Poppy Red

The Arcadian isn’t generally the place for me, except for the car park and Poppy Reds.
The booths here are great to sit in if there is one free and help the flow of conversation when you are in a large group. It isn’t the cheapest place to drink but they have a great range of spirits behind the bar.
There is always a great atmosphere here, even when it is super busy. Poppy Reds is able to transition from a good bar and place to eat into a bit of a club spot. The music and DJ’s can be hit or miss. the tiny dance floor is both a plus and a minus, it’s great because people are less self conscious and start dancing sooner but it also means it can feel super rammed and difficult to find room to move.
An important factor for the ladies is the toilets and I have to say that Poppy Reds’ loos are pretty good; they’re nice and clean and have a big mirror for make-​up touch ups.
With other Arcadian bars changing hands and their styles it’s great that Poppy Red’s has maintained a consistent style. I never usually plan to start out or end up here but whenever I do i always have a really good time.

Poppy’s is the only bar I don’t hate in the Arcadian. That is — before it gets too late of a weekend, it tends to have enough room to move about the music isn’t totally hateful. The bar has a great range of spirits, but isn’t good for real ales particularly. The menu has some fun stuff on — like home made fish finger sandwiches (YUM!) but not a lot for a vegetarian like me.
All in all, I like it to stop by for a drink before a show at the Glee Club, but after a certain time it suddenly fills up and feels rammed and I just have to escape before any inadvertant groping from such close proximity to every other patron ensues.

Probably a favourite spot to take a seat during my rare night-​time wanderings into the Acadian, Poppy Red offers up a somewhat sophisticated evening thanks to its swanky, darkened interior — it’s just a shame that some of its clientele is a bit ‘meh’.
During the day, it’s great for a spot of food with an extensive menu including a mouth-​moistening goats cheese and pepper starter sharer. There are also drinks deals to be enjoyed during earlier hours, which make up somewhat for evening drink prices that range from reasonable to slightly greedy. The cocktails are good but nothing mind-​blowing.
Past nine or ten, then the bar can take on a ‘club’ vibe at weekends with a small dancefloor off to the side. Although Sobar seems to attract most of the lairy ‘Only Way is Essex’ wannabes, the rejects seem to find their way over to Poppy Red and I’ve encountered a few unpleasant characters in there.
Ultimately though, the bar itself is one to indulge in now and then — just maybe exit before the dancefloor gets busy.