Ale Tales from the Seven Hills #5 - Bars vs. Pubs

Q. When is a pub not a pub? A. When it's a bar.

What is the difference between a pub and a bar? A while back, I put the question out there on Twitter and got some candid responses. I thought I knew the answer , if there really is one but apparently I didn't.

A couple of quips along the lines of " about two quid a pint" were probably quite apt but personally, I thought it was maybe to do with music; bars tend to have music, don't they!? However, that one in that there Cheers with Frasier didn't have tunes did it. And hotel bars just have background music, don't they, or do I sit too close to the elevators....

The original idea was from an article I read listing Sheffield's best bars. Virtually all of them were in a small area of Division Street and West Street; How convenient. You'd probably guess most of them. Anyhows, referring to the list we can deduce that our favourite 'bars' are the Old House and The Forum. The Wick and the Great Gatsby are decent too mind. All these usually have some acceptable cask ale on too, disapproving the assertion that bars equal bottles as one Twitterer offered. This fab four are also thankfully a metaphoric world away from the likes of Vodka Revolution BAR.

The layout is possibly a big factor too. Bars are usually kind of open plan, aren't they? So are some pubs though. Bars surely don't have snugs though.

Sheff`s smallest snug? @Fagan`s

The best suggestion was that pubs are 'community living rooms'. Spot on and we must never forget that. It's not about the layout, loudness or the lager, it's about people. Pubs are assets of community value in the materialistic and historical sense but also in the social sense.

The article, who ever wrote it concluded that Sheffield's best bar was...... Picture House Social. To be fair, bearing in mind our pontificating regarding criteria, we agree. Nice place. Pizza and ping pong. Cocktails. Open plan. Snazzy sofas and soft lighting. Bottles. And ale, real ale. Usually there are three cask offerings and excellent bottles supplied by near neighbours Hop Hideout. Recently though we`ve also been impressed by noobs at The Tramshed, definitely a bar but already feels like a part of the Heeley / Meersbrook community and we only recently sampled the bar in Hop Hideout, bottled beauties plus keg gems.

 That #dryanuary nonsense ought to be well and truly done and dusted now so, get out there and support your local pub, or bar!

Previous review of Picture House Social HERE.