Nights out you don’t want to miss around Peterborough. Assignments can be tough and stress can pile on so it’s important to have some fun! Take your friends, take your family - just go blow off steam at some exciting places around Peterborough. Reporter, Annie Fowler finds out the newest and most popular places.
We’ve picked four of the most popular places in Peterborough for you to go have some fun and take a load off. Glowing mini golf, crazy escape rooms, a cafe by day and a bar by night, and the largest real ale emporium - something for everyone.
Bijou
If you’re looking for somewhere to unwind at the end of a week or after the assignments get handed in the Bijou could be the place for you. Situated in the city centre of Peterborough it is within walking distance of bus and train stations.
This small establishment is a new addition to the city adding a flavour of nightlife it definitely needed with its basement lounge, upstairs hideaway, and outside area. Bijou offers a great selection of drinks from cocktails to shots and mocktails to soft drinks.
We spoke to some of the first customers since Bijou opened. Emma Stone said“I liked that Bijou had a very cozy vibe to it, for example, it felt like a fun night out but it was also very chilled out too. Their service was really good as well and it didn’t take too long for drinks to come. However, as a student I thought a few of their drinks were quite expensive, it would have been much better if it was more affordable.”
Molly Woodthorpe said “The place itself was nice, I liked how outside there were heated seating areas, as it was lovely and quiet out there. The drinks were a bit overpriced in my opinion, however, the shots were reasonable and were actually quite nice as well. Overall I would definitely recommend it, but not as a regular place, simply because of the cost.”
If this atmosphere isn’t to your taste this little stylish bar turns into a coffee and lite bites cafe by day. So if the nightlife isn’t your thing you can still enjoy your breakfast and lunch at this new spot in town. Find out more at http://www.bijoupeterborough.co.uk/
Escape Room
If brain teasers and clues are your thing or you like thrill and adventure then Escape Peterborough is for you. Teams of 2-6 will need to be observant, problem solvers, and work together before the time runs out. If you have a bigger group there are challenges in the prestige vault which hosts up to 36 people so there’s no need to worry about splitting up groups.
Escape rooms cost £22 per person, which could be costly however this gives you an ‘escape’ from reality and offers 5 themes to choose from including: Taken, witchcraft and wizardry, and escape the seven seas.
Escape Peterborough is situated on Church walk, just off Broadway which is a 10-minute walk to the city center, so after you’re done escaping you can walk into town and grab a bite to eat.
We got in touch with some fans of Escape Peterborough and they told us why they loved it. Chris Steele said “it was well organised and the staff are friendly and welcoming. It was the right blend of hints to keep you progressing while retaining all the satisfying moments. The one big letdown was a piece of technology at the end had broken so it was impossible to complete the room.”
Laiton Warren said “despite the technical issues we experienced it was a fun afternoon/evening and very engaging. All my mates loved it and will definitely go back.
Studying demands critical thinking, especially for those lengthier assignments, enhance that skill and take on an escape room. It’s the perfect way to take your mind off studying and keep that brain ticking. Find out more at https://www.escape-peterborough.co.uk/
Glo Golf
Glo Golf mixes the fun of childhood mini golf, glow-in-the-dark and adult drinks for a fun night out. They’ve combined the perfect combo of a great course for all ages, a fully licensed bar, and hot food for everyone to enjoy!
This glowing place gives an overall sense of fun games, a crazy atmosphere, friendly staff, amazing food, and an all-around great night out for all ages, families, and groups.
If you’ve been putting it off, now is the time to check out Glo Golf. We found some glo golf fanatics to tell us everything.
Connor O’Leary described it as “a fun little course and like most mini golf it’s really competitive, the balls are brightly coloured so you won’t lose them and they have a wacky list of cocktails that are both concerning and curious.”
They have a range of courses and obstacles including a life-size spaceman, perfect for the selfie opportunity.
Glo golf serves a range of food from hot dogs to burgers and even offers ‘eat and play’ experiences from £11.
Leanne Stannard said she “had a stellar night tonight at Glo Golf Peterborough! the artwork is stunning and perfect for space fans like myself lots of fun! great challenging crazy golf course with friendly staff too.” Find out more at https://glogolf.co.uk/
Charters Bar
Charters is an unusual bar under Town Bridge in Peterborough, yes, under the bridge because Charters is a huge Barge! It has been banked and turned into the UK’s largest floating real-ale emporium, with an extended beer garden spreading over the river bank just outside which is the largest beer garden in Peterborough.
As well as feeling like a Pirates of the Caribbean movie, you can top your night off by taking your furry friends with you! Let’s see what some locals thought.
Emma Mercer said “the outdoor space they have developed is brilliant in the warmer weather and a great space for food festivals and so on. The variety of live acts is great and there’s always something on. Great to go and see someone you know, you like and also a brilliant way to find out about bands and new artists.” However, “ the toilet situation since the expansion outside needs a bit of a look, especially the ladies…4 cubicles in the height of summer with a packed out beer garden is not enough!”
Tracy Stratton said I really like the variety of different acts from DJs to live bands and the occasional more well-known artists. I think the variety has really improved over the last couple years, with acts like Don Letts, but also still the opportunity for local bands and DJs to play.
The food is also great with the addition of the pizza as well as the Thai menu. The toilet facilities! With the extended beer garden, and therefore additional people, four ladies’ toilets isn’t enough! I have had to leave before because they were too long.”
Nick Meadows said charters have “a great selection of cask/keg/craft beer, nice atmosphere, and friendly staff. Charters is highly respected locally for their quality choice of live bands and artists. There are a few fan-favourite bands who return regularly but also a wide variety of musical genres from acts big and small from all over the country.
Due to the dimensions of the boat, the toilets are very cramped and overcrowded at peak times, however, they are always kept clean so it’s not the biggest problem in the world.” Find out more at https://www.charters-bar.com/
Four great places to go and blow off steam and have a break from those assignments. Give them a try, have a fun night out!
This was written to be assessed as part of Annie's Journalism course. This was in Semester 1 of Level 5 and was for the Digital Magazine Production module.