2004 Bangor Pub Review

[Admin (Matt)]

A students review of pubs in Bangor 2004

Pubs in Bangor, Wales
Created Feb 23, 2004 | Updated Feb 25, 2004

As a student at the University of Wales, Bangor, I have visited almost every pub and club in the city. Here is a quick guide on where to go and where not to go on a night out in Bangor. They are in no particular order but i will start from the bar on the campus I was living in last year.

The FFRIDDOEDD Bar, Ffridd for short (prenounced frith bar for english speaking peeps): A very cheap bar, all pints under £2. A good starting point for a night out especially if you live up the hill. Has 6 pool tables at 50p a game. They have special deals on drinks including cheap spirits night on wednesdays and pound a pint on thursdays. A fantastic place to watch an england game at, a tremendous atmosphere among the students is clear to see and feel. There is no juke box so tunes are limited and repetitive. Although all this I do not like this pub. At all other times the atmosphere is depressing, the decor doesn't help and if you spend too much time there you are likely to get depressed. Overall a great pub to start a night out but only stay for a few.

The Menai: I nice colourful pub with comfotable seating, 2 pool tables at 50p a game although a £2 deposit is required, table football, a great juke box with various types of music on offer, a cash machine but it charges. Pints are around the £2.50 mark. Quiz nights give the teams a chance to win a weeks worth of food shopping, a good prize for a student. There is not a lot more I can say about this pub. Overall a nice enough pub, a bit expensive but a good place if you are up the hill.

The Belle Vue: A pub more for locals, ideally placed at the end of college road where all art degree students have lectures so ideal to pop in between lectures. Has a pool table at 50p a game. Pints are between £2 and £2.30. Juke box has some great songs on there but isn't really up to date. A great place to go and chat with your mates after lectures. Overall a nice pub, relatively cheap, again a good place to visit if your up the hill.

Patricks(Paddys): An Irish themed pub, a bit small but has nice old style seating. Pints again are between £2-2.30. Has pound a pint on thurdays. It also has a juke box which is ok. An interesting feature is a web cam, which i think is pointless but a nice feature. Also the "chair of death", i haven't seen it in action but i have heard that you sit there and all different concutions are poured down your throat. Overall as with the previous pubs mentioned a nice pub to visit if you are up the hill.

The Greek: More of a restaurant than a pub but it is a nice looking place. Pints are very expensive, £2.50. Music is provided through Sky music channels. A nice feature is that you can play chess while you have your drink, free of charge. As it is more of a restaurant there is no pool table. Not a lot more can be said. Overall a very expensive place that should be avoided on a night out unless you want an intelectual challenge by playing chess.

Rascals: Only open from 7pm every day. A bit small. Pints are about average price £2-2.30. Music again is provided through Sky music channels. Has a pool table at 50p a game but a £5 deposit is required. A nice place to go for a chat. Again very little can be said about this pub. Overall a nice pub to pop in for a quick one if your up the hill.

The Marquis: A very local pub, expect to be stared at when you enter, although if you get chatting to the locals most are ok. A nicely decorated place but it is a small pub. Pints are around the £2.20 mark. Has a pool table at 50p a game, but don't expect to get on and play your mates, its more than likely to be winner stays on and challenger pays. Has occaisional lock-ins which gives you more time to drink if you don't want to go to any clubs. Overall a pub to be avoided, one for the locals.

The Bukley Arms: Another local pub but unlike the Marquis is alot more friendly and cheaper. The Drinks are cheap. It has a pool table at 40p a game is among the cheapest in Bangor. It also has a juke box at 5 for £1. The decor is a bit poor and the gents are outside. Overall a relatively nice local pub and one to pop in if you are in the area.

The Harp Inn: A nice well lit pub with great seating. Has 2 pool tables 50p a game and a darts board. Has a juke box which is free at weekends. Drinks are a bit expensive but they have a nice range including bottles of Magners, Irish Cider. A nice starting pub if you are down the hill. Overall a very nice pub to visit.

The Black Inn(Spoonies): Part of the Wetherspoons chain. A nice cheap pub. As traditional with spoonie pubs there is no music so it makes it a great place to go and have a chat with mates. Offers various cocktails so if you want to get hammered its easily done here. It does get very packed at weekends and so getting served takes time. Overall a great pub to go to.

Joots: A pub/club has a late licence to 12 at weekends. It is a pub for the locals. Drinks are very expensive. Seating is sparce. The music can get too loud and so talking is normally shouting. Overall a pub to give a miss.

Fat Cats: A nice looking pub upstairs and a more clubey place to hang out at downstairs. Drinks here are expensive. Again this place is more for locals, especially at weekends. Although a nice place to go if your in a big group. Overall an OK pub, one not to be visited on a regular basis.

The Albion: More like someone's living room than a pub. The decor is a bit poor. Drinks are of average price. It has a juke box which is free on Sundays. It has a pool table which is 50p but be prepared to use the comedy cue as the table is too close to the walls so a very small cue is necessary. It also has a table football. The ceilings are a bit low especially when you go to the toilets, anybody over 6"2 will see what I mean. A nice quiet pub, rarely gets packed. Overall a pub for one pint and a few games of pool and thats it.

The Castle: A very nice spacious pub. Has late licence on weekends. Not enough seating for my tastes. Drinks are at a reasonable price. It has 2 pool tables but at 90p a go not worth playing on. Has half a yard coctails which come in a funky plastic tube, my favourite is the Kick in the Balls, but at £5 a pop can get very expensive. Tuesdays is pound a pint night including cider! This normally conincides with the footy whether it be champions league or prem it works very well. It is built into a hill so mobile reception in the pub is limited. Overall a great pub to go to especially on tuesdays.

