The 10 best bars in Guernsey
Channel Islanders love to go out for a drink and Alderney, one of the islands administered by Guernsey, is often derogatorily described as “2,000 drunkards clinging to a rock”. To be fair there’s little else to do in the evening other than head to the pub to enjoy a drink while the sun sets, and perhaps stay for some live music. St Peter Port has a more cosmopolitan vibe with a post-work crowd on a Thursday and Friday night, while elsewhere it’s more about a granite fireplace and a comfy armchair with perhaps a Scrabble board for entertainment.
For more Guernsey inspiration, see our guides to the islands best things to do and restaurants.
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St Peter Port
Red Cocktail Bar
Perched above St Peter Port’s harbour, this cocktail bar is a stylish hangout with green leather banquettes, blue feature wallpaper and statement lampshades. A young fashionable crowd comes for post-work Mariposa Fizzes (butterflower gin, prosecco reduction, pink peppercorn, lemon and soda) on the balcony or flock up the staircase from the restaurant below for an after-dinner Leather Be (cognac, coffee campari, sweet vermouth, coffee liqueur and raspberry jam). On Friday and Saturday nights a DJ sets the mood with chilled beats, while the mixologists put on a show as they craft their inventive cocktails.
Contact: red.gg
Prices: ££
Getting in: Walk-ins only. Arrive early on weekends if you want a table.
Little Big Brew Co. Tap Room
You can’t visit Guernsey without trying a pint of the local brew, and the best place to do this is at the tap room of the craft brewery Little Big Brew. Enjoy free pizza Fridays while sampling a selection of their eight beers, including three real ale pumps. You will also find other local tipples, such as Wheadon’s gin and Rocquette’s cider if you don’t want to stick to the beer. This is also a place where you can play table football and pub games to help you make a night of it – you can even graffiti the walls with chalk.
Contact: littlebigbrewco.com
Prices: £
Getting in: Reservations recommended, particularly on Fridays.
The Boathouse
With a waterside terrace overlooking the inner marina, The Boathouse on Crown Pier appears to emerge from the water, Venetian style. Watch the island ferries departing to Herm and Sark while sipping a local gin and tonic or a cold pint of Liberation ale. As well as drinks, you can grab a light bite, salad or seafood special. If you want to get a prime table outside on the terrace or a window table inside, then it’s best to make a reservation. There is a joyful nautical feel inside, with blue director-style chairs and shipping memorabilia decorating the granite walls.
Contact: thechristiesgroup.gg/the-boathouse
Prices: £
Getting in: Reservations recommended.
The Dog House
This is the place to go to hear live music in St Peter Port, with a band playing every Friday and Saturday night. Sometimes you’ll stumble upon an up-and-coming local group, at other times you might catch a tribute band doing the UK tour circuit. You’ll find a reasonable choice of wine by the glass, including an Argentinian malbec and an Italian pinot grigio, and food is served until 9.30pm. Decor is smart, if a little nondescript, with wooden floors, grey painted wall panelling and brown faux-leather chairs at wooden tables.
Contact: doghouse.gg
Prices: £
Getting in: Walk-ins only. Arrive early on weekends if you want a table.
Christies
This has long been an island favourite and is something of an institution in St Peter Port. By day it’s a café and brasserie and by night it becomes a sophisticated place for a glass of wine or a cocktail. Take a table by the window to watch the passers by or head to the courtyard terrace. The decor has an Art Deco feel to it with mirrored walls, baby blue velvet chairs and a buttoned green leather banquette. If you’re feeling flush you can explore their French wine collection, perhaps a £90 bottle of 2012 Pastourelle de Clerc Milon.
Contact: thechristiesgroup.gg/christies
Prices: £
Getting in: Walk-ins only.
West Coast
Vistas Beach Café
If you want to watch Guernsey’s west-coast sunset with the soundtrack of Balearic beats and a beach club vibe, then make your way to Vistas Beach Café, right on Vazon beach. Take a seat on the rooftop terrace and you’ll feel like you’re in Ibiza on a sunny summer evening. Decor inside is contemporary, with raffia lamp shades, slatted wood panelling, navy velvet seating and a variety of houseplants. The cocktail menu includes Aperol spritz, raspberry cosmo, mojitos, Pimm’s, strawberry daiquiris and frozen piña coladas, just in case you need any help getting in the holiday mood.
Contact: facebook.com/p/Vistas-Beach-Cafe
Prices: £
Getting in: Walk-ins only. Arrive early on weekends if you want a spot on the roof terrace.
The Beach Terrace, Cobo Bay Hotel
Another beachside sunset spot, the Beach Terrace at Cobo Bay Hotel is the place to experience that sand-between-your-toes vibe. Drinkers often spill out from the glass-panelled terrace and cross the road to drink on the sea wall as the sun goes down. In high season, the hotel hosts live bands on a raised balcony overlooking the beach (perhaps a Beatles or Queen tribute band). Overhead heaters keep you on the terrace even on chilly evenings. The bar has a wide selection of wines, ciders and locally-made ales, as well as a food menu, should you feel hungry.
Contact: cobobayhotel.com/Beach_Terrace
Prices: £
Getting in: Walk-ins only. Arrive early on weekends if you want a table.
Other islands
Georgian House, Alderney
This family run pub along cobbled Victoria Street in the centre of St Anne is a place where locals come to sit at the bar and natter with a pint of local ale, or relax in the meandering garden with a glass of chilled wine. In winter, people huddle on the sofas around the wood-burning stove and perhaps pull out the backgammon board. The decor is rustic, with wooden tables and floors and shuttered windows. Signature cocktails include the Gin Garden (gin, St Germain and Alderney apple juice) and Cafe L‘Orange (Kraken coffee rum, Cointreau, espresso coffee).
Contact: georgianalderney.com
Prices: £
Getting in: Reservations recommended
Mermaid Tavern, Sark
If you want to find out the Sark gossip, then head to the Mermaid Tavern and listen in on the locals. There’s nothing fancy about this pub and the decor is in a time-warp (parquet floors, wood-beamed ceiling and floral curtains), but this is Sark and a visit is more about feeling what it’s like to live on an island of just 500 people. You’ll get a cold pint of beer or cider to drink in the sunshine or inside over a game of pool. If you’re lucky you might see some live local music.
Contact: facebook.com/themermaidtavernsark
Prices: £
Getting in: Walk-ins only
Mermaid Tavern, Herm
It’s no coincidence that Herm has a pub with the same name as one in Sark as both pubs used to be frequented by sailors who used to work on The Mermaid ship that brought supplies to the islands. This is a characterful tavern with a large courtyard beer garden that gets packed on a sunny day. You can order a bottle of Herm Gold pale ale or a pint of Guernsey Rocquette’s cider among the usual offerings. This is the social hub of the island, if you haven’t stopped for a drink here, you haven’t really experienced Herm.
Contact: herm.com/where-to-eat/mermaid-tavern
Prices: £
Getting in: Walk-ins only
How we choose
Every bar, venue or experience in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, who has visited to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets and styles, from casual pubs to exquisite cocktail bars – to best suit every type of traveller – and consider the service, drinks, atmosphere and price in our recommendations. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest openings and provide up to date recommendations.
