The atmosphere was absolutely awful, glum faces, fractious conversations and appalling behaviour, and all this at three in the afternoon – the Bas Bar reminded me of midnight in a Birmingham balti house years ago.
Two regulars supping Stella, sat in the seats they’ve occupied for decades, were bemoaning the day their favourite pub, the Cecil Arms, became this new venue in Strood – but they still keep coming back.
There were eight TV screens above the bar, with seven of them displaying an insignificant and entirely pointless sporting event – the most interesting screen was blank and presumably broken.
No-one, including our hosts, cared one jot what was showing and when the remote was handed to the regular at the bar, even he couldn’t muster enough interest to select anything other than Aussie Rules.
Apart from the two regulars and me, there was a table of six diners who were belching so loudly I began to wonder if they were trying to drown out the music.
The leading burper was on the draught Rekorderlig and rather rudely ordering a special vindaloo as a takeout.
There was no ale on offer, so I’d chosen a Madri – my glass read: ‘The soul of Madrid’ which apparently evokes the spirit and culture of Spain’s capital despite being made in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire.
It had a reasonable amount of fizz and the barman had just enough English for me to get him to understand what I wanted.
No-one had the slightest clue about the sport of Aussie Rules but you’d have to describe this as a sports bar, mixed in equal measure with an Indian restaurant.
There is a big projector to the left-hand side of the bar and also a pool table with a far-too-large picture of Cristiano Ronaldo on the wall behind, though at least he was producing the only smile in the place!
There was no sign of a dartboard, any fruit machines or a jukebox, although the soundtrack, played fairly loudly on the speakers, included Backbone by Devender Ahlawat, Roti by Kulbir Jhinjer and Talashi by Mankirt Aulakh.
Once the rowdy table had cleared out, the clear-up operation around it could begin and the barman, the couple at the bar and even the chef visibly relaxed a little.
I joked with the regulars about the spilled food and debris, and they told me this was nothing. They’d been occasions when hoards of revellers had descended, and the clear-up was carried out with a shovel!
But, as they pointed out, it brings in the money, so how can the management complain?
Now it was quieter, and although I wasn’t eating, I decided to switch to an Indian restaurant staple, a pint of Cobra and to spend some time getting my head around the Bas Bar.
The furniture is all in good condition and the place, once the diners had departed, was cleaned and looked very tidy.
There is a huge dining area and, apart from the massive ‘Man v Bas Bar’ artwork plastered across the walls, it is fairly tastefully decorated.
The kitchen looked extremely well organised and very well maintained, the toilets may be a little on the tatty side, but they were certainly clean and fresh.
There’s also a large seating area at the front of the pub with a decent number of benches covered by a roof to protect against the elements.
What is obvious to me is that there’s no denying the Bas Bar knows its customers and is proud to supply them with what they want.
I understand why the couple sat at the bar still keenly feel the loss of their beloved Cecil Arms, which closed up more than a decade ago, but it was never going to survive in its original form and has sadly gone the way of so many backstreet pubs.
What has replaced may not attract the most upmarket clientele at times but it appears to have hit on a winning commercial strategy.
What is perhaps more puzzling is why these two regulars have continued to come here rather than find a more ‘traditional’ new boozer to frequent?
Puzzling that is until I question them about the diners who’ve just left and they tell me that’s nothing: “You should see the oiks who frequent some of the other pubs around here” – now, I was beginning to see the light at the Bas Bar, despite the neat and tidy slatted blinds positioned across every window.
BAS BAR, 14 CLIFFE ROAD, ROCHESTER ME2 3DS
Décor: Neat and tidy with smart, well-maintained furniture. It doesn’t feel pub-like at all but care and attention has been lavished on this cross-breed Indian restaurant and faux sports bar. ****
Drink: To judge by my usual rules would be unfair, there was never going to be ale here. It has all the staples you would expect, including the curry lovers’ Cobra, and one of us at least appreciated the Rekorderlig on tap. ***
Price: A pint of the spirit of Madrid was £6 and that Indian curry house favourite, Cobra, was exactly the same price. I don’t know for sure, but it may be that all pints cost the same six quid. ***
Food: I wish I’d been hungrier and could have sampled the food as it smelt and looked, very good but sadly I couldn’t and therefore can’t mark it.
Staff: Again, it’s not fair to apply my usual criteria here, there was no welcome, no smiles and a considerable language barrier but given what the barman faced, he stayed calm and performed admirably. ***
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