Browns
5 – 11 Woodstock Road
01865 319655 The bar in Browns may not immediately leap to mind as the
ideal student hangout – a tad pricey and a bit on the posh
side – but if you’re after a fancy night out it’s
definitely a place to consider. The first thing to note about the Browns Bar is that it
doesn’t offer draft beer. But if that’s what
you’re after it’s most likely you’ll while away
the drinking hours in your college bar or in one of the many pubs
on offer. If you go to Browns you’ll be going for the
cocktails. They extended their cocktail menu at the beginning of the year
and now offer a good selection in addition to many of the old
favorites. The classic Long Island Ice Tea is particularly
refreshing at Browns, but nothing you can’t get elsewhere.
Their Bloody Mary is very well made and the barmen will ask you
how spicy you want it and make it accordingly. In fact, the staff
are particularly attentive as bar staff go, and try to
personalise your drink no matter how busy they are. Easily the best drink on offer is the Raspberry Cosmopolitan,
a sexy, yummy twist on the classic with a fruity kick. With
summer almost upon us Browns has a great selection of fruity
drinks: Tropical Caipirinha, Melon Bug and Michael’s Prayer.
The bar area is crowded on Friday and Saturday nights, but being
attached to the restaurant does give it a greater depth of
atmosphere than most bars. It isn’t as raucous as
Maxwell’s and it’s actually a touch cheaper than Old
Orleans, and does offer 50ml shots as standard in every drink. One last reason to go: on May Day they open at 6am to serve
Champagne breakfasts. So, after you’ve taken your annual
jump off Magdalen Bridge, squeeze the river water out of your
t-shirts and join your friends for a treat in a martini glass.
It’s an excellent prelude to the hedonism of Finals
celebrations.ARCHIVE: 0th week TT 2004
Drink: Browns
