Vivid colours, bright lights and live music: Blithe Spirit is a magnet for its young crowd. The interesting food selection and a few exotic beers do the rest to draw customers in.

The Venue
Colourful and bright, Blithe Spirit sparkles with the same energy as the citrus shades covering the walls. Characterised by large pop paintings, this place has nothing in common with traditional pubs, delivering a refreshing feeling. With couches by the windows and tables scattered across the spilt levels there’s plenty of room to sit down and you can choose how much to mingle with the crowd. At the back, there's a large, split level beer garden, furnished with practical wooden pieces.

The Atmosphere
Informal and relaxed, Blithe Spirit is a pub made for a younger crowd - expect twentysomethings with youthful looks. The pub often hosts live music nights where the crowd, comfortably seated and sipping their beers, can listen to very decent solo acoustic acts. The public responds pretty well and there's a nice communal air about the bar.

The bar staff are as variable as the weather but, fingers crossed, you’ll be served quickly with a smile.

The Food
The food balances pub traditions with new favourites. The tapas selection at Blithe Spirit draws inspiration from world food with tomato and buffalo mozzarella salad and meatballs ailing from Italy, crispy oriental duck spring rolls and skewered king prawns coming from the Far East, and potato and onion tortillas flying the Spanish flag. For something more consistent, the mains (£7-£10) consist of traditional steak, burgers, and fish and chips but turn more exotic with the wild mushroom and asparagus risotto or Serrano ham and buffalo mozzarella salad.

At lunch, you can get a sandwich or wrap (£4.50-£6) with traditional fillings or less common things like aromatic crispy duck and hummus, or roasted vegetables. Deli boards and bar snack complete the whole.

The Drink
Fairly straightforward, you can choose between Marston Finest Creamy, Marston Pedigree, Cumberland Ale, Kronenberg Blanc on draught or the foreign bottles of Sol, Estrella, Braha, and Cusquena - the most talked about beer at the moment. Prices are fair for the area: draughts are priced at £3-£3.40 whilst bottles are slightly more expensive at £3.20-£3.50.

The Last Word
The only drawback of Blithe Spirit is the lack of appeal to an older crowd: if your group is mixed, those above thirtyfive may feel out of place. If you’re lucky enough to be young, you will probably love this place.

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