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Revolution vs. Weatherspoons

Part of student life is doing something on the cheap, and never more so than with food. The eateries on campus are all very well, but what if you want to impress that special person with something a little more salubrious than Pizzetta? Robbie Pickles explains why he thinks you couldn’t do much better than heading towards a bar…

When it comes to eating on the ultra-cheap, Wetherspoons is a good option for smart and well presented food. With famously low prices, you can take advantages such as beer and a burger for under five pounds. The food is of surprisingly good quality for the price, and the drinks are fairly inexpensive too. However, as a known brand which operates almost everywhere in the country, it lacks the feeling of something special and it is essentially JUST a pub, and the phrase “a steamy first date at Wetherspoons” is not one you are likely to hear.

Revs, on the other hand, is a little more expensive, but in my opinion is worth the extra cost. The food is of a fairly similar to Wetherspoons, but with a few house specials to spice up the menu. The advantage to Revs is that, being a club as well, after your meal you can head upstairs and show off your moves on the dance floor (or, if you are like me, shuffle around embarrassed for a while and drink too much to cover your shame) and burn off the calories in the process!

So if you fancy some fine dining and your overdraft is off the scale, get yourself into town and eat to your heart’s content, happy that your wallet won’t feel the difference.

Mint vs. Lounge

Lancaster has a wide range of bars and clubs, with something to suit every taste. We sent Rachael Pratt to two of the city’s favourite cocktail bars to see which one she liked best…

Whether you want a girly night out or just a classy start to your evening (before everything gets messy!) then Lounge and Mint are the ideal bars to head to. They have modern décor, up to date music, and endless lists of cocktails ranging from the cheaper, student-friendly deals on favourites such as ‘Oral Sex on the Beach’, to the old classics… Cosmopolitan anyone?!

Of course, the popularity of both is also their downfall as on busy nights there can be a long queue to the bar, particularly in Mint which is already a fairly small space and can feel very overcrowded at peak times, even with its outside terrace and you may have to put up with standing if you’re not lucky enough to nab a chair in time! The plus side of this however, is that on busy nights there is always a buzzing atmosphere and it’s a key spot to run into people you know.

If drinking cocktails in trendy surroundings is your bag then either Mint or Lounge are the bars for you and I wouldn’t say either was better than the other although my personal favourite is Mint as by being more intimate, it seems a lot more lively. But don’t just rely on my opinion – try them both out and make your mind up for yourself!

Walkabout vs. Varsity

Are you into sports? Well thankfully your needs are fully catered for here in Lancaster, with both Walkabout and Varsity showing sports, serving drinks, and sometimes even playing some music! But which one is better? Stephen Ashby visits them both and sees what each has to offer.

The first comparison I can make is the quality of the places themselves when comparing the two bars. Walkabout has one huge area near the back (or front, depending on which entrance you use) of the bar, with seats and plenty of standing area, as well as several more plasma TVs along the bar itself. Varsity also has a large screen, but it is viewable from practically the whole bar. It really depends on your preference of what size screen you like.

Other than that both bars offer averagely priced drinks, as you would expect from such large bar chains. There are always plenty of deals on both drinks and food, but if I’m honest Walkabout is the more popular of the two because of the wide range of music it plays over the week. It’s especially popular on Wednesdays before the Carleton. The deals you can get with a Varsity card however really make it a popular place to just go for a drink before heading elsewhere in Lancaster to have a bit of a rave.

I advise you check them both out and make up your own mind, because this sort of thing really depends on your own tastes.

Sugarhouse vs. Toast

For dancing fun there are really two places in town that boast the best selection of music, the best dance floors, and the best atmospheres. Rachael also headed down to compare the two and boogie the night away…

For dancing and drinking until the early hours of the morning head to Toast and the university’s own town based nightclub, The Sugarhouse. Both offer various types of music depending on what night you go – if you’re looking for rock and old school heavy metal then Toast’s alternative ’lost’ night on Monday is the one for you, or alternatively go there on a Friday for a night of Indie. No club in Lancaster can beat Toast for its decadence (think leather seats, chandeliers and Audrey Hepburn artwork), and with good deals on drinks (on Thursdays girls pay £5 and drink all night, for guys drinks are all £1.10), it’s definitely one to check out.

Mad nights out in Lancaster usually occur in The Sugarhouse and with it’s massive dance floor, poles and staging, it’s easy to imagine why. Based in 2 separate rooms it has lower prices than most clubs in town as it’s owned by the students’ union and has hosted big acts such as Pendulum… not forgetting the free bus home, all making the Sugarhouse one of the most popular spots for students in Lancaster.