Aikman's Bar & Bistro
Aikman's is a long-running bar and bistro at 32 Bell Street, St Andrews, with the Cellar Bar below. It is the town's pub for real ale and European beer, and the cellar hosts live jazz, blues and folk several nights a week.
Photos
Alan Robertson
The beer
Aikman's has a long record of listings in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide and rotates its cask ales so that regulars see several different ones each week. It also has a strong European side, with draught German and Belgian beers and dozens of bottled beers from Belgium, Germany and the Czech Republic. There are at least thirty malt whiskies behind the bar.
Live music in the cellar
The Cellar Bar has billed itself as the home of live music in St Andrews for many years, with sets at least three nights a week from new and established jazz, blues and folk acts. It is the place to head after dinner if you want something more than background music. Check the listings before you go.
Food and the building
The bar occupies the old warehouse of Aikman & Terras, a grocer and wine merchant that traded in the town for well over a century. The daytime menu leans on homemade soups, with fish, meat and vegetarian dishes; evenings bring dishes from further afield. Blackfriars Chapel is at the end of the street, and South Street's cafés are a minute away. Good for a long, unhurried lunch.
Highlights
- Long-standing CAMRA Good Beer Guide entry
- Rotating cask ales
- German, Belgian and Czech beers
- Live jazz, blues and folk in the Cellar Bar
- Former Aikman & Terras warehouse
Good to know
- Address: 32 Bell Street, KY16 9UX.
- Live music runs in the Cellar Bar at least three nights a week.
- Phone: 01334 477425.
Frequently asked questions
Nearby
Sources: cellarbar.co.uk