ReviewRecently opened on the popular King Street strip, this is actually the bar and café for the adjacent Old Vic theatre, and it’s name reflects the year that the theatre originally opened. It does though operate quite independently of the venue and the only sign that it’s actually part of the theatre is the ticket office off to the right.
It’s all one large, open plan room, with a very high ceiling extending right to the top of the building. The open rafters at the top make this quite an impressive space, enhanced by the full height windows at the front. Narrow strips of wood cladding also cover much of the left hand wall above the copper clad bar counter, whilst the back of the pub is the stone wall of the original theatre building which had remained hidden for many years. In contrast to the old wall, the multi-level doorways in to it are serviced by modern metal staircases painted in black and burnt orange. Elsewhere the style is somewhat industrial with a polished concrete floor and further small sections of exposed walling at the front as well as steel supporting joists. Seating is a mixture of old school chairs and large communal wooden benches, with the rear half of the pub being at a slightly higher level than the rest.
There were no real ales on tap unfortunately, just Bath Ales’ Gem on keg. The solitary cider meanwhile was Cornish Orchards Dry. Overall, whilst clearly not a pub in the traditional sense, I thought this was quite unusual and they’ve done an impressive job with the refurbishment, and it’s certainly worth popping in to have a look if in the area.
