Mambo, Taunton

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This unusual bar makes good use of a former courtyard to provide a mostly outdoor high street social venue.  The surface is permeable yellow tarmac, with a diagonal path leading from the entrance to the basement of the adjacent building, which houses the main bar area.  The latter has canteen-style table and chairs and feels fairly unwelcoming.  The courtyard area is more convivial, or at least it could be.  On one side of the path is a lounge-style seating area with plastic sofas and armchairs, while the other side has more canteen tables and chairs.  There is a small outside bar, which they call ‘The Hutte’, there are multiple large TV screens and there is a shelter over the majority of the courtyard.  There is also a small terrace overlooking the while affair, which is above the entrance to the basement bar.  As we approached past the nearby fast food outlets, the sound system was making itself felt by playing Abba music really loudly – you can hear the drums from Nando.  There is no real ale on, the best they could offer was Midway IPA on keg, which, apart from being too cold, wasn’t the worst keg beer I’ve had, though it was overpriced.  Food is available – junk food and pizzas from Barrel and Stone, plus plates of saturated fat and sugar with various colourings and other additives made to look like puddings.  The other clients were mostly Eastern European single mothers and the unemployed, many of whom were vaping inside and out.  The dress code seemed to be ripped jeans and designer doglets.  The staff were friendly enough though.  The whole thing felt like a non-event and I shouldn’t make a song and dance about it. 

On 11^th April 2022 - rating: 3
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