retail park on the edge of the centre. While it may not be able to compete with nearby Cardiff or Bristol, Newport more than holds its own when it comes to shopping experiences.
Shopping in Newport
Shopping centres
Just three years old, Friars Walk Shopping Centre is the leading retail experience in Newport. A partially covered shopping centre and leisure complex, the two-level centre is home to dozens of shops, as well as several bars and restaurants, an 11-screen cinema, bowling lane and soft-play area.
Built in the centre of the city next to the Newport Museum and John Frost Square, it can be found less than a 10-minute drive from our Newport Wales (M4, J24) hotel. The centre plays host to over 30 stores, including H&M, New Look and JD.
Friars Walk also boasts several dining outlets ranging from coffee and doughnuts on the go to Italian, French and Mexican restaurants. The site is home to several bars and lounges as well, including Drago Lounge which we’ve included as one of the city’s best bars.
The centre has 350 parking spaces on-site and over 1,000 in the nearby Kingsway multi-storey car park, while there are dozens of bike racks in Usk Plaza.
The centre is much more than just a retail experience however, as the second level is action-packed. Cineworld offers 11 modern screens showcasing the latest Hollywood and blockbuster action, while Superbowl is a destination in its own right. With 12 tenpin lanes, party rooms, laser quest, a retro sports bar, arcade area and an adventure soft play for kids, there’s literally something for everyone.
One of the most popular leisure destinations in the region, Friars Walk welcomed over 350,000 visitors during its first weekend and, since opening in 2015, has added a third more retail space to Newport.
On the eastern edge of the city centre, Newport Retail Park is a condensed retail centre with nearly 30 stores, cafés and restaurants. Open daily, the park’s main attractions are H&M, M&S, Gap and Clarks, while it’s also home to more specialist stores, such as Vision Express, The Perfume Shop and Poundland. There are five cafés on-site including Costa and Caffè Nero, with Nando’s and Pizza Express offering three-course dining options. The retail park is only three miles from our Newport Wales (M4, J24) hotel, with 1,500 free on-site parking spaces meaning you’ll never have problems finding a spot.
Friars Walk Shopping Centre