The Glan(Yellow Pub): As part of the yellow pub chain it is very hard to miss as the outside is yellow. It is a nice cheap pub, with ample seating. It has 2 pool tables but again at £1 a game not worth playing. The juke box is great but a bit expensive, 3 for £1. The pub has a more alternative feel to it, just look at the bar staff with crazy hair. It is the closest pub to the student union's clubs so a great last port of call before going to a club. It has a pound a pint on tuesdays but for some unforeseen reason not on cider(if you haven't guessed by now I am a cider drinker). The ceiling on the way to the toilets get lower so for the 6 footers of this world remember to duck when on the way to the loo. Overall one of the best pubs in Bangor and worth a visit any time.

O'Sheas: An Irish themed pub. Recently been renovated. Has nice old styled seating. The drinks are relatively cheap. There is a pool table upstairs which is 50p a game. Not always open during the day, more of an evening pub. Overall a nice pub well worth a pint.

The Waterloo: I have to say this is my favourite pub in Bangor. It is a very nice small, quite pub. Drinks are quite cheap. They serve both Scrumpy and Strongbow on tap, which can't be bad. It has the cheapest pool table in Bangor, 40p a game, between Sunday and Wenesday it is free all day. This attracts a lot of people so be prepared to put your name on a board and wait your turn but it is a great way of meeting people. I have met numerous quality people there who you wouldn't meet anywhere else. It also has the cheapest juke machine in Bangor 6 for £1 and its full of quality songs. The bar staff are the friendliest people i've met in Bangor. The only fault I have with it is the low gangways and being 6"3 I have to duck most of the way to get to the loo. Overall the best pubs in Bangor(my personel favourite) and worth a visit any time of the day.

The White Lion: Has recently been completely redesigned. Before it was a bit of a dive but it had a pool table at 50p and when you get chucked off the table at the waterloo by the bangor pool league players it was the perfect place to carry on playing. Drinks were a bit expensive. It has a bit of townie feel to it. I haven't been in it since its be redesigned but from the outside it looks a whole lot better. Although it has got rid of its pool table. Overall a locals pub and one to give a miss.

The Three Crowns: Another pub just for the locals. Last year it was a fairly nice place to go and play pool. This year its under new management and they have got rid of the pool table and made it a theatrical themed pub(in other words a gay pub). Its still fairly nice and the prices are reasonable. It still feels like local pubs where students aren't really welcomed. Overall this is a pub to miss.

The County Arms: A very townie pub. Right next to Dean Street its a good place to go between lectures if you are at Dean Street. It has a pool table, 50p a game. Drinks are at a reasonable price and their Juke box is pretty good. It is right next to the Octagon club so a good place to go before going to the occy. Overall if your not a local its a pub not worth visiting.

The Ship: A very nice pub. Drinks are at reasonable price. It has a pool table at 50p upstairs but it has a slight slant on it so spoils a good game. The toilets are an unexpected feature, they have a blackboard in them and chalk so you can write many drunken messages. They are one of the very few pubs that serve Murphys. Overall its a pub to go to if your not going to a club or if your going to the occy which is near by.

The Vault: A very spacious friendly local pub. Opening times are a bit of a problem. However they have a 40p pool table where a ridiculously small cue is sumtimes required due to the walls. They also have lock-ins often so you can carry on drinking long after closing time. Overall one of the nicer local pubs and well worth a visit.

Skerries: Another very nice local pub. It has an area to sit and chat at the front, then towards the back you have a big screen tv for sport, a 40p pool table as well as a dart board with electric scoring board. It is a very friendly pub. The Juke box is also a good point with 5 for £1. They also have lock-ins which is a bonus. Overall it an alternative to the Waterloo and worth a pint or three.

I will now go on to tell you a bit about the clubs availiable in Bangor:

Time: The main Student Union Club. Has a lisence till 1am and that's the only good point about it. Well not entirely but thats how I feel about the place. The main nights are Mondays where you've got 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, its free to get in before 10 and £1 after. For this reason it gets very packed which means it takes a long time to get served. Fridays you have got R&B and hip, hop. Not my cup of tea but again 1am liscence, it costs £3 with nus cards, not always packed so serving time is a little faster.

Main Bar: Must be my favourite club in Bangor. It is a small place at the Student Union. Again it has a 1am liscence as all Bangor clubs do. Wednesday, personally, is the best night of the week. Trash is the alternative night and it rocks. There is 2 rooms in the smaller you have the heavier stuff and in the main room you have the more indie, ska kind of stuff and has an excellent atmosphere. Drinks are very cheap as well. Its free to get in with NUS cards. Saturday is also a good night at main bar. It mainly current chart stuff so it plays various music styles. It cost £2 to get in. This is a very popular night so if you want to guarentee getting in you shuld be there before 9.45pm. With Main Bar being pretty small be prepared for it to be packed and to get very hot. It also takes ages to get served, Saturday is helped with Jocks Bar being open downstairs, its also a good place to chill out and chat.

The Octagon(Occy): More for the townies. A lot of students avoid this place like the plague because of this fact. Friday is the best night to go. Its free with an NUS card and they do special deals on drinks including 3 for 1. Again it has a 1am lisence. There not a lot more to say. The music is more dance and the DJ can get annoying but it can be a good night out. Overall it worth a go but as I said most students I know hate it because its full of townies.