Old Post Office, Chatham

The Old Post Office baffles me. During the day it is absolutely dead aside from a few locals, passers by and pissheads. In the evening it is a little better, taking a leaf out of the Tap's book they now have different theme nights and cheap drink offers to boot, though again you still have a rather strange range of people, friendly bunch mind.
Fridays and Saturdays though are a different beast, probably the busiest bar in the high street area (though that isnt saying much) you get all sorts, good and bad. Mostly bad. The toilets are absolutely legendary, in that they seem to be almost always utterly destroyed, despite feeble attempts to fix them (it is as if the staff realise there is no point any more)
The staff tend to not stick around long, though once you become a regular it becomes apparent why, as there are only so many times you can get caught in a fight. That said the ones that have been there have been pretty nice, sometimes even quite friendly, though you get the odd moody one. Just don't get attatched.

With all the negativity though, the Old Postie still provides a good night out, christ knows how or why it just seems to manage it. That doesn't make up for the terrible beer quality however, and the fact that they always seem to run out of whatever they do sell.

Would be a great pub if they got consistent and down to earth door staff who dont act like it is their divine right to let you enter, cleaned their pipes and tidied the place up a bit.

And make the toilets bullet proof.

7 Jan 2010 19:04

The Tap 'n' Tin, Chatham

Ah the old Tap 'n Tin. 'Tis a strange beast to be sure, once the haven for metallers and the like, now it seems a touch lost these days perhaps struggling with its own identity. I used to really enjoy my late Friday nights at the Tap, heavy metal and free burgers (though I'm sure they contain more pidgeon than beef) but the place now seems somewhat lacklustre and lacking in charm. The new 'theme' nights are interesting, Poundland used to be a really good night out until the students of Medway heard about it, and started making hour long queues just to get in. Whereas in the first few weeks it was a bit of a jolly old knees/piss up on the cheap, now it is a mission just to get to the bar. Not fun. When there isn't an event however the Tap does seem a little sparse, even though they state that they will open till 3am regardless (for a hardcore drunkard a warm safe haven on a random night is a godsend) but the fact is that the new less friendly bar staff are more likely to close up shop at eleven instead.
Friday nights are still pretty reasonable, nice mix of people, and a good variety of music on all floors, metal on the top floor, and god knows what else below. Saturdays however are strangely a real dead zone, noone at all seems to visit then, and if you paid the somwhat extortionate �5 to get in you will feel cheated. I'm still not sure I agree with the logic of paying to get into a pub on a weekend, the Tap seems to think it is better and cooler than it really is, yeah it has the indie rock crowd, but sure has a lot of idiots too. The bouncers are hit and miss though, they manage to not let you in if you are a bit jolly, or just dont like the look of you, but also manage to ignore you if anyone threatens you outside.

Overall a pub that really needs to realise what it wants to be, until then I shall only visit once in a while, or if I dont want to go home till late.

7 Jan 2010 18:50