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| - Oh the trials and tribulations of Barchef. I want to love this place. The first time I came here was on a Wednesday night, so there wasn't a huge crowd.
The drink menu is extensive, and that night we all decided to try a cocktail from their list, and then split a bowl of punch. The cocktails were fantastic (I think I had one called Picasso's dream), and the punch was from outer space. From that moment, I was in love.
Came back on Friday, and it was louder, but not terrible. Still a bit difficult to chat, but we got another punch, the brandied Apple, and again it was delicious. Their use of spices like cardamom, star of anise, and cinnamon, in a cocktail, is exceptional. I thought to myself, "I must bring my girlfriend here, I must bring my family here". But then my mood would change when I came back on Saturday night.
I return with my parents, who are in town for a Saturday, and some friends. When we enter it's a half hour wait, which is totally fine. But what's not fine is the unbelievable decibel level that the music is at. I cannot say a single thing to anyone around me. And at that moment we all decided to leave. The drinks are good, but we enjoyed the drinks paired with a laid back atmosphere. And at 12:45am at night on a Saturday, we were really hoping to get that atmosphere and drinks again, but instead ended up at a typical bar where you can't talk to anyone and just look at your phones or stare at each other because nothing you say can be heard by anyone.
So this place would have nailed 5 stars. But it fizzled because I can't be in a place with music so loud it hurts my ears, where i cannot say anything to anyone. If you just want a good drink, go here. If you want a good atmosphere, go here on a weekday. But if you want both, don't come here on the weekends.
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