.svg)
Freshers week is a lot - new flat, new faces, a timetable you haven't looked at properly yet, and about fifteen society sign-up sheets you've somehow already agreed to. Somewhere in amongst all of that, you'll want a place to actually let your hair down with your new flatmates or course mates. That's where Sub13 comes in.
Right in the heart of the city centre, Sub13 has been the go-to for Bath students for a good reason: it's not just one bar, it's three floors of options depending on what kind of night you're after and it's built its offers specifically around student budgets, so you don't need to have worked out your loan instalments to enjoy yourself.
Three Floors, One Night
Start on the ground floor at the Gin Bar - think 2-for-1 gin cocktails all night and a proper pre-drinks atmosphere without needing to actually pre-drink at someone's flat first. It's relaxed enough to bring a big group and still hear each other talk.
Head up a level and you've got Bar Two, the main cocktail lounge where you can watch the mixologists work, and right next to it the Belvedere Lounge - a more VIP setup with leather booth seating, good for when your course society wants somewhere a bit more special for a social (worth booking ahead for this one).
When you're ready to actually dance, the Sub Club downstairs is where the night properly kicks off: leather booths, neon lights, a real dance floor, and resident DJs running through RnB, chart hits, and the kind of party classics that get an entire flat corridor on the floor at once. It stays open until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays, which is later than most places in Bath.
And if it's one of those rare warm evenings, the Terrace out the back is a proper outdoor garden space with heated seating and fairy lights and a good shout for a calmer catch-up before the night gets going.
The Offers That Actually Matter as a Student
Here's the bit that makes Sub13 worth putting on repeat: every student gets an extra 20% off, Tuesday to Friday, all night, just by showing valid student ID at the bar. That's stacked on top of the standing drinks deal with 2-for-1 cocktails every single night of the week, so it's less a one-hour happy hour and more an all-night one.
Once you're settled in, it's worth grabbing one of the free membership cards too. If your week tends to build toward the weekend, the Pink Card gets you free entry on Fridays and Saturdays, a bigger cocktail discount, and queue jump for you and a group of friends — handy when the queue's wrapping round the block on a Saturday. If you're more likely to be out midweek after a a post-lecture drink, a Wednesday society social then the Black Card is the better shout, with an even bigger cocktail discount running Monday to Friday, free Friday entry, and cheaper shisha sessions.
Both cards are free, both come with a complimentary cocktail on your birthday every year for life (yes, even in third year), and the team at the bar will happily point you toward whichever one actually fits your week.
Freshers Week Tips, From Us to You
Bring your student ID every time as you'll need it for the discount and, since Sub13 is an over-18 venue, as proof of age too. If your flat or society is planning a bigger night out, it's worth booking ahead, especially for Fridays or if you want space in the Belvedere Lounge, walk-ins are always welcome, but a booking means you're guaranteed somewhere to actually sit. And if you want to be first to know about giveaways or freebies, tag @SubStudents on social media Sub13 regularly picks winners for free drinks.
Freshers week goes fast, and so does the rest of first year if you let it. Whichever floor you end up on first, Sub13's built to be the place you come back to, whether that's a big Friday night with the whole flat or a quieter Tuesday catching up with the two people from your seminar you've actually become friends with.
