Late bars:
Brass Monkey
Wax Bar
Bar Schnapps
The Czech Bar

Other reviews:
Bars / Cafes
Club venues
Live music venues
Record shops
Restaurants
Shopping

Platfrom 2002/03
Issue 3:
Concerned students called to arms

Now Festival - preview

Drop the Bomb vs Detonate

Late Bars in Nottingham

Top ten things to do in the city for under £10

Hello Blythe exhibition

If you ever find yourself lost, cast out of the cheap and cheerful bright lights of Nottingham’s mainstream student scene, you may come across this little gem.

Brass Monkey sign

Situated on High Pavement, just opposite the Pitcher and Piano, Brass Monkey is most definitely in the posh part of town, a stones throw from the Galleries of Justice and the extremely upmarket Lace Market Hotel.

So, while Brass Monkey do not have a specific dress code, it is probably best to get your smart togs on, specifically on the weekend when the whim of the doorman determines whether you will pass the threshold.

Brass Monkey is one of Nottingham’s funkier late bars. With various nights on throughout the week. Wednesday night, student night, is probably the best time to head over.

From 5pm to 8pm is show time everyday of the week, providing substantial discounts on all drinks, while on Wednesday the 5pm til 8pm show lasts all night! And, believe me, your bank manager will be grateful.

While the range of drinks offered in Brass Monkey is exotically extensive, they are also exotically expensive. But this is what student nights are for!

Whatever your taste in beverages, alcoholic or not, there will be something for you at Brass Monkey. Dotted around the bar there are plenty of drinks menus for your perusal.

The cocktail and spirit list is immense and extremely varied with most cocktails priced at £5 or the discounted price of £3.50, while the spirits start from £2. For the tee-totallers and drivers among you, Brass Monkey also offers a range of fruity smoothies at £2.25.

I personally sampled the Chocky Bisquit and Strawberries and Cream cocktails, both of which were divine! There are also some bar snacks available, but you won’t fine your everyday salted peanuts on this side of town.

Instead you can choose from a selection including Pringles and popadoms with chutney, all priced at a reasonable £1.90.

The bar itself is relatively small, without being cosy, while the décor is extremely earthy with low lighting and comfy seating.

The music varies throughout the week but it is always funky with an extremely chilled out atmosphere and friendly staff.

So, if you are tired of the club culture and just want a relaxing drink in a hassle-free environment, Brass Monkey is probably one to look out for, just as long as your overdraft holds out!

The first thing you’ll notice about Wax Bar is it’s size, or lack of it! But don’t let that put you off.

The bright walls, exposed brick work and muted lighting create a warm, inviting atmosphere and the music, a selection of chilled out tunes, is unobtrusive enough for you to actually hold a conversation over.

Wax Bar sign

This place is seriously cool, without being self conscious or pretentious; the usual crowd tends to be pretty laid back (there’s no dress code, even at weekends - so put away those Jimmy Choo’s)!

The only danger is that it appears to be the haunt of some of our younger lecturers, so if you’ve skipped your seminar on the morning of a visit - be warned!

Wax acts as a showcase for some of the Nottingham’s newest talent. The artwork adorning the walls is often the product of local students.

Most Mondays during term time the Bar also hosts its Café Cultural and Scientifique evenings. Forthcoming events include a talk by Mervyn Hartwig, editor of the Journal of Critical Realism, entitled ’Spirituality and Emancipation: A Critical Perspective’. This will be held on 4th November in conjunction with TNTU.

Wax has a good selection of different beers and a reasonable array of spirits although, in my opinion, the wine is not always great.

Prices, although not cheap, are to be expected in this part of town. You can expect, on average, a pint of lager to set you back £2.60, a glass of wine £2.40 and cocktails around £3.80. For £4 you can also sample the green fairy, absinthe, traditionally served with caramelised sugar and warm water.

Wax also serves a good selection of non-alcoholic beverages such as coffee, fruit juices and for those wanting something a bit different, elderflower, lemon and cranberry organic drinks. Food is served daily from 12am - 8pm when you can expect to pay from £2.50 for a bowl of soup to £3.90 for a ‘Full-on All Day Breakfast’.

There is also a good veggie menu and all the ingredients used are organic. Tuesdays and Thursdays are the days to visit if you’re on a tight budget.

