Address: 3 Victoria Terrace, SY23 2DH. Tel
http://www.glengower.co.uk
Pubs Galore page
Last APG visit: 18/05/2012
http://www.glengower.co.uk
Pubs Galore page
Last APG visit: 18/05/2012
Background: This, along with the Boars Head, Pier Pressure the Seabank and The Bay used to form a rather wonderful pre-Licensing Reform Act sweep of late-opening joints along the seafront. Alas, with the advent of late licensing, the owners bailed out of this place, reasoning that it was too far for the kids to walk when they could stay in Wetherspoons until midnight. So now it’s a huge wannabe foody lounge thing instead.
Student factor: From hero to zero unless it’s a sunny day, when the limited outside seating gets popular with the locals, or Sundays when mum and dad are in town to buy their student sprog a square meal and venture in here because the view looks nice.
Atmosphere: Again, not much these days – it’s just too big to sustain anything outside of Friday evenings. Also seems pretty cold, which doesn’t help. A far cry from the ‘Aber Rock Café’ of years past. In a previous visit I complained bitterly about filthy tables and falling masonry ("Perhaps the falling masonry is an ironic attempt to make the students feel at home and I've missed the joke...") - this appeared to have been largely rectified. Let's hope it stays that way.
Drinks range: One area of massive improvement at least, with one or two relatively unique (for Aber) real ales on sale (get them to take the sparklers off the Southern ones first though) alongside Wye Valley HPA/Butty. There are also lots of whisky varieties (25+) and no more Hofmeister masquerading as Harp. Features in the Good Beer Guide 2010 - though I wouldn't recommend it particularly as a pubbing experience myself.
Student factor: From hero to zero unless it’s a sunny day, when the limited outside seating gets popular with the locals, or Sundays when mum and dad are in town to buy their student sprog a square meal and venture in here because the view looks nice.
Atmosphere: Again, not much these days – it’s just too big to sustain anything outside of Friday evenings. Also seems pretty cold, which doesn’t help. A far cry from the ‘Aber Rock Café’ of years past. In a previous visit I complained bitterly about filthy tables and falling masonry ("Perhaps the falling masonry is an ironic attempt to make the students feel at home and I've missed the joke...") - this appeared to have been largely rectified. Let's hope it stays that way.
Drinks range: One area of massive improvement at least, with one or two relatively unique (for Aber) real ales on sale (get them to take the sparklers off the Southern ones first though) alongside Wye Valley HPA/Butty. There are also lots of whisky varieties (25+) and no more Hofmeister masquerading as Harp. Features in the Good Beer Guide 2010 - though I wouldn't recommend it particularly as a pubbing experience myself.
TV/Music: There’s definitely music, sometimes horribly inappropriate (we ate Sunday lunch in here to sound of 50 Cent when it first re-opened). There’s also a big screen for the football, out back.
Other stuff: Besides the view, there's pot plants and pool. Despite the wholesale refurb upstairs, the downstairs bogs are just the same as they were in the ‘plub’ days, which is hilarious, given the amount of times I saw people urinating (and in one case, defecating) into the sink. A former manager of this place a few years back had what I shall call a 'run-in' with the workers of a particular kebab house in the town and ended up through the front window of said establishment. More trivia - Elizabeth Taylor's grand daughter used to worked here back in the early 90's; to quote "she looked very similar to LT in the 1950s. She had stayed at Michael Jacksons mansion (being a girl I guess she was OK) in LA but still ended up working in the Glen (94/95). If I remember rightly she was a local not a student but can't remember her name. Was worth putting up with Dave just to be served by her." (Mr X, former UWA student and barman at the Bear in the early 90's).
Quinno’s verdict: Can’t help thinking they threw away the Golden Goose. Maybe go here on a summer’s day (it’s the only ‘legal’ place to drink out on the seafront apparently, although that never stopped me). Sadly, I don’t really see the point of this place now - the Glen falls between two stools of not being posh enough for food but not studenty enough to be busy.
