Durham City is full of bars thanks to a recent regeneration of the Millenium Square and to some degree, North Road aka 'the dark side'. It has a mixture of traditional pubs, trendy bars and secret hideaways.

Traditional pubs

There is the Market Tavern in the Market Place which is small with character and has more of a middle age + client base with many of the youngsters opting for the trendy bars. It has a central location and drinks are well priced.

The Swan is a few minutes walk away and situated just off Old Elvet Bridge. It has good priced drinks, some aren't top brands but taste just as good. It is very large with different rooms, it even has a downstairs which isn't really used and it's nice to sit outside on a sunny day.

The Fighting Cocks is very central but on the border of North Road and plays 80's musics but has always had a reputation as being rough and scrappy, however the decor has been improved but its definitely a place for locals.

There are some small pubs around a 5-10 minutes walk away from the centre that are nice to enjoy a pint such as The City (round the corner from the Swan, The Dun Cow (past the Royal County Hotel) which sells lovely Toasties and is nice for a quiet drink. The Bridge (under the railway viaduct at North Road is nice and did have a reputation for nice meals, I'm not so impressed now.

Chains

There are 2 Whetherspoons bars that sell your typically cheap drink and microwaved food. The main one and largest is in Millenium Square. It is a great meeting place for a cheap first drink but does attract you binge drinkers and teenagers. The smaller one is in North Road and is somewhere to go on a rainy day but does fill up with local alcoholics.

Yates is down the road from North Road Whetherspoons and is not somewhere I would go. It has cheap food, cheap drink, sticky floors and again fills with binge drinkers and alcoholics.

Varsity's is on the road heading up to Durham Cathedral. The food is drab but the drinks are well priced. It has different areas to drink but the staff are often far from pleasant. It has a huge tv screen but the seats are immediately in front of it so you break your neck trying to watch, then if you try to move seats you get told off. Nice for a drink but not to watch the football.

Slug and Lettuce

Nice interior, lots of areas but very expensive drinks and food. Good fore one drink but too pricy to stay too long.

Smaller bars and hideaways

Fabio's

Fabio's is a little gem, placed on the third floor which is above Spaghatata's restaurant next to coral bookmakers on the road towards the cathedral. It has a small bar with piano, one private room and another room full of sofa's. It sells nice drinks and wines but can get crowded with your typical durham student who often sound pompous and rude to locals.

Jimmy Allens and The Boat House are close to the market and old elvet bridge but get crowded with young people and have typical cheap but nasty cocktails.

The Wine Bar in Millenium Square is small, over priced and full of snobby wannabe WAGS and their partners.


There are some other bars I haven't mentioned but these are the main ones.