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The Cellar Bar/ Aikman's
The Cellar Bar
(also known as 'Aikmans', 'oojiflip', 'place down there' or on
one occasion, 'puppies!') Pine floorboards, bunting, a big bar with tasty things behind glass and huge sofas are the first impressions people usually get of this place. It's light, airy and the atmosphere is good. The bar itself offers a wide variety of drinks, including innumerable bottled beers along with the things you would usually expect (note the absence of Tennants however.) Two of the more interesting beers on tap are the Hoegaarden which is served in enormous glasses and the widely drunk Erdinger, which allows you to enjoy a manly pint in an incredibly effete glass. Both are very good, but if I spent time cataloguing all the nice brews in this place, I would run out of space. The food here is also surprisingly good, considering average British pub fare. It's not what you'd expect, with Brie wedges and swordfish replacing the more ubiquitous battered fish and hamburgers. The prices aren't going to make you panic though, being roughly the same as what you'd pay in any other bar in St Andrews. I personally recommend the croissant with ham and redcurrant jelly. Yum. The vegetarian option is reportedly very pleasant as well, with one of my friends going back for it three days running, and not just for the sandwiches. Finally the desserts. Whilst I have never had my just desserts there, I have seen a grown man break down and cry when he had finished his chocolate cake. Or at least been reduced to maniacally licking his spoon. As to entertainment in Aikmans, every Thursday (and sometimes other days) they have a live music night. There are some regulars, but it's perfectly possible for new groups looking for gigs to perform there. As to the quality of these acts, these obviously vary, but it's pretty much a guaranteed good night. Also they sometimes do comedy nights, usually in association with students. Once again these are usually a very mixed batch but worth going to for the variety if nothing else After spending a few slightly unsteady hours sampling the delights of Aikmans, it's time to go down the stairs to the splendour that is the Cellar Bar. Very different from its upstairs counterpart, the Cellar is dark and smoky with the sort of wonderfully sordid atmosphere of an underground Tangiers hashish den. And just like the den, through the smoke billows the promise of forbidden delights in the form of the bar. It has the same selection as upstairs, with the main difference being the addition of three guest ales that change on a weekly basis. These are almost always British cask ales unlike the bottles, which are a mixture of British and continental. The cellar has a more intimate atmosphere than upstairs but the flipside of that is it can be difficult to get a seat. Nevertheless it can be a great place to go for a few quiet pints with friends. Some of the various subcultures and student societies have claimed the Cellar as their own and it's rare when you can't find at least some of them there. When not in the Union, Rocksoc (or at least some of the more er...venerable members) may be found here, cozened around several pints and packs of rolling tobacco. LGBT and friends can be found there on a Thursday, enjoying the pub quiz, often with myself queening with the best of them. On a slight change of subject, the Thursday night Cellar pub quiz is a great way of spending a few hours when you have nothing (or something) better to do. Starting at 8pm, it's a music based quiz where you have to identify, I think it's 40 odd songs and their artists from the first 20 seconds of the songs. These are often themed along such lines as number 1s, letters of the alphabet, decade and so on. It's free to enter and the prize is a round of drinks to the winning team. Avoid if you can, the walk of shame, where one member of each team goes off to get their answers marked and everyone gets to see how well, or badly everyone has done. After the quiz, or just generally, things tend to get sillier and it tends to be the precursor to daft parties which will almost invariably mean you missing your 9am Friday lecture. Believe me, I know. It's an atmosphere of good fun down there though. I can think of very few other places in St Andrews where you can end up doing the 'Follow the Yellow Brick Road' dance with two lecturers (if you are reading this, you know who you are.) Another added benefit of the Cellar and indeed Aikmans it that they are prepared to do 'carry out', or uncorked bottles which you can consume at your leisure. The toilets, whilst not the most beautiful in St Andrew's are not overly smelly, never out of toilet paper and the hot water works. Whilst to my sorrow I have had no personal experience of the ladies, I have never heard any complaints of the service they received in there. A note for any men who read this, look out for the limerick of the week written on the downflow into the urinals. It doesn't change on a weekly basis by any means, but it can be good for a laugh if you're completely pissed. Finally last, but by no means least, the greatest treasure of the Aikmans empire-Malcolm. He is the bearded proprietor of this fine establishment. When not pulling pints to perfection, he is always prepared to discuss the finer points of his ales with his (slightly sloshed) customers. He is a gem and a great person to do catering for any society or non-society events you might have. Treat him with respect, for his wrath is great. Both Malcolm and his lovely wife Barbara are graduates of the University, although the dates of their graduations have yet to be revealed... All in all I recommend Aikmans/the Cellar for any eventuality. From a quick lunch, to a social drink, to a prolonged birthday piss-up it can cater for all your needs, be they booze, fags, company, entertainment or a shoulder to cry on. If it's not on your hall's pub crawl list, add it. Go forth and enjoy! Posted 14:38, 17th Aug 2002 by Scunthorpe in section Sinner's Guide (suggest an article in this category) Readers' Comments
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