Massey’s Booksellers

Massey’s Booksellers’ subtle entrance.

Definitely a good ambience.

We weren’t bothered that we don’t fit any of those categories, as the beer selection wasn’t quite enough to keep us there for more than one round. The only passable choices were Modelo, Liefman’s and Erdinger in bottles and Budvar, Guinness and Sagres on tap. And at £3.40 a pint, it’s definitely more pricy than your average student bar. (I stuck to vodka & soda, however, which was just £3.) Massey’s feels like it’s trying to be slightly upmarket from other bars that cater to students, like a place you’d go if you were trying to impress a date.

Check out the globes! And the stereo lamp!

What these Booksellers definitely have going for them is the atmosphere. An eclectic hodgepodge of tables and seats along with interesting light fixtures made out of various found objects (a stereo! some antlers! a boot!) give the place a cool vibe without straying into pretentious territory. The quality chilled electronic music would have kept us there a while as well, had their drink selection been more up our street.

The long and the short of it is this: if you happen to be in this part of town and are looking for a quiet place with funky lamps to have a mediocre beer or a mixed drink and it’s not prime time to be rammed with students, then this is the place for you! Otherwise… eh….