Nightlife in Shrewsbury

Pubs don’t get much better than The Armoury. It sits on Victoria Avenue overlooking the River Severn, with weeping willows lining the water’s edge and the Theatre Severn in the background. In terms of drink selection, you’ll find excellent real ales on tap, a commendable choice of wines, and if you have a proclivity for something a wee bit stronger, The Armoury’s whiskey lineup is surprisingly extensive. If you’re killing time, a huge bookshelf lines the walls, which you’re welcome to borrow from. And when your stomach starts rumbling, the food is some of the best pub grub in Shrewsbury, particularly the Sunday roast.

If you’re looking for a picturesque pint, nowhere really compares to The Boathouse. The beautiful mock-Tudor pub sits on the other side of the river with a huge beer garden, where you can watch the boats go by and soak up the views across The Quarry. Inside, you’ll find oak beamed interiors, and in the winter, there’s a roaring log fire to fight against the frost.

Slap bang in the middle of Shrewsbury Train Station and our Shrewsbury Town Centre hotel, you’ll find The ALB, one of our favourite bars in the land. Why? It just ticks all the right boxes; lively atmosphere, friendly staff, good drinks, better cocktails, a top location, a sun trap of a beer garden, and the food’s worth a nibble, too.

Sitting shoulder to shoulder with the House of the Rising Sun and Philpotts – two restaurants in our pick of places to eat in Shrewsbury – The Libertine is a popular cocktail bar and tearoom in the medieval heart of town. Visit during the daytime and you can grab a great cup of coffee with a bite to eat – your options don’t stray far from snack food, but it’s tasty and served quickly. Then, when you fancy taking things up a gear, you can take your pick from one of the most extensive cocktail menus in town.

If you’re looking for somewhere to wet your whistle after a visit to the Theatre Severn, make your way over the Welsh Bridge to Blind Tiger. It’s taken inspiration from the prohibition bars of the 1920s; the name even alludes to the way underground drinking dens would evade the law by serving booze while pretending to put on a tiger show. As well as the stylish decor, Blind Tiger sets itself apart from other bars in Shrewsbury as, during the day, each table has a board game. So, you can while away the hours playing scrabble, chess, Jenga, and best of all, the cocktail-creating wizards behind the bar offer table service, so you need never leave your scarily-intense game of snakes and ladders.

We couldn’t have a local guide to Shrewsbury nightlife without a mention for The Buttermarket. The huge neoclassical listed building is the largest nightclub in Shropshire. It’s spread across three floors (The Cellars, the Main Arena, and the VIP Mezzanine) with four rooms, nine bars and an absurdly late license past 6am. Visit, revel in the cheap drinks, experience the lasers, confetti and CO2 cannons, and dance until you can’t feel your legs. Calvin Harris has played there, so too Chase & Status, so take a look to see if any famous names are taking to the decks during your stay at one of our Shrewsbury hotels. If not, the regular club nights still aren’t to be missed.

A word to the wise, the queue can get a bit daunting, but once you’re inside, you’ll see why; The Buttermarket is the kind of nightclub cities dream of, and yet it’s here in quaint Shrewsbury.