Deep in the wilds of Hastings – well, Robertson Street, to be precise (handily situated between the railway station and the beach), one can find a real gem of a venue in the form of Barnaby’s Lounge. Promoted as a “jazz-themed all-day bistro, serving theatrical cocktails, fine wine and coffee,” it lives up to its billing but actually offers even more.
Spread over two floors, the place oozes atmosphere from every grain of each piece of wood. Start with an old Victorian building, expose its natural brick and wood, add a generously-long bar, opulent chandeliers, twinkling strings of lights and an intriguing staircase. Make the most of the huge picture windows and wall space and fill the entire area with some of the best live music you’ll find along this stretch of East Sussex coast and you’ll have an idea of what to expect at Barnaby’s.
Customers visit to enjoy said music, but also to partake of the wonderful selection of cocktails and excellent wines. The food is adventurous including dishes you’d expect to find in a top gourmet restaurant: Wild Seabass, Scottish Mussels, Linguine Del Mare, as well as the more down-to-earth options of pizza, halloumi fries, falafels and the best chunky chips I think I’ve ever tasted.
There’s a terrific range of nine exotic cocktails available including the Old Fashioned, Moscow Mule, flavoured Daiquiris. Fabulous for special parties and they go great with the foods on the menu.
Talking of cocktails, there’s a Happy Hour on them between 5 & 7pm Monday to Friday so if you’re going along for the music, get there early and partake. You could get addicted to ordering pints of Guinness in order to watch the “surger” in operation. This item amazed me. Barnaby’s Guinness comes from cans that contain no widget so when the drink is poured it looks flat and sad, but the glass then gets placed on the magic surger that, when switched on, turns it into the creamy-headed Guinness we know and love. During my visit I noticed quite a lot of Guinness being drunk so I guess I’m not the only one intrigued by the “surger.”
Alternatively, just pop in for an Illy coffee and enjoy the quiet space and WiFi upstairs (any budding J.K. Rowlings around?) and browse the artwork. Barnaby makes space to display the works of local artists so a trip to the Lounge gives one a chance to enjoy the gallery. In fact, Barnaby’s is a super place for those of us who appreciate art. On the first Wednesday of the month throughout 2024, there’s been a 7pm art talk. These popular art talks will continue during 2025, although likely to be switched to a different day – possibly Saturday afternoon. Just check the website for details. In addition, one-off art events occur throughout the year.
There’s a late licence at weekends with live jazz every Friday evening and on Sunday lunchtimes. While this is clearly Barnaby’s “go to” music genre, it’s not all that’s on offer to tickle your eardrums. Every Friday, the audience can get involved with Karaoke from 11pm until late, plus jazz-style Open Mic Nights with the House Band on the second Tuesday of each month and Open Jam Sessions every other week where any style and instrument is acceptable. Barnaby’s is wonderfully inclusive.
Of course, none of this is any surprise when one delves into the history and personality of the actual human Barnaby whose background as an international jazz musician and entrepreneurial genius have gone into the creation of this fascinating venue. I caught up with him on a recent visit and asked some of the burning questions I know our dear readers will have. I’ll let Barnaby take over the microphone from here:
What prompted you to create Barnaby’s? And why in Hastings?
“It’s been a culmination of factors really. I spent a lot of time at Ronnie Scott’s while studying trombone at Trinity College of Music in the 90s and loved the vibe. Then I saw the 2001 heist movie “The Score” with Robert de Niro. After cracking various safes, coming back to the jazz club with Marlon Brando looked so cool! So the idea of a music club/bar has been in the back of my mind for a very long time.
“Ironically, it was the pandemic that was the catalyst. I couldn’t travel the world for work, and so I started looking at business acquisitions. The journey started with buying a gorgeous 17th Century Coffee Shop & Tea Rooms called Bean & Brew in Wallingford, South Oxfordshire. It’s a lovely café, but geographically the business is challenging – I live in Hastings, and have grown up in the area. I’m also unable to do much musically there as I’m not onsite enough.
“Now, they say that behind every successful man is an amazing woman… rolling her eyes. Well, my beautiful and supportive partner Kalina has been instrumental in getting Barnaby’s off the ground.
