" I rate Selwyn’s bar a solid 8/10 overall"Sam Stern

Selwyn’s bar is not the usual college bar. It could easily be mistaken for a hotel saloon bar or a swish boozer in the City of London.

It was renovated around two years ago and looks relatively modern, with retro features in parts. The floor is light, sanded herringbone parquet and the wall is painted in soft pastels with shades of yellow. The college character stands strong, with the college crest sculpted into one of the walls. There is also a cabinet of Selwyn’s trophies to celebrate their sporting triumphs. The room is lit by bright spotlights and mod-chandeliers shaped in the form of an old lightbulb. Students place their drinks on white marble-textured tables and recline on sumptuous red leather benches, some in jeans and some in gowns after a formal.

The atmosphere is upbeat and intimate. The bar is open plan. It has a mini-ground level that is a metre below the first floor, and accessible by a couple of steps. The mini walls separating the levels, and the panels on the back of each bench, give the bar an intimate and private feeling. There is a large space by the bar counter where students interact while buying a drink.

They have good reason to, given the vast array of drinks on offer on the tap. Lager, ale, cider – they have it all. The range is impressive. They even have their own college beer, which is enjoyed by many. At £3.65 per pint, it is the cheapest drink at the bar with the other on tap beers costing upwards of £4. The main gripe most students have about the bar is that the drinks are priced like a pub rather than a college bar. However, the range of drinks, the quality of service and bar design are far finer than most college bars. Behind those taps, spotlights shine on the great range of spirits sitting on a golden shelf.

“The atmosphere is upbeat and intimate”

The German Priest who was pivotal in the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther, once said, “whoever drinks beer, he is quick to sleep; whoever sleeps long, does not sin; whoever does not sin, enters Heaven. Thus, let us drink beer!” Selwyn students follow his teachings with impressive industry, though are perhaps hampered by the bar’s aspirational atmosphere. They drink but they don’t appear to lull into a drunken sleepiness.

There are some nights for putting on your best pair of jeans and jacket, and going to a bustling bar. The smart and refined design, the atmospheric lighting and the high ceilings with echoes of conversation reverberating around the room meet that occasion. If you are looking to catch up with mates in a tracksuit and a loose hoodie, and then go to sleep, Selwyn’s bar might not be the best place for that.


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Kebab fans might be familiar with ‘posh shish’ kebab restaurants, where folks eat seasoned shish kebabs with knives and forks. Selwyn’s bar is a ‘posh pint’ pub, rather than a normal college bar. You need to dress up and pay more than at most college bars for a pint. I rate Selwyn’s bar a solid 8/10 overall.

Selwyn’s bar has a brilliant range of beers, striking design, a vibrant atmosphere and welcoming staff. I would definitely recommend a visit to Selwyn bar for a fancy night out.