Blackfriars

A no frills pub with great character, Blackfriars is a welcome addition to Merchant City; a proper pub amid a sea of stylish and shiny bars and clubs nearby. Upstairs the rough-around-the-edges, gastro pub serves up a wide and acclaimed menu of pub grub staples and an impressive range of booze, with five cask ales and 20 beers on tap with over 40 international bottled beers too as well as the usual wines and spirits. Downstairs a basement venue dishes out a variety of live acts and DJs playing everything from rock 'n' roll, swing, funk and blues, to lesser spotted reggae, surf and ska, as well as the odd indie offering too. A regular comedy schedule fills out the packed programme.  

The decor is plain but cosy, wooden floors and leather seating, red feature walls and a splattering of candles, with arcade games and a piano dotted about. But what Blackfriars lacks in sleek design and sweet cocktails, it makes up for in buckets of charm and barrels of fun. A funky and friendly crowd of modern day mods and beer buffs make for a poser-free night of good times and great music.