A relaxed contemporary pub serving good food in the office district of town, 33 is a popular and serene central bar.

The Venue
Formerly Bar Essential, 33 looks like an extension of the accountants’, auditors’, insurance brokers’ and chartered surveyors’ offices which form this stretch of Windsor Place. It’s painted in exactly the same colours but, rest assured, it sells drink rather than insurance policies.

Indoors it’s an upmarket, serene, long and narrow bar. There are cream-coloured booths down the right-hand side and a raised seating area on the left with shelves adorned with books, flowers, plates, vases and a model ship. The decor is pale lime greens, greys and off-whites and the furnishings are fancy armchairs, big mirrors and posh brown leather banquettes. There’s a raised area at the back too, which is screened off by wooden rails. The sloping glass roof in the extended area lets in loads of light in the day and there’s a good-sized patio under a big umbrella, which is bordered by a dry-stone wall on the left.

The People
33 attracts a heavily professional white collar crowd in the week, made up of staff from the nearby offices. You could do worse than book a table if you’re planning to have lunch. In the evening it’s increasingly popular with a regular city crowd of drinkers, many of whom head off to local clubs at the witching hour.

The Food and Drink
Being a Brain’s pub, there’s plenty of ales, like Reverend James, SA, Smooth, 45 and Dark, alongside Carling, Peroni, San Miguel, Guinness and Strongbow. The term gastropub could be safely used in connection with 33: the food is pricier than most as a result, with starters such as Serrano ham and sundried tomatoes, at around £5-£8 and for a main course, you can get a rack of Welsh lamb with mushroom sauce for £13.95. Otherwise there are sandwiches, salads, pizzas and puds (a raspberry creme brulée is £3.95).

The Last Word
The sort of place you could bring your mum or your mates, 33 is a comfortable watering hole, but it does get very busy at lunchtimes.