Buskers Bar, Eastbourne

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Steve C left this review about Buskers Bar

Mullens changed its name to Buskers Bar a couple of months ago and there is now live music every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. I think that the closing times are very relaxed, but unfortunately the Sky Sports looks as though it has been removed along with the plasma screen in the front bar. The pub is basically laid out the same as before except the dartboard in the rear bar has gone and a small stage has been put in for the bands. There is still a dartboard in the front bar along with the pool table and table football has been added, although it has been out of order for the last week. There are now a couple of guitars that hang from the ceiling and some old records have been nailed to the walls, but it all looks very cheaply done. Harveys Best is still the lone real ale and the standard draught selection is the same as two years ago. I think that the quality of service has dipped a little as the staff seem a bit vacant and are easily distracted from their job meaning that there can be some unnecessary waiting. The outside area at the rear is still present and the toilets are not the greatest as there is no lock on the cubicle door and there is no soap.

Chance would have it that I have been in here twice during the last week and I must admit that I preferred it as Mullens.

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13th August 2008 (Mullens)

The blacked out windows and gang of smokers constantly on the doorstep make Mullens look like an extremely uninviting pub. Thankfully past the grim exterior is a half decent establishment with friendly staff and a good mix of locals. The island bar creates two drinking sections with the front being like a public bar complete with pool table, dartboard and plasma screen for showing Sky Sports and ESPN etc. The rear section of the pub houses another dartboard, which is out of use when live music is being hosted in the evenings as the bands set up on the oche. There is also a projector screen which isn’t of the best quality, but it does the job. The bar stocks a decent selection of standard draught products, but out of three hand pumps only one is ever working and it is always hooked up to Harveys Best. The Guinness has always been nice enough, but this is one of the more pricey venues in the area – especially if drinking outside the happy hour times. There is a smoking area at the rear of the pub that has some covered seating but, as mentioned previously, most people dive out the front for a smoke.

This place is a little bit grubby, but I think that this is intentional as I’ve found that most live music venues are a little shabby around the edges. By no means the best pub in town, but I would say that it is unique for the area and worth a visit.

On 20^th April 2011 - rating: 5
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