Surely the best hidden gem Bristol has to offer…read more Its not often Sam N and I find ourselves in the very centre of Bristol. Historically the haven of neon bars, scantly dressed girls and hot headed lager louts. However, to be fair, the centre has changed somewhat in recent years, and while those places still exist, there are a lot more reasons to visit the centre than to avoid it these days. Smoke and Mirrors lies on Denmark street, a seemingly uninteresting road just beside the hippodrome and the main cluster bars, chicken shops and kebab houses. Its, almost clandestine, location suits it perfectly and it just wouldn't have quite the same amount of charm if it was anywhere else. It labels itself as a theatre pub and I guess thats as a fair description as any. I fell in love with it as soon as I entered. It just feels like a hidden gem immediately, even before you are struck by all the quirkiness that lies within. Quirkiness aside, the place itself is a rather old fashion, small, but quint pub. The whole place is an oxymoron in as much as the very fact that it doesn't try to be 'cool' makes it one of the coolest places I know. Despite its small size there has been live music several times we've been there. Its a very non offensive variety of live music, the kind you can get involved with, enjoy as a backdrop or ignore completely. I feel like there are few places left like this, where you can drink to the backdrop of live music rather than it being so in your face. Last time we were there we had an absolute blast shouting endless requests at the guitarist, who indulged every one of them. He was so good we grabbed a card off him. The bar itself serves all manner of fairly mainstream drinks, it would perhaps be more fitting for it to serve one or two local drinks from the many of the firmly established local breweries bristol has to offer. There is a happy hour on cocktails, my recollection of such times is understandably hazy. They also have a rather tasty array of bar snacks. The scotch eggs and sausage rolls are really rather lovely and basically mean that you never have to leave :) Not surprisingly its a Saturday evening is when its at its peak, and can get rather busy, however it does so without ever feeling too busy, perhaps this is down to the magicians that roam through the crowd blowing everyones minds with various card tricks. Its great fun and never feels over the top. It just adds to the mood, and one of the many compounding factors that make it such a special place in my eyes. There is a small room the back which they use for intimate shows, the dates of which they mix up a bit. It appears that generally Monday it is an open mic comedy night where as Fri and Sat usually hold performances from the house magicians. However they are frequented by special guests so I guess its worth keeping an eye on the events calender. All in all, smoke and mirrors is a great place to go and by far my favorite place in central Bristol.

The first few times I went to this place I really enjoyed it. More recently I've regarded it as a…read morebit formulaic and regular. If you have not been before you should have a good time - but consider the wedgewood rooms' comedy night too. In common with other Jongleurs after the comedy has finished the tables are cleared inpreparation for a disco. This is popular as there is usually a queue of people coming in after the comedy has finished - so for value - you get 2 for 1. Usually there are 3 acts and a compere with the best act last on the bill. That said many times I've felt that an earlier act was much funnier. You have a good chance of seeing a comedian who will go on to bigger and better things. There seems to be a group of comedians constantly on a circuit of all the UK Jongleurs clubs so if you go fairly regularly you have a good chance of seeing the exact same act. The sound at this venue is not great so if you can try and get a table at the front - not right at the front though unless you have some very witty retorts. There's also a number of seats which have a restricted view so again arrive early. There's also standing only tockets at the back. Order your drinks for the interval if you like - I usually get one just before the act and jump up quickly at the interval. Oh - and do try and avoid going to the loo mid act.

The first time I heard about bar risa I started to get pretty enthusiastic, the sound of a hot…read morebubbling Jacuzzi sounded pretty damn good, until I actually went there and saw the whole picture. 18 year old girls stripped off running round like idiots while fat old men sat around watching closely, too closely. After this uh, disturbing? Display I went to check out Jongleurs Comedy Club which is right upstairs, unfortunately you needed to have booked tickets but it looked a hell of a lot better than what was going on downstairs.

This place is a disgrace to the concept of "responsible gambling."…read moreI told Grosvenor staff that my limit was £2,000 per month. They entered it as £2,000 per day -- and silently watched me lose several tens of thousands of pounds over just a few days. No proof of income requested. No affordability checks. No self-exclusion or even basic time-outs. Just silence, while I kept gambling beyond any reasonable threshold. The money I lost led me into serious debt -- I'm now behind on credit cards, utility bills, and other essential living expenses. Their response? A half-hearted excuse and a joke of a settlement that barely acknowledged the damage. This company doesn't care about protecting players -- they only care about protecting their profits. They ignored clear red flags and allowed me to spiral financially and emotionally without any meaningful support or intervention. Avoid Grosvenor at all costs. Especially if you're vulnerable -- they won't stop you, they'll just let you destroy yourself.

