Places to go in Northampton
The only time I’d ever visited Northampton before enrolling was for Open Days, and I didn’t have the chance to look around the town. I came here completely blind and had to work out myself the best places to go in my free time. If you are in the same position or just need some inspiration for where to go for dinner, this blog can help! I’ll provide my personal favourite/most popular places to visit (and some honourable mentions) for the following categories: Night Out, Food and Drink, Live Music, and Shops.
Best Night Out: NB’s Cocktail Bar and Club
If you’re the kind of person who enjoys a classic University clubbing experience, NB’s is the place for you! It’s probably the most popular bar in Northampton, and for good reason, playing hits from a wide range of genres to get everybody on the dancefloor. If you’d rather just chat with your friends than sing and dance, NB’s is host to the biggest beer garden in Northampton too, so there really is something for everyone. NB’s is open every Wednesday (Student Night), Friday and Saturday.
Honourable Mentions:
- Bar Rumba (my personal favourite, as I love the mix of a nightclub and a karaoke bar)
- The Cordwainer Wetherspoons (for a cheap night)
- Stereo (specifically Friday’s indie nights)
Best Food and Drink: The Charles Bradlaugh
Maybe not the cheapest place you could choose to dine, but the Charles Bradlaugh is by far the best. With two equally great menus for lunch and dinner, as well as a Sunday Roast that is to die for, the Charles Bradlaugh is worth every penny. This is especially true on Wednesday evenings for the jazz night, where the main meals are half price. The BBQ Brisket Burger might genuinely be the best burger I’ve ever eaten, and it’s only currently £7.75 on a Wednesday! If jazz isn’t your thing, then you can eat downstairs, away from the music for the same low price.
Honourable Mentions:
- Chi (Asian cuisine, right next to Vue and great after the cinema)
- Millenium Pizza (buy one get one free on a range of pizzas, open until 4am so great after a night out)
- the Waterside Bar (on-campus, great events and some of the best chips in Northampton).
Best Live Music: The Black Prince
As a Popular Music student, having good venues in Northampton is incredibly important to me. The best place that I have been to for music events is the Black Prince pub, which has a backroom with a great intimate performance area that is mostly host to smaller and mid-level artists. I have even had the privilege of performing on the same stage that famous bands such as Cream and Genesis, who have both played at in the past.
Honourable Mentions:
- The Lab (great for local talent)
- the Garibaldi Hotel
- the Roadmender (the best for larger names and cover bands).
Best Shops:
It’s hard to pick just one shop as it totally depends on what you’re looking for, but if you’re just shopping in general, I recommend the Grosvenor Shopping Centre, which has a great variety. My personal favourite places that I always visit are
- Vintage Guru, which is much bigger than it seems on the outside and great for clothes
- HMV for music and film merchandise
- Game (inside SportsDirect) for anything Video Games-based
- Spun Out for vinyl records.
Overall, Northampton is full of great places to visit in your free time no matter what mood you’re in! If you have decided on coming to this University, I recommend going to the town centre next time you’re at an Open Day to get a feel for the places you’d like to go and check out any of the locations above!
Visit an open day and take a guided town tour of Northampton with one of our student ambassadors!
