Drinking in Sunderland city centre

1more said:
Well you said provide what people want or go bust. Then you say you have no idea what people want.

Pure snobbery if you as me.

I go out every weekend, trying different places all the time. Pizza and Music at Proven People. Mexican fusion at Mexico 70. Fine food at Spent Grain. Cocktails and drinks at Cafe 1851. Sunniside area, Green terrace to Empire area. Loads of places to go and try, I've just scratched the surface
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I'll give you an example.
If you go down low row on a match day, all the pubs are chocka bar 1. Establishment. The management are probably scratching their heads wondering why. If you've ever been in its blatantly obvious, their beer choice is dog shit. It reminds me of the final days of the black bull where it was taken over & they did nothing with it, continued to sell over priced carling in a run down building, expecting people to turn up.
 


Bakerlooline said:
Some interesting exceptions from the list of pubs and restaurants who are, quite rightly, trying to work together. It really needs all independents to be working together to drive footfall.
though, very positively, I have started to hear a lot more accents from up the road in recent months, groups of lads and couples coming through on the metro. Many of them have been appearing in The Ship Isis for pizza before moving on.
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Well get rid of them
 
42 said:
I'll give you an example.
If you go down low row on a match day, all the pubs are chocka bar 1. Establishment. The management are probably scratching their heads wondering why. If you've ever been in its blatantly obvious, their beer choice is dog shit. It reminds me of the final days of the black bull where it was taken over & they did nothing with it, continued to sell over priced carling in a run down building, expecting people to turn up.
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Always absolutely freezing in there and the draft in undrinkable.
 
DoctorMick said:
I absolutely hate the phrase “use them if lose them”. Maybe it should be “provide what people want or go bust” instead.
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I do agree with you. things have moved on in recent years and if was popping out for a couple then I wouldn’t likely go to the town unless I lived in the town.
it is supply and demand and if you don’t offer what people want, good beer, good food, good music and a good atmosphere ( my choices that mind) then I’m not likely to make the effort to get a taxi or even the bus when I can get the same as most offer down the sea front near where me mam lives when I’m up.
1more said:
Well you said provide what people want or go bust. Then you say you have no idea what people want.

Pure snobbery if you as me.

I go out every weekend, trying different places all the time. Pizza and Music at Proven People. Mexican fusion at Mexico 70. Fine food at Spent Grain. Cocktails and drinks at Cafe 1851. Sunniside area, Green terrace to Empire area. Loads of places to go and try, I've just scratched the surface
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Do you mainly go for food and drinks?
im 50 now and don’t get on with just getting pissed anymore
 
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For me the big issue is really just when I’ve been in town is that bars or a group of bars tend not to be busy so lacks atmosphere, or the ones that are busy play cheesy music/have difficult clientele (think there is places for all by the way).

The physical bar you got to is often kind of secondary all you are really after on a night out is good music/atmosphere, a reasonable selection of drinks (a decent draft/bottle and shorts) and for it and a few bars close by to be fairly busy. I don’t think the pubs in town (city centre) these days are worse than mid 90/s early 2000’s when it was still busy, it’s just people don’t go out as much or younger folk don’t. Also there doesn’t really appear to be any sort of music scene with places tending to play same generic music in each bar. I could be wrong but that’s what I’ve found the odd time I’ve been back in.

Also pubs will largely be busy if they can attract girls to them. Not sure many are doing that.
 
DoctorMick said:
I’m not sure you’re getting my point, I’m not saying there aren’t plenty of places in Sunderland giving people what they want, of course there are. I just don’t like the “use them or lose them” phrase as it suggests an obligation on the customer where as really it’s down to the business to attract customers.
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So what more can they do to attract you? That's my point
cornish mackem said:
I do agree with you. things have moved on in recent years and if was popping out for a couple then I wouldn’t likely go to the town unless I lived in the town.
it is supply and demand and if you don’t offer what people want, good beer, good food, good music and a good atmosphere ( my choices that mind) then I’m not likely to make the effort to get a taxi or even the bus when I can get the same as most offer down the sea front near where me mam lives when I’m up.

