Yellow Book

A cross between Bram Stoker’s living room and the bridge of H.G. Wells’ Nautilus

Step back in time to a future that never existed

OK I admit it, I was wrong. I had always maintained that subcultures are inherently exclusive and if you are not part of the club you are unlikely to feel comfortable. I was wrong.

Although being a Steampunker might not be for everyone, The Yellow Book certainly is! Brighton is full of cliquey quirky places but finding a quirky place that you feel at home in almost immediately is much much harder. Located on York Place opposite St Peter’s Church, The Yellow Book is the UK’s first Steampunk bar and has an atmosphere that is absolutely unique.

A living immersive retro-futuristic diorama, a what if Victorian vision of the future

For many people Steampunk is something entirely new. Just the word punk conjures up a vision of vivid red Mohicans, tartan trousers and safety pins. Nothing could be further from the truth. Steampunk is nostalgia for what never was, a living immersive retro-futuristic diorama, a what if Victorian vision of the future. The science fiction of H.G. Wells, Jules Verne and Mary Shelly with a Babbage Analytical Engine in every home (move over Mr Gates). Steampunk evokes an age of adventure, gallantry, white hot innovation, stunning fabrics and decoration against a backdrop of improbable, huge, over-engineered machinery.

My partner and I were greeted with an old world courtesy that rather took me aback, being more used to 21st century brashness. We had found ourselves drawn in, curious about decor that we just couldn’t place which nonetheless seemed strangely familiar. Best described as a cross between Bram Stoker’s living room and the bridge of H.G. Wells’ Nautilus, it wasn’t just the decor that had intrigued us. The barman sported one of the most magnificent moustaches I have ever seen, a top hat with goggles and a leather waistcoat adorned with a pocket watch and cogs. The carved mahogany bar itself was straight out of a Sherlock Holmes story whilst above the hand operated dumb waiter there was the largest oval clock I have ever seen inside a building. Perched above the clock stood a stuffed crow who I later found out was called Edgar, Edgar Allan Crow. Set into the floor is perhaps one of the most remarkable features, a wine cellar filled with champagne which apparently goes right to the centre of the earth. Walking across it for the first time is an experience not soon forgotten.

Our host enquired as to whether I cared to sample their own ale, Airship Ale. A barrel on the bar is almost unheard of these days but would have been quite common back in 1870. I approached it with some trepidation as anything at only 3.6% is usually utterly without body and not worthy of drinking. To my considerable surprise Airship Ale is robust and full of flavour. In the meantime my companion had been inspecting the cocktail menu, no run of the mill ordinary drinks here (although if you really do want an Old Fashioned or a Whisky Sour they will make it for you). Names such as Crimson Temptress, Typhoid Mary and Hysterical Lady had caught her eye, there was even a Pan Galactic Gargleblaster in a nod to 1970’s sci-fi. Torn between Mead (made from honey and about the strength of wine) served by the glass and a cocktail she finally settled on a Strawberry Tart which turned out to be made with a homemade strawberry vodka infusion.

The staff of The Yellow Book are time travellers trapped in the 21st century, unable to return to the 19th due to a terrible accident. One of their number, Lady Antonia Lewellyn-Anderson (Lala to her friends and Dipsy behind her back) turns out to be a dab hand in creating alcoholic infusions. If you like Martinis you really haven’t lived until you try one made from her Saffron and Orange Gin.

While we were there it became apparent that The Yellow Book avoids many of the pitfalls that beset more conventional establishments. The Victorian values of courtesy and good manners mean that single ladies and families find a welcome not always accorded elsewhere. Indeed a quick look through reviews left on a number of websites confirmed this.

Don’t think that an evening at The Yellow Book is going to be all genteel, restrained and painfully polite. The atmosphere can get very lively indeed as live entertainment is clearly a very important part of the Steampunk universe.

We weren’t able to identify a particular genre that goes with it, the key musical element seems to be foot stomping rousing good fun but there are also weekly open mic nights which heavily feature poetry. Entertainers due to play at The Yellow Book include international hip hop star Professor Elemental and Phil “Swill” Odgers, lead vocalist from The Men They Couldn’t Hang. They even have an old fashioned story teller who enthrals the audience with his tales several times a year.

Check their website (www.yellowbookbrighton.com) or Facebook page for details of upcoming events.