Status : Closed 1997
BlackStaff Square
Amelia Street, two decades and before, was probably the most infamous street in the city, frequented by ‘Ladies of the Night’! Not any more! Amelia Street has gone Up Market. It’s now brightly lit, with scarcely even a hint of a darkened doorway in sight. It also boasts fine restaurants, great bars like The Crown and the Britannia on one side, and on the other side The Beaten Docket. If you haven’t been to this little corner of the city, then you’re in for a revelation, because at the end of the street is the refreshing Blackstaff Square, complete with benches to rest those weary feet, a waterfall, and a lovely standing 4-faced clock: a very welcome facelift to what was once a sleazy side of the city.
The Drury Lane, standing beside the College of Business Studies, is a comparatively new licence, granted to the Hastings Group. It was formerly a clothing warehouse, and the facade hasn’t changed that much, with the exception of coloured semi-circular windows at ground level, matching up with the large semi-spherical dome over the entrance. The yellow name is in wrought iron above that again, and above that is a projected sign, and both are well illuminated at night.
The Drury is a theme bar, modelled on the famous Drury Lane Theatre in London. Immediately you enter, you are impressed by one of the great features of the bar, that is the 10 green pillars, which I was told are the original ones holding up the warehouse floors. They continue right up to the roof. Green is the dominant colour throughout: green pillars, green dividers and green bar front matching in well with the flowered, attractive and comfortable upholstery throughout. Here you can sit in The Gods, the Stalls, or the Circle, clearly marked in green illuminated boxes. Here you can relax and enjoy a drink while the mini-skirted usherettes flit delightfully from table to table. Around the walls is a colourful mosaic of faces, while behind is another colourful montage of colours. Against the side walls are theatrical posters of famous West End shows like ‘Me and My Girl’, ‘Stepping Out’, ‘Judy’, and ‘No Sex Please, We’re British’.
There is an attractive theatre-like feeling about this place. Maybe this is the answer for those who crave the romance of yesteryear without having to sacrifice 20th century comfort.