Just curious, if there’s other seats available then why?
Editing to include my real reason for asking which I’ve also commented below:
My boyfriend works in a pub and frequently comes home moaning that someone has sat at the bar and been rude to him. I’ve not worked in a pub for 9 years but I never experienced that, so I guess I wanted to know people’s reasons to reassure myself that it hadn’t mostly turned into bullies doing this and that hopefully the majority are doing it for connection etc.
18 comments
Why not? That’s where the beer is
Want to talk to the bar staff? It’s also a way of showing that someone’s open to conversation. Or maybe they don’t want to walk for refills.
Chat to landlord/lady and other regulars.
I quite like sitting at the bar. You normally get someone to talk pub gibberish with. Depends on the pub though. My local seems to be full of miserable buggers. There’s another i go in where I now know quite a lot of people purely from propping up the bar and wittering though. It’s a pleasant way to waste an afternoon.
If im not up for that I’ll pick a table where nobody is going to disturb you.
I mainly sit in a chair for work, and obviously I sit in a seat to drive, which I have to do quite often to reach work. So perching on a bar stool is not a bad thing for me.
When I worked in a pub the only people who did this were the regulars who came in on their own.
Sitting alone at a table in the corner is a very different experience.
Noooooooooorm!
Depends on the pub but if I’ve gone in for a pint on my own I’ll sit at the bar firstly as I’ve got more chance having some conversations with people and also no point taking up a whole table just for me.
Plus I find sitting alone at a table a bit bleak.
Sitting at the bar is basically the symbol for “I’m up for a chat”. If I’m on my own then I’ll usually sit at the bar.
I’d love to know what made you inspired to ask this
In my experience more often than not it’s just lonely old men looking for a connection
Minimise walking-seat-to-bar-to-seat time and maximise drinking time
When I’m travelling for work I would rather sit at the bar alone than at a table alone. Usually bar person will chat here and there and it feels more social.
I’m not sure my dad has ever sat at a table at his local. There’s always a group of them at the bar chatting. I think it’s how they have all made friends.
People who take up an entire table when drinking alone. Why?
Hadn’t realised until now that neither of my locals have bar stools. Now thinking about it, one has gone more ‘restauranty’ under new management who seat you to a table even if you’re not eating and the other only has a small bar area. So seating there would block access for other customers.
To answer your question I used to sit at the bar to chat to mate who worked there, made them slipping me free drinks less obvious too.
How does your partner handle the rudeness when it occurs? Does he call them out on it? Match their energy? Take it and complain when he gets home?
Maybe just needs to be a bit more assertive with these kind of people and give them it back. In that kind of environment I think you can get away with it, especially if they are just miserable old loners.
Sitting at a bar is one of my favourite places to be.
Pubs are social places maybe, pretty obvious.
Surely you just stay at home if you are worried about having to talk to people
I absolutely hate sitting down at a table in the pub, leaning against the bar is preferred and I’ll also take a nice high stool by the bar, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to a table.