What’s hot in Warwick?

Warwick is often referred to as ‘the bubble’ because pretty much everything you want and need is all on campus – there are restaurants, bars, cafés, a sports centre, and a Tesco all within a short walking distance of central campus. However, if you’re feeling a bit adventurous and want to expand your food and beverage horizons beyond the cheap yet delicious Dirty Duck, fear not because there are plenty of alternatives in the regal student town that is Leamington Spa

First things first, let’s talk alcohol. While you don’t have to drink to have a good time and being teetotal will in no way make your university experience any less fun, we know that we students often enjoy a drink or tw…enty. You must therefore be informed of Kelseys. Kelseys is like that cousin we have that’s messy, carefree, but super fun. The bar is a total dive, but the cheap alcohol combined with the fact that literally everyone goes there makes it a fun night. The Jug and Jester is another good spot for cheap food and alcohol as it is a Wetherspoons. Need I say more?

If you, like Amelie Poulain, get your kicks from cracking the glaze on a crème brulée, then this lovely French restaurant is right up your street…

Moving away from alcohol because that’s not (always) what university is about, there are some fantastic food options that won’t break your newly-opened, overdraft-ready student bank account. For lunch or dinner on a budget, Basement Browns is brilliant – it’s a cosy, little pizza restaurant where you can buy generously-sized individual pizzas for literally £4! Who needs Pizza Express? Not poor students, that’s for sure.

On the other end of the monetary spectrum, we have Le Bistro Pierre; it’s one of the more fancy restaurants Leamington has to offer – definitely a classier alternative than using the back of a bus ticket as a voucher to get a £1.99 McDonalds burger. The restaurant is the perfect choice for when your Valentine demands a date night that your bank balance pretends it can justify. If you, like Amelie Poulain, get your kicks from cracking the glaze on a crème brulée, then this lovely French restaurant is right up your street, or should we say cobbled, Parisian alley?

If you can guess the exact weight of your frozen yoghurt, it costs you nothing! Get fat or die trying, eh?

When it comes to Zou Bisou café we have only two words: hot chocolate. Hands down the best assortment of hot chocolate flavours made from real chocolate. This lovely café hosts events such as yoga breakfast mornings and proves to be an excellent study space when the exam season battle for a seat in the library just gets a bit too overwhelming. As an added bonus, if you can guess the exact weight of your frozen yoghurt, it costs you nothing! Get fat or die trying, eh?

For those mythical creatures known as health buffs, i.e. those rare few who don’t struggle for air when met with the Humanities building steps, Pure and Raw offer a range of veggie products that are dairy free, sugar free, gluten free and yet still manage not to taste like cardboard – hey now, hey now, this is what vegan dreams are made of.

Moving away from food establishments, if you find yourself with a day that isn’t consumed by nursing a post POP! hangover, here are the best recreational spots…

Moreover, if you’re vegetarian or vegan, you know that eating out is not always plain sailing but The Garden Shed Café and The Coffee Box are two other places that cater to the meat-free lifestyle. Even if you’re not a veggie, we still recommend trying them because the food is actually really nice. As people who had never tried a tofu scramble before (probably because it doesn’t sound like the most appetising thing in the world), we must say we were pleasantly surprised.

Moving away from food establishments, if you find yourself with a day that isn’t consumed by nursing a post POP! hangover, here are the best recreational spots.

When the flatmate arguments over stolen milk and mouldy pans take their toll, try a stroll around Leamington’s very own Jephson Gardens…

It’s very difficult to lead a glamorous life at Warwick, but a membership to Pure Health Club is definitely as close as it gets. From sauna and steam room to Jacuzzi and luxury pool, this gym puts competitors Bizz Fitness and Warwick Sport to shame.

When the flatmate arguments over stolen milk and mouldy pans take their toll, try a stroll around Leamington’s very own Jephson Gardens, complete with flowers, fountains and food, the gardens are ideal for zen afternoons and evening strolls.

A gorgeously kept Mediavel castle that hosts seasonal exhibitions and even has its own dungeon…

Culturally speaking, Warwickshire’s ultimate gems are none other than the Royal Shakespeare Company theatre and Shakespeare’s Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon. The literary and historical icons make for the cutest, most Instagramable day trips, and Warwick University students even have the added perk of £5 tickets for RSC shows. Credit where credit is due Will, you hooked us Midlands students up.

The two local castles, Warwick Castle and Kenilworth Castle, both offer very different things. While the former is a gorgeously kept Medieval Castle that hosts seasonal exhibitions and even has its own dungeon, the latter boasts historical character with its partially ruined state all the while hosting events such as picturesque firework displays.

So, when you find yourself with some free time (aka all the time- you are freshers after all), make sure to branch out and explore…

When it comes to clothes shopping in the university’s local vicinity, the lack of good stores can often result in a financially compromising trip to Birmingham’s Bullring centre. But for those days when you’re looking for something closer to home, Leamington Spa’s Braderie is a diamond in the fashion rough. It has the best pick of vintage fashion to satisfy all of your Levi’s 501 denim and plaid shirt needs.

So, when you find yourself with some free time (aka all the time – you are freshers after all), make sure to branch out and explore. And if you find anywhere decent that’s not on this list, feel free to hit us up on Instagram and Twitter @BoarLifestyle.