One of the busiest low-level music venues in the city, the Head of Steam has seen the likes of The Futureheads and the Arctic Monkeys.

The Venue
Located almost directly opposite Central Station, it's easy to find. When you get inside you'll come across a staircase going both up and downstairs. Upstairs is a nicely decorated beer bar with low tables and cushioned benches against the wall. There's a slightly raised seating area, plenty of standing room as well as games and cigarette machines. On your way upstairs you'll notice that on every available surface lie piles of flyers advertising gigs and events, and on every wall there are posters.

Downstairs is much less classy, with a marginally raised stage on your right in front of a standing area with one battered old sofa at the back. Opposite the bar is a seating area with album covers and pop art on the walls – the only feature it shares with its upstairs partner.

The People
While there's something of a post-work crowd who frequent the upstairs bar from the nearby offices, the majority of the Head of Steam's business comes from its gigs. It's a busy venue and plays host to all kinds of bands, and after the weekend performances revellers can dance to the mixes of the house DJ.

With its low ceiling in this relatively small room, gigs can be overly noisy and the toilets have been known to leak from above onto the stage itself. The real problem here is the lack of choice at the bar, which is run by only one person most nights, even when the place is packed.

The Food
Main meals are served during the daytime, the majority of which change on a daily basis. The sandwiches are tasty, filling and relatively cheap, at less than £2. The plates are well-presented, if a little bit low on portions, but it is by far the best thing about this bar. Many local offices and companies use this for lunch meetings and staff parties. If the beer on tap tasted the way it should this would be a real gem in the Central Station area.

The Drink
The upstairs bar has a good range of beers, including guest cask ales alongside regulars Timothy Taylor and Black Sheep. The number of foreign beers on tap is impressive, and there's Artois Bock, Staropramen, Budweiser Budvar, Hoegaarden, Erdinger and San Miguel alongside Carling and Guinness. The only problem is they taste horrible. No fault of the beer manufacturer, mind. The Head of Steam doesn't seem to clean its line anywhere near often enough.

There's a good range of bottles beers, from Czech brands to Peroni and ciders as well as soft drinks. But why come to a pub with this kind of selection only to find yourself drinking bottled beer? Downstairs, the choice is more basic, no fancy or unusual beers or even Guinness – you'll have to trek up two flights of stairs for that.

The Last Word
The inconsistent quality of the draught ales is a major let down for the Head of Steam. There really isn't an excuse for a group that also runs the fabulous Cluny just out of town, as well as a host of chains throughout the country. The lack of choice on the downstairs bar has also lost this venue some points. It's still worth checking out if an interesting band is booked to play, but don't make it your regular haunt.

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