The Tab’s guide to Durham nightlife

So it’s a new academic year and maybe it’s time you changed your night-time habits. Perhaps you’re one of our freshers and have no idea what Durham has to offer. Never mind, The Tab has done its utmost to give an overview of everything that can possibly happen when Durham is dark and your college bar has shut.

Klute

Let’s start with every veteran’s favourite. Sure you’ve matriculated, but until you’ve had a quaddie you’re not a Durham Alumnus. If I was Attenborough (the fact I’m not depresses me daily) I’d announce in my lush tones that Klute is where the entire student population meet to frolic, dance and find a mate.

Jam Jah

Talking about seedy – are you just a little bit too hipster, too cool for the mainstream bars and, incidentally, a raging pothead? If so, get yourself to Jam Jah. As for when it’s on, you could check their Facebook page. However, if you want the true Jam Jah experience find a friend who’s addicted ‘the lash’ (that is booze, not sado-masochism). They may pick up on whispers and repeat them to you that it is ‘Jam Jah tonight’. Dress like the biggest prat you know and head on down.

Fishtank

Live music your thing? Of course it is! Fishtank is Durham’s premier venue for this. The best way to keep up to date with all their acts is to add them on Facebook and they’ll keep you posted. They have a varied and interesting cycle of musicians. It’s a popular place for all those getting a little tired with Durham’s limited club scene.

Lloyds & Loveshack

If things go to plan, we’ll post an article next week discussing this most important of debates. In summary though: choose one. Hate the other.

Jimmy Allen’s

Rumour has it that Jimmy Allen was the inventor of the Mojito. Some even say that he fought alongside William the Conqueror AND invented the Mojito. We’ve even heard that he fought the Nazis with a bow and arrow. All we know is that this is a pretty good stop-gap between your college bar and somewhere stickier*. Set underneath Elvet bridge and actually having some character, it’s not a bad place to end up.

*Apologies to Top Gear for stealing their joke.

Studio

Ahh, the heady days of Studio. When I was a fresher (2011/12) this was THE place to be. It shut for a month or two, came back exactly the same and its popularity seemed to collapse. However, that’s starting to change and it is still worth a visit and plenty of people go still.

One thing though, I’ve had some pretty sweaty nights at most of Durham’s clubs, but none like Studio. Only there have I witnessed walls literally dripping. You don’t need a coat.

Fabio’s

Spags is a Mecca for students wanting a meal out. Whilst far from refined, the 2 litre bottles of wine are seductive enough. Above this delightful place is a bar that tries its very hardest to be classy. It even does cocktails that aren’t designed to haemorrhage your bank account. If you get to Fabio’s when it’s not morphed into a human-sized game of Tetris, it’s great fun.

Also, ‘Mr. Fabio’ is the most ‘colourful’ Italian Durham can lay claim to and we love him for that.

Osbourne’s

I’ve yet to meet a student who even talks about this place. Never mind though, it does look pretty cool and always has people drifting in and out of it. They say they do jazz if that’s your thing. This first floor bar sits further up the slope from Klute meaning it sits above the acrid reek of sex, vodka and disappointment.

Boathouse

We’ve all considered a lock in at our college’s boathouse and I like to think this fantasy was the initial idea behind this place. You’ll have to look very hard to find it here, though you get the feeling they’ve tried to be as nautical as possible. It’s owned by the same people who own Klute who seem to be quite good with outside spaces but struggle not making their interiors a little bit dodgy. It’s perfectly fine and that’s the best phrase for it: fine.

Loft

I’ll be honest with you here, I’ve never been to this place. It used to be the top floor of Studio and now it has been split into two clubs. I’ve not heard anything good or bad about it at all.

Do you know more than I do? Well, you could comment but if you think you’ve got things worth saying why don’t you contact me and we’ll talk about you writing a longer piece.

Nova

We discussed the options for the cool cats of Durham with Jam Jah. However, if they’ve smoked enough pot to last a lifetime then those felines tend to head to Nova. Unlike Jam Jah though, this place might be attractive to quite a few people. House music by star DJs have given it a good reputation. It takes place at Loft or Academy these days and has a determination not to give into the cheese that so often marks Durham nights out. It seems to be going quite well, with a very successful night featuring Artful Dodger, and may finally be a long-lasting incarnation of something that Durham’s students have been attempting for quite a while.