Monday 22 October 2007

Aberystwyth - Rummers Wine Bar

Formerly known as Baccus Wine Bar and Fondue Restaurant

Address: Bridge Street, SY23 1QD. Tel: 01970 625177 [gmap] 
Last APG visit: 17/05/2012

Background: Ahhh, ‘Bummers’ as it’s disparagingly known by the Pier Pressure types, is a rustic-themed wine bar; all candles, low lights and latterly sawdust on the slate floor with a few nooks and crannies inside to lose yourself in.

Student factor: Mainly frequented by the close-knit community of lecturers, postgraduates and their groupies along with a smattering of middle-aged well-to-do locals. Occasional appearances from Aber characters like Julian Shelley are not uncommon.


Atmosphere: Bustling and amiable with plenty of high-brow chat. Gets packed on weekends and becomes very hot and stuffy – not good for asthma sufferers although now the smoking ban’s come in things are a bit more tolerable. There’s a nice outside drinking terrace which is great if the weather’s not too cold. 


Drinks range: Good - lots of wine, a few ales on (though the southern ones are stupidly sparklerised - and the staff wonder why it takes 10 minutes to pour it?!?) usually Burtons, Tetley's and an unadventurous guest (London Pride last visit). Of all Aber's pubs, they really should make more effort on the ale front as it's the obvious 'venue' to drink it in town. Along with some more unusual lager and spirit choices it's very expensive (happy hour excepted -where vodka, gin and whisky are all just 60p a shot, occurs all night Tuesdays, and from 7:00-9:30pm on all other days), you’re paying for the venue. Incredibly small bar, can take an eternity to get served after 10pm.

TV/Music: Live music a few nights a week from various local bands, ranging from Folk to Jazz to Blues to Rock and most of what lies in-between. Though on our Thursday night visit in May 2012 the piped music was terrible - on a par with the Glen circa 2001.


Other stuff: Has a selection of board games with one piece missing, along with a nice patio outside the front. Used to have super views of the River Rheidol in the downstairs bar until some muppets from the local council put a load of ugly concrete pillars all the way down the riverside. Very good pizzas are offered; well-worth getting dinner in there early on in the evening. Opens late at weekends. 

Quinno’s verdict: If you’re feeling bohemian this is the best place for a lively drink and high-brow chat in good company and with quality live music. Or (if you're being more practical) to try and sponge some knowledge for that essay that’s due in at the end of the week from the lecturers and PhD's hanging around. Rummers won't necessarily appeal to everyone but it gets my vote.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy hour and vodka night must have a mention! Before 9pm, packed with all kinsd of students for that double vodka & coke for £1.50, and all night on Tuesdays. Once happy hour is over, business definitely a hell of a lot slower.

Anonymous said...

as the previous said, its all about happy hour till 9.30. 60p a shot and 30p a mixer on gin vodka and wisky!

Anonymous said...

I remember this place when it was a chandlers , then it sold crockery and China before closing. It was then bought by an Austrian Guy called Peter who turned it into a Wine bar called Bacchus. Pete left some years later and Two guys from Liverpool took it over and changed the name to Rummers.

Anonymous said...

The guy who started up Bacchus was Peter Steiner and his wife. They then moved on to Kingston on Thames and opened Bacchus 2. Can anyone spell the name of the crockery warehouse which used to be there? McQuilkams or something like that!

Anonymous said...

This bar has become one of two sponsors of the aber uni surf club, which means that the student social starts at this bar on a Thursday. This is not a problem as it is normally a good atmosphere, however during the first few weeks of uni, I would avoid it due to the amount of over drinking and all the new surf club recruits. All in all it is a very nice bar if you want a nice light drink and don't have to shout to make yourself heard.

Beer,Pub's&Footie man said...

Please open on Summer Day's Perfect place for us Smokers who have nowhere to sit outside and have a good pint in Aberystwyth.

Anonymous said...

McIlquhams china warehouse, now Rummers, was kept by my great grandparents James Alexander and Eliza Maria McIlquham. He came from Clitheroe and had interests in mines in the area.

Anonymous said...

"Used to have super views of the River Rheidol in the downstairs bar until some muppets from the local council put a load of ugly concrete pillars all the way down the riverside."

Rummers used to almost flood before the concrete wall was put in. Since then, as everyone knows, sea levels have risen and we've had serious flooding in the Aberystwyth area at high tides. So the 'muppets' who put the wall in (actually the Environment Agency) have saved the place.

By the way, I think you're understating the music. It's really exceptional some nights.