Walking in a Winter Wunder Sunderland (Part 1)

Another week – Another post!

So moving on from the bright lights of Newcastle, I headed south and towards the seaside to SUNDERLAND!

However it would just happen that I visit Sunderland on a Football Derby Day between Sunderland and Middlesbrough, not a great move on my part.

Sunderland reminded me of my University town of Eastbourne complete with the bracing sea air and high street stores. I was hoping that Sunderland had a nice bit of nightlife as well. We set ourselves a little challenge of visiting as many pubs/clubs as we could in the space of the 24 hours we were there. We decided we would create a mental list whilst having a cheeky little shop, and the locals were brimming with ideas for us, there was certainly NOT a lack of choice of places to go, quite the opposite.

Anyway, soon we had created a nice little list, we were to start at Chesters, up on Chester Road, then to Chaplins on the corner of Stockton Road, saunter over for a game of pool at the Ivy House then trotting over to Sunderland Centre to see what delights awaited us there! It was going to be a late one; Cinderella would be tucked up in her pumpkin by the time we were planning on getting home! Let the Party Princess Royal tour COMMENCE.

Chesters – Chesters was our first stop and was recommended was a good place to for a spot of dinner followed by several glasses of wine before heading towards the town centre.

My News Years resolution was ruined on January 10^th so I sacked off the salad and dived into a Jim Bean Glaze Burger complete with curly fries and shared a pudding taster platter.

Get in ma belllly

(Clockwise) Rhubarb crumble, bread and butter pudding, chocolate fudge cake and cookie cup

The venue was huuuuuge and seemed to cater for everyone and everything. A snooker room at the back had two snooker tables and a few other tables. There were comfier seating areas with big tables on raised platforms, several sports/TV screens and a massive beer garden at the front. I can image the beer garden being choka-block in the summer.

 

There were already lots of groups of larry lads and glammed up girls pre-drinking and planning their nightly strategy. An hour or so later, with our tummies filled and after polishing off a few (THREE!) bottles of wine, we started to wander down to The Ivy House!

#Hick!

Scores on the (royal) doors:  

Food and service:  Jim Bean burger was AMAZING!
Atmosphere and decoration:  Buzzing, everyone was very friendly.
Facilities:  So much choice, can’t fault anything,
Talent Radar:  I’ll say! #Fitties!
Fun Factor: Great starter, now on to the main course!
Perfect for: Pre-clubbing, cheap food, Snooker, large parties, sports.
In 3 words: Big, tasty, whooper!

Part 2 coming up sooooooon!

 

PP XX

Adventures in Bolton

I came across a great quote on my travels this week; it was on a poster for a local bar. I didn’t catch the name of the bar but remember the saying;

 “A pub for romancers, dancers, soul boys, beat kicks, young go getters and should know betters”

Now it’s not often that I watch football, in fact it’s never, that it is if I got my way all the time. Alas that is seldom the case.

After spending a few days in Manchester I popped across to Bolton for a catch up with some old friends, a few not so cheeky drinks and a spot of dinner then it was a case of…see where the night takes us.

We started in The Capitol which is right next to the church, which may I say in the night light looked very pretty. So The Capitol…what can I say about it? It reminded me a lot of the Varsity bars ive been too before which made sense considering I was told very soon after making that statement that it indeed did used to be a Varsity. It would seem that im drawn to Varsity’s!!

The Capitol had a few similar traits of The Alibi that I visited in my last blog. They had a gazebo type thing in the entrance where there were 20 or so light bulbs hanging down. I liked it, thought it was a good effect. Upstairs was a large seating area but there was a semi hidden seating area to one side of the bar down a small step, I think if someone wanted privacy or a quieter bit of the bar, that would have been perfect.

Drinks were cheap, and fresh cocktails were flowing but I opted for a glass of white wine, chilled perfectly and soon I became perfectly chilled too!! It would just so happen that the football was showing so what was meant to be a nice catch up with friends ended into a screaming competition with the TV screens (of which there were 3 or 4). Another – shall we say lively – bunch was on the table near us and seemed to be enjoying the football too. Good job their team won!

Feeling a little peckish we ordered a few bar snacks, Jim Bean and sesame seed chicken bites and chicken tikka skewers. The Jim Bean bites were AMASING, really sticky and with the slight hint of Jim Bean. The tikka skewers were good too but a bit too curry-ish for my liking. Drinks were nice and cheap and all bombs were on promo for the night. Bombs away!

So after Capitol came the next pub…The Dragonfly.  This was your typical pub in my opinion, good crowd of customers, friendly staff up for a bit of banter and a warm atmosphere. Just as we got there a huge pink limo rocked up and out came 20 pink cladded girls on a hen party, their party looked fun, and the bar had created a little area for them and decorated it with balloons and confetti and the likes. About 15 mins before we left the DJ hit his stride and was throwing out some dance floor classics, I hope the hen and her chicks had a good time.

Scores on the (royal) doors: 

Food and service:  Jim Bean chicken all the way!

Atmosphere and decoration:  Great northern atmosphere in both pubs.

Facilities:  Very cosy and comfy.

Talent Radar:  not too shabby, the hen party looked awesome; I hope Bolton locked up their sons.

Fun Factor: not too wild but had a great time anyway.

Capitol Perfect for: Sports, shots-a-hoy, light bar snacks, a great warm-up bar.

Dragonfly Perfect for: dance floor boogie, ale, hen and stag parties.

In 3 words: Friendly Northern Atmosphere.