The pub scene across the world is characterised by its casual warmth and conviviality. It has none of the pretences or formality of a restaurant or cocktail bar. It is the relaxed setting in which friends and strangers alike can choose to meet. The pub is where we go to celebrate a special occasion with a group of chums, but also where we might go to flirt intimately with a prospective lover. It is a comfortable destination for seeking out the company of others. Whether located on a street corner in the Scottish Highlands, Munich or New Zealand, a favourite pub is defined by its own distinct atmosphere and character. Pubs are distinguished as much by their interior décor, as by the beer and liquor they sell and the customers that mingle around the bar. These qualities combine to give a 'local' its particular appeal, with a draw far beyond its immediate locality. These very unique, idiosyncratic attributes of pubs, which were once taken for granted, are now in real danger of extinction, as bar chains with standardised designs and drinks' menus are rolled out across city centres and main streets.
Turning its back on the trend towards homogeneity of today's watering holes, Pub Scene celebrates the often exuberant, sometimes elegant décor, and always singular, wow factor of public drinking places, whether they are big or small, traditional or contemporary. In her engaging and anecdotal style, author Jane Peyton describes some of the world's best looking pubs, including British Victorian Gin Palaces, classic Art Nouveau Belgian café bars, Germany's Beloved bierkellers, Australia's amazing beachside beer-gardens and America's notable brew-pubs.
