From Mary Shelley to Brass Haus: The ultimate Bournemouth pub crawl route

For those days when drinking is the only solution to all of your uni stress


Bournemouth is well known for its student and drinking culture, but as a student, potentially even a brand new student, we have compiled a pub crawl route through Bournemouth which consists of eight of the finest drinking establishments Bournemouth has to offer.

Freshers’ Week is over, but this blueprint for the best pub crawl in Bournemouth is going to help you continue feeling like it is still Freshers’ Week all year round. With eight different pubs, there’s something along this route for everyone. So give the pub crawl a go and see what you think – if you can remember how it went afterward that is.

Pub one – O’Neill’s

Your starting route for this ultimate Bournemouth pub crawl has to be at O’Neill’s at the top of Old Christchurch Road. First reason being you can walk from almost any of the student accommodations to O’Neill’s in a matter of minutes making it ideal. Alternatively, complete this crawl in reverse order so you do not have as far to stumble home at the end of the night. If you want to line your stomach before this marathon of drinking, the food menu at O’Neill’s makes it the ideal place to start. The atmosphere is always great, and with a lovely outdoor seating/smoking area, this is the ideal starting location for you to get your day underway.

Pub two – The George Tapps

Next stop on this drinking expedition is the lovely George Tapps. Just a couple of hundred metres down Old Christchurch Road, this is one of the best pubs on this whole trip. With plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, sports events shown regularly – football on the weekends, boxing nights and so on. It also has a pool table and one of the nicest outdoor seating areas. You may spend more time at this stop than any of the others because it really has everything you need. The atmosphere is always great, the staff are lovely and the drinks selection has absolutely everything you could possibly ask for – at reasonable prices as well. You simply can not go wrong by stopping here on your Bournemouth bar crawl.

Pub three – Revolution

Of course Revolution was going to be in this list, we all knew it had to be there. Revolution is a staple of any bar crawl no matter where you are so this was an absolute no-brainer to throw in here. Once again, not much further down the road from George Tapps, this will probably be where you start to feel the drinks begin to kick in – but stay strong, you’ve got a long way to go yet. Not too much to say on this one, everyone has been to a Revolution at some point in their young lives, you know what you are getting when you walk into a Revs. It is a safe bet, with music, bottomless brunch options, great drinks deals, and everyone’s favourite student night in Toast Tuesdays. You may even end up back here at the end of the night if you haven’t passed out by the end of this crawl.

Pub four – Slug and Lettuce (Horseshoe Common)

Since being renovated into a Slug and Lettuce from its former life as Yates (the original Toast Tuesdays, God rest its soul), this pub has had a new life breathed into it. You simply can not beat the two for one cocktails, the bottomless brunches, the cocktail trees – Slug and Lettuce is a must on this bar crawl. It’s nice to feel a little bit fancy on a day of drinking – especially when you’ve just been doing jagerbombs and almost throwing up in a Revs. The decor, the cocktails, the option for one of everyone’s favourite bottomless brunches, there is so many ways you can incorporate a stop at Slug and Lettuce into your bar crawl, especially when your next stop is a Wetherspoons (spoiler alert).

Pub five – The Mary Shelley (Wetherspoons)

The moment you have all been waiting for, the first Wetherspoons of this pub crawl! Everyone knows everything there is to know about a Wetherspoons, it does exactly what it says on the tin. Cheap drinks, strange people to watch while you drink, and just an overall good time. Not a lot needs to be said about the almighty Wetherspoons, there was always going to be at least one on this bar crawl, and with the Christopher Creek no longer being around in Lansdowne (RIP you will be missed) this was the most logical bar to be the first Wetherspoons of this long, drunken escapade.

Pub six – The Brass Haus

Following its renovation from The Brasshouse to The Brass Haus, this place is up there with one of the most popular places to go and drink in Bournemouth now. Having drastically improved not only inside the venue, but also its reputation, The Brass Haus is great for casual drinks, a night out with its live music or sporting events, or even a bar crawl! With a great selection of shots, cocktails, beers wnr wines this is an incredible stop and it is definitely recommended that if you go to any of the stops, make it this one. I went to Brass Haus before the renovation and after, and it was and still is one of my favourite places to drink in Bournemouth. The atmosphere for England games was unmatched so bear that in mind with the World Cup coming up. You might be struggling by now but you want to ensure you enjoy The Brass Haus as best as you know how to, and you still have a few stops left so hold down those drinks and channel all your strength to make it to the end.

Pub seven – The Moon in the Square (Wetherspoons)

Now you will need to try and keep your composure. You have already been to six pubs and had god knows how many drinks, you – or more likely your liability of a friend – are acting up and you need to make sure you get in. You are so close to finishing this pub crawl but you’re not quite there yet. The nicer of the two Wetherspoons on this crawl – mostly because of the upstairs outdoor seating area which is great in the summer. There is not a lot more I can say about this stop that I did not say about The Mary Shelley, a Wetherspoons is a Wetherspoons and it is that simple. You know the deal, you know the offers, and you know you are going to meet some strange characters and probably be one of them yourselves seeing as this is stop number seven.

Pub eight – Sixty Million Post Cards

Now this could well be your final stop depending on your condition and financial situation by the time you get to this point. Just around the corner from The Moon in the Square, this is a fun place to come and drink. It’s great place to close the night as later on a DJ starts to play all the tunes you are going to want to hear at this point of the night and you will thank yourself for making it this far. Great drinks selection, a vibe all around, good music, good people (if your friends made it this far with you), and a perfect end to a great day of drinking – unless you think you can handle more and end up in Halo or Cameo. Or, if you’re feeling really adventurous, Camel – God help you.

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