From 5pm - 8pm you will receive 25% discount on all bottles, spirits and cocktails. If you are in possession of one of our Sneaky Cards you will get a 25% discount on bottles of Bacardi Breezer and Grolsch whatever time or day it is.

Situated in the Hockley area opposite the Broadway Cinema (also worth a visit), the Wax bar is a little off the beaten track.

It can be busy on Friday and Saturday nights when it may be difficult to get a seat. During the week it is not for those wanting a lively night out, however, during the past year it has remained one of my favourite places to drink.

It’s 11pm, the pubs are shutting and you were just getting started! Where do you go? Well, the answer is simple, you head down to Bar Schnapps!

That is if you can find it. Surprisingly few people know about this little treasure that is hiding in central Nottingham.

Bar Schnapps is situated in a teeny nook on St James’s street just off Market Square, a few doors down from the Cookie Club.

Bar Schnapps sign

As this bar doesn’t actually open until 11pm Monday to Thursday (10pm Friday and Saturday), it is easy to miss, yet it is one of the best late bars to grace the streets of Nottingham.

Open until 2am, it would be easy to stay here all night, with the extremely eclectic (much as I despise the word eclectic it is the only possible word to use) mix of tunes playing and the low orange lighting.

As the evening progresses, so will the music, from pop to jazz, funk and soul. But the one thing you can be sure of is that, no matter what is playing, it is guaranteed to be a classic.

While the teeny bar is much too snug to permit a dance floor, you’ll still find yourself swinging along to the music. If you want a seat for the night then it is advisable to be there when the doors open at 11pm because Bar Schnapps fills up incredibly quickly and only has about 20 seats!

One of the best things about Bar Schnapps is the vast array of beverages that they offer. As the name suggests, this particular bar does specialise in various schnapps drinks and shooters.

While the prices are not cheap by student standards, they are certainly not overly expensive. The most you will part with for a pint is £2.60, but if you are in Bar Schnapps you really shouldn’t be drinking beer. Variety is the spice of life and Bar Schnapps definitely has variety! They boast an extensive shooter menu, all priced at £2. I would personally recommend the Silk Assassin, but there are plenty of shooters to suit all tastes.

There is also a selection of ‘New Skool’ shooters with dubious names and even more dubious combinations of spirits and schnapps for the more adventurous drinker. If you are a vodka fan then there is plenty in store for you too with vodka promotions priced at £3 each. These consist of a double vodka mixed with peach or chocolate schnapps, Galliano or Blue Bols served over ice with lemonade or fruit juice.

And you can be certain that, whatever you order, it will be served by the friendliest of staff in this little drinker’s paradise!

The Czech bar is a cosy bar handily nestled between many other trendy venues such as Slug and Lettuce and The Works in the "Cornerhouse area."

This mini bar is funky in décor, with an amazing spiral staircase which, trust me, you will fall down when pissed.

This is not the type of place where you can sober up whilst queuing at the bar, minimal effort is required for buying a drink and the bar staff are very friendly.

The atmosphere is relaxed and intimate with chilled house and jazz in the back ground, dim lighting and very comfy sofas. This definitely creates a certain ambience for couples.

If, however, you’re with your mates it’s a good ‘Pre-Place’ to get pissed because there are plenty of bargain drinks to be had.

Special offers at the moment include 2-4-1 deals on V.K Ice, Becks and Stella. Also cheap are bottles of Carling or Java for £1.50. If you are very brave and have a steel stomach then head for the medicinal shots of Absinth and Redbull, at £1 each. And, if you feel the need for regurgitation after these then the toilets are quite acceptable, with no queues and well stocked with toilet roll.

More good news is that there is no dress code here. It’s a fairly smart place but trainers are totally accepted and anything goes, even on the weekend.

The crowd is young and chilled, mainly students. I visited on a Thursday night, but I’ve been advised that the best night for students is Wednesday for the newly launched R + B and Hip Hop night.

There’s only a tiny dance floor but I’ve been assured that there are people getting their groove on everywhere so that’s one night to check out.

Food is available during the day until 7pm and the menu looks good for snacks at reasonable prices but I have yet to sample it.

My overall impression is that this is a cool, friendly little bar to start your evening in, with large tables to fit all your mates round, and cheap drinks to get tanked up on.

As for staying here all night, they have recently had their licence extended until 1am, and are planning different events to keep the crowds in there all night so keep your eyes out for these and we’ll see how the transition from ‘pre-bar’ to ‘late-bar’ goes!