If you’re looking for a taste of the Rugby nightlife then, of course, you can make your way to the local Wetherspoons, The Rupert Brooke – named after the famous WWI poet who hailed from Rugby – or take your pick from some of the many bars and pubs in town. You’ll find live music, a lot of rugby, micropubs, bottle shops, cocktails, and as much or little dancing as you like.
Nightlife in Rugby
Pubs
Rugby fans visiting Rugby looking for a Rugby pub where they can watch the rugby should make their way to The Seven Stars Rugby. The walls are lined with rugby memorabilia, you can watch every Premiership match there, and they offer a coach service to Leicester Tiger home games. The pub itself dates back to the 19th century. It’s also a CAMRA favourite, so you can rely on the ever-changing dozen ales being well looked after.
If you want some live music, London Calling on Castle Street is a popular option. During the daytime, it’s a café bar that does one of the best value big breakfasts in Rugby. When the sun goes down, it transforms into a lively den of live music, with gigs on the weekends and some of the best lineups in the area.
The Rugby Tap is a bottle shop and micropub on St. Matthews Street. You can take your pick from their selection of hundreds of bottles from around the world. There’s everything you could ever hope to drink, including dastardly Belgian tripels and creative concoctions from some of the best small breweries in the UK. Meanwhile, the micropub is well stocked with a dozen excellent options on gravity.
Another fantastic place to watch the rugby in Rugby is The Merchants Inn on Little Church Street. It’s a good old fashioned British pub with an excellent selection of ales from around the world. The food is honest and good value – pork pies, cheese ploughman’s, fish and chips, and the like. Be warned, it’s the kind of place you can call into for a quick pint and end up staying there until last orders.
Last of our pub recommendations is too far from town to walk to. However, The Old Lion is less than a 10-minute drive from either of our Rugby hotels, and well worth paying a visit – even if it’s just for a quick drink and something to eat. The Old Lion is in the pretty village of Harborough Magna and toys with the idea of what a ‘country pub’ should be. On the outside, it looks par for the course. Inside, it’s stylishly decorated and delivers a delicious menu of eating throughout the day.
Nightlife in Rugby
Rugby pubs
Bars
Begin your bar crawl in Bacco Lounge on Regent Street. It’s a former 19th-century department store which has been turned into a lounge-like café bar with bric-a-brac-feel furniture and a fantastic selection of drinks. There’s a fun courtyard to the rear and extra seating upstairs. The cocktails are fab, and you’ll have fun guzzling them in the bar’s relaxed atmosphere.
From refurbished department stores to an Art Deco 1920s cinema, The Bank – especially following its recent makeover – is also another popular place for an evening beverage or two.
Finally, Bar 29 on Sheep Street is as lively as anywhere on the weekends, so if you want late night disco dancing in a no-nonsense bar/pub, then be sure to check it out.