The Drop Does…A Pub Crawl

Your best mate’s birthday is on the horizon. They’re turning 21, and so rather than organizing a standard pre-lash followed by Arena, one of your friends suggests a pub crawl. You instantly jump at the idea, but then think… Where are the best places to go?!

Then you think of the lack of funds in your back pocket! Can you extend your overdraft further? No that’s not an option…you need to eat for the rest of the week .Looks like it’s another night spent trying to work through a bottle of white ace. But that’s not necessarily the case!

Whilst a pub crawl will inevitably cost a little more than a normal pre-drinks, The Drop has conducted some research into the pubs and bars across town to try and keep price to a minimum.

On a classic pub crawl I’d suggest visiting between 6 and 9 pubs. If you’re particularly ambitious by all means visit more, but it’ll obviously end up costing more and probably result in an early encounter with your bed rather than Arena.

A key part of a pub crawl is developing a route! Whilst the Imperial is a  nice and cheap pub, unless you live that side of campus it’s rather inaccessible. Nobody wants to end up there with the prospect of a 20 minute walk to the nearest club.

A good place to start would be the other side of town, ideally at The Black Horse or The Wells Tavern, near most of the student population. If you don’t fancy this then The Ram would obviously be an ideal pub to begin with, but it does leave a rather long walk into town. Clearly it’s down to personal preference!

Pub number 1: The Wells Tavern
Conveniently located for most students, the Tavern is currently offering a pint of fosters for just £1.99. Whilst it’s far from the nicest pub in Exeter, it’s a cheap way to begin and enjoy a pint!

Pub Number 2: The Black Horse
Whilst being a little more expensive than many other pubs across Exeter, it is always a good pub to visit: to many students it is an iconic pub. Almost entirely student orientated, it’s a good place to have a relaxed drink before the night begins to accelerate.

Pub 3: Monkey Suit ( Amber Rooms)
On to the Monkey Suit, arguably the most popular bar in Exeter. This place is a must visit. Whack out your student card and you can get cocktails from 3.95 and a Vk for an affordable £2! But my personal favourite is a bottle of house wine for only £7.95, one of the cheapest across town! Shared between a few of you this is a very popular choice!

Pub 4: Chaucers (Next to Marks and Spencers)
Now this really is a hidden gem! If you sign up to their website (which literally takes 2 seconds) and show them the email you get a FREE drink of your choice! Recently they were offering a free Disaronno and coke. As students a freebie doesn’t come along too often so this is a great place to go in order to keep the price to a minimum.

Pub 5: John Gandy’s
One of the best pubs in Exeter and really student orientated, even though it is very popular with the locals. They offer 15% student discount on all drinks which is one of the best offers in Exeter. Whilst the drinks prices aren’t the cheapest, (£3.30 for a bottle of sol or £3 for a pint) Gandy’s is the ideal place to visit with plenty of sofas and bar stools to help chill out before heading on to the next pub.

Pub 6: Pitcher and Piano
A notorious favourite with students across the country. The cheapest bottle of wine will set you back £13.95, and so I’d suggest saving that for a Wetherspoons or The Monkey Suit. But P@P always has some great monthly offers on to draw in the student population. In recent months they have offered free mojitos and various 2for1 deals. The new offer for March is set to be released anytime soon.

Pub 7: 44 Below
A relatively new revelation for students but a must visit! It’s a short walk away from town but it’s a very nice bar with some really good drinks deals. They offer selected shots for a quid, two cocktails for a fiver and pints for £2.20. As well as having some of the best offers in Exeter the bar is really modern and well worth a peek.

Pub 8: The Chev
A classic stomping ground for students, either visit here or George’s Meeting House: both of which are Wetherspoon pubs. With low prices, any drink is on the agenda. Whilst arguably not having the chilled out vibes of Gandy’s or Monkey Suit, it is still probably the cheapest place around.

Pub 9: EX4
Whilst the last bar may be a bit hazy, EX4 has plenty to offer! Plus you’re also at the perfect end of town to head on to Rococo’s or Mosaic, depending on your preference! If you’re more of an Arena fan, simply change the route round to finish at The Monkey Suit. EX4 is renowned for offering very cheap vodka mixers, and at just £2.00 for a double on Friday ,it really is cheap as chips!