A new speakeasy style bar has opened in Durham

The perfect place to go to pretend you’re classier than you actually are


Hidden beside the knock-off jägerbomb capital of Durham, Loft, a new bar has recently opened up offering a different type of night out.

There are no signs for Durham’s newest bar. Unless you know where it is, it is unlikely that you would ever find it. A simple door opens up to a staircase which takes you to Bar 33, a place to have a classier evening in Durham.

Bar 33 is also not open to anyone who wants to go. You have to apply for a door code on their website which changes every week.

Set up by the team running The Cellar Door, they are attempting to create something new in Durham

“If you think about bars in Durham at the moment you’re usually restricted to a more pub type atmosphere.

“We have a license till 2 am and are trying to tap into a market which isn’t around at Durham right now. We’re going for a relaxed atmosphere, with an extensive menu where people can try new beers, wines and liqueurs,” says Brooke, the bar manager.

“You don’t have to listen to crap music or dance, it’s a place you can go to enjoy a quiet drink with friends.

“The reason for the code is to stop people from just wandering in. We want people to be here to want to be here.”

Bar 33 easily offers Durham’s most extensive drinks list, spread over 46 pages. If you want to impress that Tinder date by ordering a Trappist Beer you’ve never heard of before, this is the place to go.

If you want to apply for a code for this week, you are able to apply on their website.