From the owner: Grosvenor G Casino Reading is the perfect 24-hour leisure destination with a fantastic restaurant,…read moreamazing bar, live Show Bar, and Games Lounge. Our Show Bar showcases the latest entertainment, and you can get 'up close and personal' with headline acts, including the UK's top performers and entertainers. We have numerous Roulette and Blackjack tables plus a dedicated Card room which hosts a leg of the GUKPT, the UK's best poker tour. Experience our state-of-the-art interactive screens, retro games and private gold room. Find us off the A33 on Rose Kiln Lane. We're your choice for live sporting action. Come down and enjoy SKY SPORTS and BT SPORT, day or night. We are also streaming e-sports like League of Legends

This is Cardiff's best comedy venue with some of the best acts…read more My only bit of advice though is to go when there is somebody you want to see appearing and book in advance. The best way to do this is to sign up for email alerts on their website. I've been twice, once to see Ross Noble which was brilliant and a normal night which I wasn't that impressed with in fact I found the price they were charging for the food and drink a better joke than some of the comedians tried.

Oh I do like a laugh. And where better to go for such shenanigans than to a comedy club. I believe…read moreLee Evan's owns it, but don't quote me on that. The Glee club has been fantastic everytime I've visited. Grade A comedians that cruelly try and split your yours sides do so as you enjoy a lovely dinner (paid separately) and spit your drink out everywhere. There was a host that tried on a punters coat while he was in the toilet, all fine and dandy you would've thought. However the guy who's coat it was went absolutely batty about it and left there and then...Some people clearly don't have a sense of humour, the irony. It is expensive in here though, not alot different if you visited a theatre to be honest. Looking near the £4 a pint mark. Last but now least, after you've wet your self laughing you can attempt to dry yourself off with a boogie as the place turns into a disco for a couple of hours. However, it's generally empty.

I thoroughly enjoyed the club, once inside. However, before we got there, my boyfriend and I bought…read morean online ticket. When we got to the venue, we asked a bearded bouncer which line to queue in if we already had tickets (as there were two lines on either side of the door). To my surprise, the bouncer replied "just get in the line" in an agitated voice. Instead of asking him again, I walked over to the other bouncer at the door and asked him the same question. The second bouncer replied "both lines are the same, it doesn't matter if you have a ticket, don't worry", this was much more helpful and he said it in a much calmer and kinder tone. When the first bouncer heard that we had asked the second bouncer the same question, I couldn't believe my ears when he shouted over to us "I just effing* told you!". When we were inside of the club I thought my troubles with the bouncer were over. However, whilst i was dancing I couldn't help but notice the same bearded bouncer staring at my boyfriend and I (almost giving us a dirty look). When this happened I was honestly scared he was going to kick us out for no apparent reason. Personally, as someone who works in retail, I know that when working with the general public, you must always be kind and understanding when they ask questions (even if they seem "dumb") . This bouncer was neither kind, understanding, or respectful of me and my boyfriend. I know you might think that maybe we were just being stupid drunk idiots, but we were actually completely sober when entering, and spoke to the bouncer in a kind and calm manor. This just goes to show how rude and not empathetic the bouncer was. I also understand that stress can make people overreact, however i do not think it's fair to be rude to customers who just want a simple question answered. If i knew the name of this bouncer I would complain about him to komedia. All i can do is describe him as a white male with dark hair and a dark beard. He was average height and seemed quite muscular. Overall, Komdedia is a lovely place to go as long as you don't run into this bouncer !!!

The newest venue in Bath for comedy, gigs and club nights is sat in the centre of the city on…read moreWestgate Street. This has been a hit with students from the University, desperately looking for a decent club in Bath. The venue itself is on the site of an old cinema, and the architects who have re-opened it have paid careful attention to keeping the original style. Komedia is not quite as retro or attractive as its original designs, but it is fast coming one of the best venues in Bath. The bar is nothing to write home about, but if you get the opportunity to eat here you're in for a treat as it comes straight from Hugh Fernley Whittingstall's River Side Cottage. The type of crowd changed depending on what event is going on, but is mostly made up of young trendy student types. They do get some big names like local man Russell Howard and Reginald D Hunter, so keep an eye on the website for up to date listings.