I guarantee that you know it. It's the one on Hanway Street just behind where the old Virgin Megastore used to be on the corner of Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Rd.

the temple, manchester, u.k.

It's so cool and expensive to drink in bars.
But since smoking is banned , it sucks.

I couldn't agree more. I'm still not properly able to relax in pubs since the smoking ban came into effect. Local, non-high street and city centre pubs are taking a real battering because of it.

As a non smoker 95 percent of the time it is infinately better to not come home smelling of 30 different brands of fags and feeling like you've smoked a pack just because you wanted a night drinking. Plus, infinately better for everyone i know who works in a bar and now doesn't have to deal with it every shift..

Not anti smoking really, just never understand why anyone would want to smoke anything in a confined space.

Better the cash reg behind the bar than me. Though its definately not that bad in my town. I stay twice as long in places as i used to and spend accordingly now that it is not a bog of stench.
Plus i enjoy gigs so much more when not having to watch out for cig burns every ten seconds from the next dick who lights up, again and again and again and again for the entire 90 mins.. Waving it around and hardly even smoking the fucking thing..

same here. there's a nice folk cafe across the street, if you ask for hot chocolate they will look at you funny first and thenw arm it in the microwave. you can get almost any drink there, and if its not on the price list, they just charge the minimum :P

You never told me about this! So am I included, or huwat?!?

Blood does more than turn me on, Mr. Vader. It makes me come. And more than the sight of it, I love the taste of it. The taste of hot, freshly killed blood...Kill everyone now! Condone first degree murder! Advocate cannibalism! Eat shit! Filth is my politics! Filth is my life!

Because it's a small town, the amount of pubs and clubs is pretty limited, and maybe three of them are decent. anyway I spend most of my weekend night-outs here: http://www.henryspub.net/kuopio/

hmmm...

it has to be... the freshest in my mind.... the QUARRY HOUSE in silver spring, md. great beer, awesome wings, good jukebox. or (is it still there?) THE PHARMACY bar in dc-- great jukebox, no food that i recall but all kinds of places around. here in abq GECKO's in the summer has a good patio. still looking for a good winter drinking hole-- i'd say my bedroom, currently.

i prefer the smoking ban, i smoke less, i spend less, there's no foggy haze that stings your eyes, i feel less crappy the next morning

My favourite bars/pubs etc.

1. The King's Arms, Poland Street, Soho - a fun and happening proper boozer, attracting a crowd of the hairer end of the gaydom, but is all free to one and all. Celebrities often on show here include our very own Sarramkrop, who likes nothing better than to program the jukebox machine with Yma Sumac numbers, and then sing along to them whilst wearing a bowl of fruit on his head.

2. Retro - near the Strand, London - a mixed gay/straight place with an "indie" vibe, some good songs on the jukebox, and a friendly crowd who are always on good form.

3. The Glasshouse Stores, Brewer Street - Not far from where I work, this Sam Smiths pub have a goodly range of own-brand beers (the wheat beer comes especially recommended by me), some rather tasty pub grub, and an atomsphere that is both snug in winter and chilled out in the summer. I like this place, I do.

I'm about as dedicated a smoker as they come, but I've found that the smoking ban has been sooooooooooo much easier to deal with than I was expecting - I was just about ready to swear off pubs altogether when it came in, but in reality I just spend half the night stood outside talking to people who I probably wouldn't have done otherwise...

I've pretty much given up on the centre of Newcastle these days (save the Head of Steam in that valuable "open past 1 and doesn't charge to get in" slot), but just about all the establishments in Ouseburn (about half a mile out the city centre) are worth their weight in spirits, with the esteemed Tanners being the pick of the bunch...

The jukebox war in there last night was quite amusing. Someone put on some tearcore number on it, which promptly got another f(h)airy to run towards the machine and dropped enough coins into it that guaranteed a few more minutes of 80's indie junkadelia. I won the battle by dropping in a few more quid of John Coltrane, Gastr Del Sol and Archie Sheep inbetween to make up for their disregard of good taste. I never want to hear a Kate Bush/Morrisey song in my life ever again.

The Retro Bar is a good one. Pity it's so small. I saw David Hoyles in there about a month ago looking cool and sipping white wine by himself. I always meant to check out The Glasshouse Stores. The George Tavern on Commercial Road is also a good one. I don't mind the smoking ban 'cause pubs stink less, unless you count the smell of random farting.

At work.