“The story is that Kalina and I used to enjoy wine and live music in our bar in 2022 when it was a French restaurant called Le Petit Balcon. We fell in love there and were heartbroken when it closed for a year due to a number of factors. In early 2023, when we started looking for a business in Hastings, Kalina was browsing business sites and she looked up from her phone, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and said “Erm, Le Petit Balcon is available. What do you think?”
“Pulling together our knowledge of hospitality and coffee, we just went for it, learning espresso martinis and sharing boards along the way. Because I played trombone in Hastings Sinfonia Orchestra and Big Bands as a kid, I still have a lot of local musician contacts, which definitely helped launch Barnaby’s into arguably the No 1 Live Music Venue in Hastings. We’ve also just been voted No 1 Cocktail Bar“
What were you doing before?
“After music college, I accidentally became a roadie for the biggest bands and artists in the world. After watching Smokey and The Bandit when I was 15, I’d always had a hankering to drive 18-wheelers long distance. With a combination of bluster and white lies in my early 20s, I found myself driving the guitars around for the Beastie Boys in 1998. Roadie-ing to Moscow, Istanbul etc. for the odd band such as AC/DC, U2 and Metallica in the interim, my final swan song was driving lights for Beyonce’s Mrs Carter tour in 2013.
“When I came out of that, I went more into hospitality, guiding Americans around London to Paris for a luxury tour operator based in Connecticut. Tour directing is a great job, by the way; it teaches you customer service, problem solving, leadership and logistics… all skills which are the foundation of running a live music cocktail bar.”
Your chips were the best I’ve ever tasted, who does the cooking and how did you decide the menu?
“Wow, thank you! All of our staff are cross-trained to bartend and work in the kitchen. Kalina and I decided right at the outset that we didn’t want to be a restaurant and be beholden to chefs and their idiosyncrasies. Instead, we wanted to offer simple, tasty bar food that anybody with Food Hygiene qualifications could prepare. Hence sharing boards, tapas, salads… and Extra Chunky Gourmet chips.”
…Thanks, Barnaby, for that personal insight.
Barnaby’s has been open for about 18 months throughout what have undoubtedly been challenging financial times for many, but customer attendance is growing and there are many regulars who just love the place. Plenty of customers enjoy a drink late at night and it’s not uncommon for a table to be ordering Negronis and Old Fashioneds at 2am. Hence Barnaby’s stays open late to satisfy customer demand and make full use its late licence. The Lounge is open until 3am at weekends.
Unsurprisingly, one thing Barnaby passionately endorses is that musicians are professionals and deserve to be paid. In a town that offers lots of free pub music, it can be a challenge to ask customers to contribute for the bands. There’s a tendency to think that drink purchases will cover the cost of the music, but that only pays for the staff and bills. Whenever there’s a door charge at Barnaby’s or when customers contribute to the tips glass for musicians, the artistes get 100% of the money. This isn’t the case at all venues.
So, in summary, what can you expect from a visit to Barnaby’s? Well, all of the following: a warm welcome, good food & vibes, second-to-none cocktails, and world-class live music. Also, great coffee, fast Wi-fi and a quiet upstairs bar area. The venue is perfect for private parties and is available to be hired for events.
And if you’d like to see Barnaby himself wielding his big trombone along with 16 other highly accomplished musicians and vocalist, Chantelle Duncan, as part of Barnaby’s Lounge Big Band, head over to www.mikeslist.uk and book a ticket for their Christmas charity fundraising concert at Henry Ward Hall on Sunday, 22 December at 4pm. Tickets can also be purchased at the bar in Barnaby’s Lounge, a visit I highly recommend you make.
Barnaby’s Lounge
46 Robertson Street
Hastings
East Sussex
TN34 1HL
Tel: 01424 256675
What a fantastic article and well deserved praise for Barnabys. The jewel in Hastings crown. Now I must get down there for some chunky chips!
Barnaby and Kalina, wonderful hosts who offer a warm welcome every time. It’s called Barnabys Lounge and you are certainly made to feel at home. The music on offer ranges from amateurs to true professionals and I invariably end up tapping along or dancing in the aisles. A true Hastings gem.
BTW, don’t use the Guinness surger for anything else. Barnaby said they tried it with some ale once & the clean-up operation took a while. Sadly, no video offered of what was clearly a spectacular event!