Pub of the Month
Location: Bangor

Click here for larger image of The Fat-Cat cafe bar

We begin our adventure at the top end of Bangor High street, in the local Wetherspoon's - the Black Bull. Built inside an old Church, the place retains much of its character. The long bar, in particular, is very impressive. Unfortunately, the large eating area resembles a McDonalds.

Further down the hill, on the left, is our Pub of the Week - the Fat-Cat café-bar. Kitted out with sofas and bookshelves, the place has a semi-academic feel. The selection of beers, wines, coffees, etc is excellent, and you can also grab a bite to eat on the terrace at the back. For a busy pub, there's a surprisingly relaxed atmosphere - even the bouncers were friendly. If you go to Bangor, don't miss this place, honestly.

Next up, on the left hand side of the Cathedral, is the Castle, an altogether more modern affair. A brightly coloured hallroom with modern music and crowd to match. Try their speciality, a half-yard cocktail.

At the very bottom of the hill is the Scream, an American-style student hangout. The bar staff gave us a great welcome and we were reliably informed that most nights have a different theme - quiz-night, karaoke, etc. Definitely worth a visit, and make sure you sample the delicious frozen cocktails.

For a complete change of scenery, it's back up the hill to Oshea's - not just another Irish pub. The scruffiness inside, especially upstairs, gives the place a kind of rustic charm. There's also an excellent pint here, apparently the best in Bangor.

Our last port of call was the Ship Inn. There's a great atmosphere with a see-through dance-floor upstairs. The dance-floor itself features aquariams built into the walls. This pub was really impressive but there was a down side. We came across the most obnoxious barman you'll ever meet. Just be sure to leave the pub if he's working - don't worry, it won't take you long to work out who he is.

P.S. We should point out that our lads and lasses were in agreement that they had never seen so much talent on show. Go there and you'll see what we mean!

Pub Score: 9 leeks out of 10
Crawl Score: 8 leeks out of 10