Jake's Bar & Still Room

As one acquaintance so aptly put it: ‘The Jake’s Bar playlist sounds like they’ve taken your iPod and put it on shuffle – one minute there will be Usher, then Sum 41, and then Michael Jackson pops up without warning.’ It’s true, the weekend DJs are definitely more interested in getting people on to the slightly awkwardly shaped dancefloor singing and busting out their best moves, than alienating anyone with the icy cool anonymous synth pop that everywhere else seems to play these days.

The bar staff are efficient during busy periods, but one server seemed out of his depth when asked for a dry martini and had to be instructed on how to make it. Then again, if it were expertly mixed cocktails and detailed knowledge of spirits you were after, you’d head to Smokestack next door.

An underground venue with long queues on weekends, Jake’s has a reputation as king of the everyman club, where young and old, students and local punters can drink and relax side by side.

Due to its popularity on one of the busiest party streets in the city, Jake’s and its bouncers can be a little unfriendly towards large groups of men, but once inside the security takes a backseat to revelry and a dining experience that has recently been gaining steam with an American-inspired menu catering for the dude food generation. Pop-up restaurant Tongue ’n Cheek boasts burgers, sandwiches, chips, ice cream in a cone and chicken in a bag at an average of £9 for a main and three of the snacks/starters for £12.95.