Playhouse, Norwichback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
My final stop of the night in Norwich was this bar inside the Playhouse Theatre, which is clearly very popular with students. The interior is a simple rectangular shape. But, there are plenty of oddities to admire. There didn't appear to be anything on in the theatre itself. But, this place was still packed. 4 ales were on - Adnams Bitter, Wild Craft Wild Ride, Three Blind Mice Lonely Shake & Oakham Southern Cross. The beers were all pale. I went for the Wild Ride. But, it wasn't really my cup of tea. Very different from other Norwich pubs/bars I had visited during the evening. Each to their own.
|
Mulled side-r....nuff said!
|
Excellent theatre bar - a real home from home. I could stay here until the room starts spinning from an over indulgence of real ale, but we usually move on as there are so many good pubs to visit on a night out in Norwich.
|
Superb, friendly atmosphere - great shabby, chic decor. Excellent resident DJ - I love the sound of the twittering birds as you enter the door! Excellent.
|
Amazing amazing friendly lovely pub with the theatre attached, friendly staff wicked decor, different nights on every week. This place makes you feel like one of the family. Plus the outside area by the river makes an amazing setting. good DJ's in a small space. Cant fault this place.
|
Odd little bar full of odd and mostly little people. Not bad place for a pint. No John Smiths (bastards). One night I was there they've got some guy placing vinyl on two decks. What is that shit all about. The reason we got rid of records in favour of CDs and now hard drives ipods etc is 'cos vinyl id shit. Why do people pretend there's some kind of art from going on 'cos some dudes playing a few records. I couls have done the same thing with my laptop but I've got 50,000 tracks not the dozen or so grubby recors that this boy had. Besides that the gaff is well worth a look at. Attached to a theatre you can forgive it for being a bit off the wall.
|
In the pantheon of shit ideas, �pubs� attached to theatres rank right up there with pot noodles and Emmerdale. Usually combining the cheapness of a Cack and Lettuce with large wallowing dollops of luvie pretension, they are the sort of places that make you wonder whether civilisation is such a good idea after all.
However, Norwich is a place that defies drinking conventions (Christ, it even has a decent Weatherspoons � see the Citygate) and so it isn�t too surprising that the Playhouse actually turns out to be a rather decent watering hole. True, it has its drawbacks. The small pub floor space is over cluttered with tables and chairs that rather paradoxically make finding room to stand let alone sit can be pretty difficult during peak times. And as Andrew (below) mentions this is easily one of the most expensive bars in Norwich, with a price range on all drinks that would sit comfortable in some parts of Central London.
However, in compensation, the interior is nicely decorated, with the obligatory covering of theatre land memorabilia being kept tasteful and not suffocating � indeed in parts its quite interesting and combined with a remarkably well adjusted crowd (for a theatre) basking in a cosy warmth and slightly reddish hue the Playhouse has a spot on drinking atmosphere that lends itself to long, quiet drinking sessions. The staff too are completely flawless and keep a good, if not spectacular drink selection (few ales, usual lagers) following nicely.
You can pay the Playhouse no greater compliment that saying that once there you will actually forget its an add on to a theatre. And, while it has its flaws on the crowded and price front, it nevertheless is an above average bar that can be enjoyed royally, especially if you get a seat early on. A very good - 7/10.
anonymous - 31 Jan 2007 14:55 |
A fantastic little bar, great atmosphere, good music, friendly bar staff and a wonderful, big garden in the summer. Interior is a bit small, and the drinks a little on the expensive side, but it's definatly worth checking out.
Andrew - 21 Jul 2006 18:29 |
|