Do you mainly go for food and drinks?
im 50 now and don’t get on with just getting pissed anymore
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I do both. Depending on the type of night I'm after.

I'm never short of options. I'm seeing a lass from Darlington and shes comes up here and shes shocked how big Sunderland is, the different areas to drink on a night out. The variety of food places, different types of pubs, bars, cocktail place.
 
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1more said:
So what more can they do to attract you? That's my point

I do both. Depending on the type of night I'm after.

I'm never short of options. I'm seeing a lass from Darlington and shes comes up here and shes shocked how big Sunderland is, the different areas to drink on a night out. The variety of food places, different types of pubs, bars, cocktail place.
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My son is going out with a girl from Gainford and she is impressed with the Green Terrace/Low Row/ Minister areas both for food and drink.
She doesn't like Jameson's but that's understandable.
 
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Kingdom Bhoy said:
My son is going out with a girl from Gainford and she is impressed with the Green Terrace/Low Row/ Minister areas both for food and drink.
She doesn't like Jameson's but that's understandable.
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I think Ithe problem with a lot of people from Sunderland is the self loathing, quick to pour cold water on anything in the city.

I no way as bad as people make out and better than the vast majority of places around
 
Spoons beer and drink is fine
however the food
just poor/average
prices are ok if you like a drink 3/5 times a week I would go to the ciu type clubs
 
1more said:
I think Ithe problem with a lot of people from Sunderland is the self loathing, quick to pour cold water on anything in the city.

I no way as bad as people make out and better than the vast majority of places around
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Very true lots of positive developments in our city and more to come.
Some of the anti Sunderland comments make me laugh like a Sunderland resident saying that she only drinks in Newcastle Quayside but rejects the Minister Quarter and Sunniside as she said they are too expensive!!
😂😂
 
Kingdom Bhoy said:
Very true lots of positive developments in our city and more to come.
Some of the anti Sunderland comments make me laugh like a Sunderland resident saying that she only drinks in Newcastle Quayside but rejects the Minister Quarter and Sunniside as she said they are too expensive!!
😂😂
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Hypocrisy and snobbery

I see it all too often
 
1more said:
I think Ithe problem with a lot of people from Sunderland is the self loathing, quick to pour cold water on anything in the city.

I no way as bad as people make out and better than the vast majority of places around
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Well most people here have used it for years so it can get a bit repetitive and that's a problem with most places. Spoke to plenty people from other cities and towns who think their own are shit but other places are great.

Spoke to plenty people outside Sunderland who love it as well. It has improved a lot the last five years or so, it had a period around 05-15 where it was completely shit though tbf, lack of bars, most of them the same, place full of arseholes looking for a scrap, half the town was shut down, pubs spread all over with no direct route, pubs empty all the time and lacking in atmosphere.

Feels like it's had a good turnaround the last five years, still a way to go but much more variety now, different areas, which I think has helped with clientele as well, more things happening as well which helps, still a way to go but I do think it's on the up and in about ten years time the town will be really good again.

Prob be well past my prime then though unfortunately but it's defo a plus for the young uns who won't have to travel for a good night out if they want one.
 
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bobster999 said:
with all the proper pubs around, I can't understand why anyone would go onto a wetherspoons. especially for food
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Hunters chicken and the burgers are sound, depends what you want surely, burger before you get amongst it, no problem. Wine and dine for a special occasion, probably not. Serves a purpose
Kingdom Bhoy said:
You sound like a WUM.
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No pal, just nothing wrong with any bar in the town centre, I could understand if you said she didn't like hogan's
 
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Lumber said:
Hunters chicken and the burgers are sound, depends what you want surely, burger before you get amongst it, no problem. Wine and dine for a special occasion, probably not. Serves a purpose

No pal, just nothing wrong with any bar in the town centre, I could understand if you said she didn't like hogan's
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Have you actually been in Jamesons lately?

Horrible stinking toilets place falling to bits and some beers/lagers/ciders not available due to supply issues.
 

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