The atmosphere was absolutely awful, glum faces, fractious conversations and appalling behaviour, and all this at three in the afternoon – the Bas Bar reminded me of midnight in a Birmingham balti house years ago.
Two regulars supping Stella, sat in the seats they’ve occupied for decades, were bemoaning the day their favourite pub, the Cecil Arms, became this new venue in Strood – but they still keep coming back.
Another pesky road closure saw us turn onto Cliffe Road in Strood where I found the Bass Bar, although the branding had me thinking unlucky 13 at first.
There were eight TV screens above the bar, with seven of them displaying an insignificant and entirely pointless sporting event – the most interesting screen was blank and presumably broken.
No-one, including our hosts, cared one jot what was showing and when the remote was handed to the regular at the bar, even he couldn’t muster enough interest to select anything other than Aussie Rules.
Apart from the two regulars and me, there was a table of six diners who were belching so loudly I began to wonder if they were trying to drown out the music.
The traditional old pub doorway has a sign over the top making it very clear what to expect – Bar & Indian GrillThere’s a good sized outdoor seating area at the front of the bar, part covered in the shade, part open to the elements
The leading burper was on the draught Rekorderlig and rather rudely ordering a special vindaloo as a takeout.
There was no ale on offer, so I’d chosen a Madri – my glass read: ‘The soul of Madrid’ which apparently evokes the spirit and culture of Spain’s capital despite being made in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire.
It had a reasonable amount of fizz and the barman had just enough English for me to get him to understand what I wanted.
No-one had the slightest clue about the sport of Aussie Rules but you’d have to describe this as a sports bar, mixed in equal measure with an Indian restaurant.
There is a big projector to the left-hand side of the bar and also a pool table with a far-too-large picture of Cristiano Ronaldo on the wall behind, though at least he was producing the only smile in the place!
There were eight TV screens above the bar, seven were showing a game of Aussie Rules Football, one wasn’t workingTastefully lit with cooling blue light, there is a large seating area in the main restaurant on the right-hand side of the bar
There was no sign of a dartboard, any fruit machines or a jukebox, although the soundtrack, played fairly loudly on the speakers, included Backbone by Devender Ahlawat, Roti by Kulbir Jhinjer and Talashi by Mankirt Aulakh.
Once the rowdy table had cleared out, the clear-up operation around it could begin and the barman, the couple at the bar and even the chef visibly relaxed a little.
I joked with the regulars about the spilled food and debris, and they told me this was nothing. They’d been occasions when hoards of revellers had descended, and the clear-up was carried out with a shovel!
But, as they pointed out, it brings in the money, so how can the management complain?
Now it was quieter, and although I wasn’t eating, I decided to switch to an Indian restaurant staple, a pint of Cobra and to spend some time getting my head around the Bas Bar.
Our host stepped in quickly to clear up once the noisy diners departedNo-one showed the slightest interest in playing a frame during my visit but there is a pool table positioned under the projectorWhen in Rome! I wasn’t in to eat but I still felt it wouldn’t be right not to sample a pint of Cobra
The furniture is all in good condition and the place, once the diners had departed, was cleaned and looked very tidy.
There is a huge dining area and, apart from the massive ‘Man v Bas Bar’ artwork plastered across the walls, it is fairly tastefully decorated.
The kitchen looked extremely well organised and very well maintained, the toilets may be a little on the tatty side, but they were certainly clean and fresh.
There’s also a large seating area at the front of the pub with a decent number of benches covered by a roof to protect against the elements.
What is obvious to me is that there’s no denying the Bas Bar knows its customers and is proud to supply them with what they want.
I understand why the couple sat at the bar still keenly feel the loss of their beloved Cecil Arms, which closed up more than a decade ago, but it was never going to survive in its original form and has sadly gone the way of so many backstreet pubs.
The artwork in the bar to the left featured a number of world famous sports starsThe Bas Bar menu is extensive and judging by the reaction of the one table of diners in during my visit represents good value for money
What has replaced may not attract the most upmarket clientele at times but it appears to have hit on a winning commercial strategy.
What is perhaps more puzzling is why these two regulars have continued to come here rather than find a more ‘traditional’ new boozer to frequent?
Puzzling that is until I question them about the diners who’ve just left and they tell me that’s nothing: “You should see the oiks who frequent some of the other pubs around here” – now, I was beginning to see the light at the Bas Bar, despite the neat and tidy slatted blinds positioned across every window.
There is a fairly large outdoor seating area at the front of the pub and this section is covered to keep out the rainI’m not sure what the Man v Bas Bar challenge involves but you certainly won’t miss the signWhether you believe this lager captures the soul of Madrid or not it is certainly a refreshing pint
BAS BAR, 14 CLIFFE ROAD, ROCHESTER ME2 3DS
Décor: Neat and tidy with smart, well-maintained furniture. It doesn’t feel pub-like at all but care and attention has been lavished on this cross-breed Indian restaurant and faux sports bar. ****
Drink: To judge by my usual rules would be unfair, there was never going to be ale here. It has all the staples you would expect, including the curry lovers’ Cobra, and one of us at least appreciated the Rekorderlig on tap. ***
Price: A pint of the spirit of Madrid was £6 and that Indian curry house favourite, Cobra, was exactly the same price. I don’t know for sure, but it may be that all pints cost the same six quid. ***
Food: I wish I’d been hungrier and could have sampled the food as it smelt and looked, very good but sadly I couldn’t and therefore can’t mark it.
Staff: Again, it’s not fair to apply my usual criteria here, there was no welcome, no smiles and a considerable language barrier but given what the barman faced, he stayed calm and performed admirably. ***
The tables were all set ready for a rush of diners laterI didn’t need it but there looked to be a few select parking spaces at the front of this sports bar/Indian restaurantThe gents looked a little on the tatty side but they looked and smelt fresh enoughI’m not sure why it was felt necessary to have two, or even three, mats in each of the urinals.
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