My five favourite bars | Chris Moyles

Saturday 05 August 2000 19:00 EDT
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Chris Moyles is a Radio 1 DJ, on air Monday to Friday, 4-6pm. He is currently taking his show on the road, visiting Scarborough, Blackpool, Hunstanton, Weymouth, Paignton and Newquay.

Chris Moyles is a Radio 1 DJ, on air Monday to Friday, 4-6pm. He is currently taking his show on the road, visiting Scarborough, Blackpool, Hunstanton, Weymouth, Paignton and Newquay.

1 Horse & Groom 128 Great Portland Street, London W1 (tel: 020 7580 4726)

This pub is a part of my early days at Radio 1, when I did a show that finished at 11 o'clock in the morning. I'd pop across the road and spend all day drinking there until it closed at 11 that night. The pub basically became our front room. We'd spend the day talking and telling stories and all our mates would drop in to see us. I don't go there as much now; it's changed hands a couple of times and it's not the same. Don't ask me what the food was like - with the amount of beer we were knocking back, I really can't remember.

2 The George 55 Great Portland Street, London W1 (tel: 020 7636 0863) This is a bit posher than the Horse & Groom. And it's one place where you never get any trouble - it's run by Craig, an ex-rugby player who's absolutely huge. My brother goes there a lot and Dave (my sidekick on the show) recently went there to watch the football. I'm not one for pretentious bars that'll only serve you if they like the look of your face or if you happen to be famous. If you're running a bar you should serve everybody. I can't stand private members bars.

3 The Wardrobe 6 St Peters Building, St Peters Sq, Leeds (tel: 0113 242 3104)

Wardrobe opened quite recently. It's got a big bar upstairs and a club downstairs and on Thursdays it's salsa night so it gets very busy. I've had some thoroughly enjoyable nights there - watching the punters dance can be very funny. I'm not a salsa man myself, unless it's of the dipping variety. I'm a bit of an expert with the tortilla chips, like the woman in the advert who chucks her chip into the drier, does a couple of somersaults and catches it in her mouth. When I tried the same stunt in my local launderette, I ended up with a £200 repair bill.

4 The Match Bar 45-47 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1 (tel: 020 7250 4002)

I got to know this place through a friend of a friend, as you do. If you go there make sure you have a Mitch martini - it's named after another friend of mine who came up with the recipe, which I think is pretty cool. After all, how many people do you know who have drinks named after them? Unfortunately, I can't tell you what's in it as I don't drink martinis. It's common lager for me, but I don't knock more discerning drinkers. What I can't stand is people who drink something just because they think it's cool.

5 Mojo 18 Lower Merrion Street, Leeds (tel: 0113 244 6387)

Mojo is the coolest bar in the whole world. I've been going there for a few years. It's tiny and just the friendliest place I've ever been in, everyone who goes there always returns. The bar staff are superb and can do all the bottle twirling tricks without looking like poncey show-offs. There is a massive picture of The Beatles dressed in their Sgt Pepper outfits on the wall. All the regulars have a seat with their names on it and if you look closely you'll find one with Chris on it - but hands off because it's mine.

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