Eight great Sunderland pubs for a festive pint at Christmas, as recommended by a veteran barman and pub quizmaster who worked in them all

With Christmas approaching, here are some recommendations for a festive night out, helping local businesses while you’re at it.

Published 7th Dec 2022, 09:48 BST

Updated 19th Dec 2023, 12:17 BST

Here they are, in no particular order. All but one are in the city centre. Other great bars are available.

To my (possible) credit, I've worked in them all

1. All worth a look

To my (possible) credit, I've worked in them all Photo: Sunderland Echo

The fabled bar fittings in the Dun Cow are as magnificent as ever. Hollywood star Howard Keel tried to buy them in the 1970s.
I worked there in my late teens and early 20s when the clientele was very different to now. A daunting and surreal experience for a young chap; but never dull. Daily features back then included a 270-minute happy “hour”, pensioners almost (but never quite) coming to blows during arguments over virtually nothing, stolen meat and an elderly lady who drank Guinness. The story went that she didn’t actually like Guinness, but had been mischievously misinformed - by the late Stuey McSween - that it could make your teeth grow back.
It remains a great pub today, but in an entirely different way.

2. The simply beautiful Dun Cow

The fabled bar fittings in the Dun Cow are as magnificent as ever. Hollywood star Howard Keel tried to buy them in the 1970s. I worked there in my late teens and early 20s when the clientele was very different to now. A daunting and surreal experience for a young chap; but never dull. Daily features back then included a 270-minute happy “hour”, pensioners almost (but never quite) coming to blows during arguments over virtually nothing, stolen meat and an elderly lady who drank Guinness. The story went that she didn’t actually like Guinness, but had been mischievously misinformed - by the late Stuey McSween - that it could make your teeth grow back. It remains a great pub today, but in an entirely different way. Photo: Sunderland Echo

Always a lovely big boozer, renowned for its beer, meals and being football daft. I was quizmaster in there for seven years. It has survived the hammer blow of my departure.
Competing teams in the quiz were of, let’s say, varying calibre. The greatest quiz team ever, in my opinion, called themselves Helga Bruce.
I say greatest; they invariably finished last but established a reputation for submitting the wrongest and most entertaining wrong answers ever marked.

3. The Blue Bell - pride of Fulwell

Always a lovely big boozer, renowned for its beer, meals and being football daft. I was quizmaster in there for seven years. It has survived the hammer blow of my departure. Competing teams in the quiz were of, let’s say, varying calibre. The greatest quiz team ever, in my opinion, called themselves Helga Bruce. I say greatest; they invariably finished last but established a reputation for submitting the wrongest and most entertaining wrong answers ever marked. Photo: Sunderland Echo

Open since Victorian times, I was a barman there and ran a carefully rigged pub quiz.
This was during the era of legendary landlord Bobby Fairlie. Ballads have been written about the period; none of which are printable.
Patrons came from all walks of life: university professors, right down to local journalists. Not that you could see all the other patrons before 2007, when cigarette smoke could reduce visibility to less than four feet.
The air is clear now, the quiz run properly and the Ivy has an excellent reputation for its pizzas and CAMRA approved beers.

4. The Ivy House, Worcester Terrace

Open since Victorian times, I was a barman there and ran a carefully rigged pub quiz. This was during the era of legendary landlord Bobby Fairlie. Ballads have been written about the period; none of which are printable. Patrons came from all walks of life: university professors, right down to local journalists. Not that you could see all the other patrons before 2007, when cigarette smoke could reduce visibility to less than four feet. The air is clear now, the quiz run properly and the Ivy has an excellent reputation for its pizzas and CAMRA approved beers. Photo: Sunderland Echo