Al’s Bar

When I walked into Al’s I felt like it should have peanut shells all over the floor. Don’t ask me why, it just had that kind of feel. The space is on the grotty side but it does have a nice vibe. It felt like a very laid back space and when I entered I didn’t feel rushed and I noticed neither did the staff. I ordered a round of drinks and it took longer than necessary for them to materialise, but when they did, they weren’t bad. I did notice that there was a downstairs area with a dance floor, I added it to my mental rolodex to check out later, but of course once the drinks starting flowing I forgot. My friends and I had a good time, nothing exceptional, it was not a bad space and on nights when I want to chill and not spend a ton on drinks I think I’ll go back to Al’s.

Al’s is the sort of place you end up when there is nowhere else to go. Nobody particularly like it, but since it has a late license and it is not horrendous, Al’s gets a lot of custom. The downstairs area is very rarely open, but there is a dance floor in case anyone gets tired of drinking. Upstairs is a fairly utilitarian seating area, which fulfills its design brief but little else. Good location, on the end of Exmouth Market, which has numerous bars and restaurants, open until late and pretty laid back, Al’s is strictly for those nights when you just don’t want to go home.