This pub, boasting "fine inn keeping at its best", is the place in which to meet some lively local characters. It's also the place for Sky sports on a wide-screen TV, a quiz on Tuesday nights, music on Thursdays (listen out for local bands, duos and solo performers) and darts every night. Definitely more of a place to drink rather than eat, the choice of ales includes Banks and Pedigree, although there is some bar food like sandwiches and jacket potatoes, as well as tea and coffee. Note that there is a patio at the rear of the pub that is ideal for warmer days.
A flashy, stylish bar and restaurant for the new millennium, Sobar brings utilitarian chic to the Arcadian Centre. It calls itself a Noodle Bar, a phenomenon springing up more widely these days, and serves deliciously spicy, genuinely fast food to business people and the fashionably lazy alike. It has a bright, clean and nice interior and you can choose to eat at tables or at the well-stocked bar. Either way, you can see your meal being cooked and it arrives with frightening haste.
Café Rouge offers visitors a taste of what is authentically French - the chefs and even the waiters tend to be French. Both pre- and post-theater meals can be ordered at Café Rouge, as well as snacks, drinks and full à la carte meals throughout the day. Vegetarian options are also included on the menu. Ask about booking the cafe for private functions, as well.
As the name suggests, this is an Australasian theme bar, with accompanying nightclub downstairs. Plenty of Aussie lagers are available, as well as some European imports for the less adventurous. It's usually frequented by twenty somethings, attracted by the cheerful ambience, cheap food and live sports shown on a big screen. It can get very busy and very loud at weekends, especially if there is a band playing, so it is best to get in early.