The Borough used to be a favourite hangout for punk-rockers back in times of yore. Obviously punk died in 1978 and these days, apart from the presence of a few, shall we say, for want of a better word, 'characters.' It mainly only refuses to conform in the sense it hasn't became a 'fun pub' like the atypical Sunderland bar. For all it was revamped a little several years ago, where it got one of the worst paint jobs I've ever seen, which almost ruined its interior glory, and subsequently took away some of its traditionalness(?). These days: it is dirty, on certain nights you wait ages to get served and when you do - it's expensive. Nonetheless, The Borough is still about the closest you're going to get to a traditional pub in Sunderland city-centre, and for all of its flaws, it is one of the very few pubs in Sunderland these days, that possesses any sort of character or soul. Which is why it's comfortably in my top two favourite pubs It's kind of like seeing a girl who might be cool or weird - you just can't decide. You know you can go meet hotter girls who adhere to more 'conventional' standards, but you'll always come back for fucking seconds. Or maybes that's just me. Five stars. read more

The Borough is a quirky little pub in the centre of Sunderland and definitely worth a look in. You'll find a varied bunch of characters inside, from the village idiot to pensioners it seems to have it all. The jukebox is good and has a great selection of tunes, some of which you don't find in most places. Drink prices are pretty average, and they do something called a 'borough bomb' for around three fifty. Flaming absinthe and aftershock in red bull. If you order a few at once they'll do a fancy trick where they knock them all in. The bar went on fire when they did it for us. read more

The Borough is unique in Sunderland and a great place to go. With a fantastic juke box of all the old alternative stuff (they have Eloy on in there) and decent cocktails, the borough is a must on anight out for people who are slightly out of the mainstream. The pub has both upstairs and downstairs. Upstairs is generally live music/Dj'ing in the evenings and tend to attract punks and goths, usually regulars here. Dowstairs is maionly for drinking only and peole of all sorts come here. During the afternoon, you will often find the odd pensioner discussing the war with you and buying you cheap whisky (has happened to me a few times). A real local pub in the City Centre. Loses a star for the sticky floor. read more

Good drinks, in desperate need of a re-furb, really is grim! Probs last real boozer left in town centre

Cheap & Cheerful

The Borough is cool. I will give it that, but it really needs some investment in it to make it look better. It is really tatty now. I have been going for 10 years and it has never changed! That's not a good thing. There are a good range of drinks and the bar is good for people who like rock music. Expect wierdness at times though. Don't go in for a sophisticated drink. read more

I love the place, if you want sleek and chic this ain't your pub! Yeah, the seats have seen better days (so has most of the place tbh) but that's where some of its charm lies! And a great mixologist back in the place now with cheap and cheerful dirty-named cocktails (shame I don't embarrass that easy eh!). Hours can easily be lost to it! The only thing that could improve it would be a way to go for a tab without abandoning drinks/table, but such is life! read more

Friendly pub, friendly staff, extremely cheap prices and located in the heart of the city! What more could you want?

a great place , played here a few times now in different bands, although has got quieter through the years, i like coz its different, (like me ) and its a cool place for live music, actually got some half decent playing in there, not like the sheep of pubs around the north east a breathe of fresh air, i wouldnt want it to change.. read more

they have a lot of bands play here but it is quite small, drink prices are reasonable,

have you ever seen the bar at the beginning of star wars? You get the idea. The pub itself is dirty, the staff to be fair to them are friendly and do their best to keep everyone happy. Toilet smells badly and the pints are often rank. If you insist on drinking in one of Sunderland's most expensive pits stick to the bottles. it seems bizarre that the prices are so high as it is a struggle to see where the money is being spent. This pub usually appeals to a shrinking number of dedicated locals, washed up rockers and wannabe rocker/hipster students. Only decent thing is the staff and the double maxim, other than that i would suggest avoid- the place may be quaint but there is simply no excuse for how badly the pub is maintained/run, especially considering its former glory. read more