The Common Room — Restaurant in Bath

A discriminatory bouncer

I’ve been going to the Common Rooms for over a year now. I’m a student in the city, I regularly recommend it to friends, and go there myself. It’s one of few actively queer spaces open late in the city, and so one I usually enjoy ending a night out in. However, last night, I went with my partner and this was absolutely not the case.

On our way in, the bouncer was talking with some patrons of the bar about how it should be acceptable to make offensive jokes. This conversation stopped rather pointedly when myself and my partner arrived at the door (us both being PoC and queer). This already created an uncomfortable environment in a place i usually associated as being accepting.

The bouncer then checked our legitimate IDs and attempted to reject our entry on the basis that he thought they were fake, as he claimed to not be able to feel the raised surnames on them. We at first left, offended that both of our legitimate IDs had been rejected for seemingly no reason. We could both clearly feel the raised names, I see no way I which he couldn’t. Given the conversation we had interrupted, I am left only to assume we were rejected on the basis of discrimination, whether for our race, sexuality, or gender, I am unsure.

However, after a few minutes we returned to ask for his name. Upon our walking back, we heard him comment to other patrons “here we go”, this treatment was both patronising and rude, highly unprofessional for a bouncer. He declined to give his name, claiming he was not police and did not have to give any details (something I assume is not policy, but massively impedes accountability for someone in a role with considerable power and often dealing with vulnerable people). I then asked to speak with another member of staff. He at first declined, but luckily a member of staff was in the smoking area and so checked over our IDs. This was Georgii, who immediately could feel the raised surnames and that our IDs were legitimate. To confirm this, Georgii then got a UV light. The bouncer, upon assuming our IDs to be fake again, then loudly proclaimed “Ha!” (Something again, not only childish and unprofessional, but actively quite aggressive). The UV did in fact, however, prove that our IDs were real, and so we were allowed into the club. Georgii apologised and offered us a free shot each, handling the situation very well. However, I can’t help but feel had we not been so lucky as to have Georgii in the smoking area would have been left rejected by a bouncer, who is either actively discriminating against patrons, or utterly incapable of distinguishing a real ID from a fake one.

I can’t help but feel, even with Georgii’s excellent conflict resolution, disappointed by a bar that I had previously seen as inclusive. For the sake of accountability, while I did not get the bouncer’s name, he was working on 13/12/24, we arrived at around 2:00 am. I am shocked and actually quite hurt by the discrimination we faced last night, and will think twice before returning to the Common...

After dozens of good visits we were met by door staff much more concerned about themselves than any clients, including my partner and a few before and after us. No festive music is OK (not preferred but ok), asking for it should not have been such an affront. As Bath is a destination location to many, it’s a shame the fact that the door staff was only concerned about their own history of this time of year. Cheer up - most people want to enjoy this time of year instead of ruining it for others because “don’t be disrespectful- I hate Christmas”

Edit - having read other reviews following my post it is clear the negatives are from visitors / tourists / non regulars. The positives are generally from established friends of the place. In all business, you are only as good as your growth which currently looks behind static. And yes, as others in the negative comments I was refused re-entry during my second beer of the evening yet went on to have a great...

I had a really good time there until a member of the staff decided to not let me back in because I took my drink outside. I HONESTLY didn’t know that it was illegal to take my drink outside but they were convinced that it was the “THIRD” time they warned me (but in fact it was the FIRST time i went out). Honestly, that was the first time in the last 10 years or so that I felt like a victim of discrimination.

UPDATE: I just had a reply from the “owner” re the above, claiming that they interviewed their stuff/reviewed CCTV recordings and thereby confirmed that I went out with my drink FIVE (5) times and eventually refused entry….(see full message below). I'm afraid the “owner” is either lying or they confused me with someone else, and basically don’t know what they talking about. Feelings of unfairness (rather than discrimination, as I initially put it) just came...