An odd name you might think for an underground bar and
theatre, but this is just one of the many, many quirks that make the Bike Shed Bar
and Theatre one of, if not the most, unique places to go in town.
If you have ever walked down Fore Street on a Saturday
night, you’ll be used to seeing plenty of ‘merry’ and ‘vocal’ bystanders
crowding around outside the large bars and clubs at the top of the hill, or
slowly meandering their way home via one of the countless kebab shops or
takeaways that litter that end of town. In the middle of this though, tucked
behind Saint Olave’s church and below a bicycle repair shop (hence the name)
you will find a haven for those who appreciate a bit of a more alternative and
charming nights entertainment than those you will find vomiting on the street
outside.
In this look at the establishment I am just going to focus
on the bar side of things and I will leave the theatre for another day. I will
say though, keep a look out for their schedule of performances as there is
always something good on there.
Back in the Spring of 2010 the Particular Theatre group took
a three week lease on the cellar below the Bike Shed to stage a performance. It’s
success lead to the premises becoming a permanent fixture and an expansion to
include a vintage cocktail bar.
And this is a cocktail bar like you’ve never really seen
before. As you walk down the steps at the end of a dark alleyway you begin to
worry that you’ve stepped into the plot of a bad horror movie, but when you
open the door and the bottom you’re ensconced in a warm and friendly glow that
you only get from places that are run with real passion and love.
As seems to be the norm now in anywhere that wants to come
across as quirky and alternative all of the furniture is miss matched and
second hand. Worn, leather high backed chairs sit alongside slightly uneven metal
tables and seats that have taken out of other, now abandoned, theatres. At the
Bike Shed though this isn’t done just to try and make the place cool and
trendy. With the shoe string budget that they run on this is done more out of necessity
rather than anything else. Around the edges of the bar and on the walls are a
whole host of idiosyncratic, peculiar fixtures; a lime green stand up piano, a
vintage electronic games machine, and old fashioned standard lamps that you
used to see in your Grandmas old house. This certainly isn’t your minimalist,
chrome and glass, post modern kind of place.
As is the problem with all of these kinds of places, the
snug, cosy atmosphere that is generated by the low ceilings and more confined
space does result in that you don’t need that many people in there before it
get crowded. This is especially true in the lead up to a performance where you
have an added 50-60 people in there enjoying a pre performance drink and
fighting your way to the bar can feel like being squeezed onto crowded commuter
train, only with more vintage clothing and peculiar facial hair. Once at the
bar they can wet your whistle with an assortment of classic cocktails as well
as some more modern concoctions. The place does scream out to you though to sit
down and enjoy something like a Cosmopolitan or a Martini. Local ales and
continental larger are also there for those who feel less comfortable holding a
pink cocktail with a cherry in it.
Light snacks and homemade cakes are also available from the
end of the bar, and who can say no to a slice of Victoria sponge, even at 11.30
at night?
My favourite part of the whole place though is the WC. An
odd statement I know but anyone who has had a call of nature while they are
there will know what I am talking about. If you think the bar is a slight time
warp then the loo is on a whole different level. I would have taken a photo to
show you all but I thought I might have been asked some awkward questions if I
had started snapping away in there!
On a Friday and Saturday nights they have live music as
well. This only adds to the already lively feel and is always in keeping with
the mood. Resident DJs keep the ambiance relaxed and don’t deafen you with
their beats like you get in so many places now a days (Ok, that made me sound
like I’m 78 with a dodgy hip) and the live bands play a mix of jazz, funk,
soul, blues and swing. The times I’ve
been there for live music have always been a delight and a friendly, party mood
seems to infect everyone that is there. It certainly beats drinking shots in a
loud club and getting into a fight in the street outside, but that’s just my
opinion. If that’s what you’re after then there are plenty of places on Fore
Street to accommodate you. But their bathrooms aren’t anywhere close to being
as good.
Opening Times:
Noon - Midnight (2am on Friday & Saturday); Sunday: 5pm - 11pm
Address:
The Bike Shed Theatre162/3 Fore Street
Exeter
EX4 3AT
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