Bar vs. Pub — What's the Difference?
By Urooj Arif & Fiza Rafique — Updated on April 1, 2024
A bar focuses on serving alcoholic beverages and may offer snacks, while a pub offers a cozy atmosphere with a wider range of food and drinks.
Difference Between Bar and Pub
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Bars are typically modern establishments primarily focused on serving a wide range of alcoholic beverages, from cocktails to beer, often with a vibrant or sophisticated atmosphere. They may provide limited snack options or a concise menu of food. On the other hand, pubs (short for public houses) are rooted in British culture, offering a warm, inviting atmosphere that emphasizes socializing. Pubs serve a broad selection of alcoholic drinks, particularly beers and ales, alongside a more extensive menu of hearty, traditional meals. The emphasis in pubs is often on comfort and community, with a decor that reflects local history or interests.
While bars often prioritize a wide selection of drinks, including cocktails, wines, and beers, aiming for a diverse clientele looking for a place to drink and sometimes dance, pubs focus on creating a comfortable social environment. Pubs frequently offer a variety of beers, especially local ales, and food that ranges from snacks to full meals, catering to patrons who are there to dine as well as drink.
In terms of atmosphere, bars can range from casual to upscale, adjusting their ambiance with lighting, music, and decor to suit their target demographic. Pubs, however, maintain a consistently traditional and cozy atmosphere, with wood-paneled walls, fireplaces, and comfortable seating designed to encourage patrons to stay and socialize for longer periods.
The cultural significance and origins of bars and pubs vary. Bars, as they are known today, can be found worldwide and adapt to local tastes and trends. Pubs, with their origins in the British Isles, carry a rich history and tradition, acting as a social hub in their communities and maintaining a unique British cultural identity.
Comparison Chart
Main Focus
Serving alcoholic beverages
Serving food and drinks in a cozy atmosphere
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Atmosphere
Can vary from casual to upscale
Traditionally cozy and inviting
Food Offering
Limited snacks or concise menu
Extensive menu of hearty meals
Clientele
Often younger, looking for drinks and entertainment
Diverse, focusing on community and conversation
Cultural Origin
Global, adaptable to local trends
British, with a rich historical and cultural background
Compare with Definitions
Bar
A counter in a premises where alcoholic drinks are served.
He sat at the bar, sipping his whiskey.
Pub
A historic establishment with a focus on beer and ale.
That pub has been serving ales since the 1800s.
Bar
A business establishment that serves alcoholic beverages; may also offer food.
We decided to meet at the new bar downtown for cocktails.
Pub
A public house, primarily in Britain, offering a wide range of drinks and meals.
Let's grab a pint at the local pub tonight.
Bar
An establishment focusing on alcoholic beverages with a sophisticated ambiance.
The rooftop bar provides spectacular city views.
Pub
A cozy venue for socializing with a diverse clientele.
The pub hosts quiz nights every Wednesday.
Bar
A place primarily designed for drinking alcohol with varying themes.
That jazz bar offers live music on weekends.
Pub
An establishment focusing on community and comfort, serving food and alcohol.
The village pub is the main gathering spot for locals.
Bar
A modern venue for socializing and drinking.
The city's nightlife revolves around its trendy bars.
Pub
A place known for its traditional British atmosphere and hearty meals.
This pub is famous for its fish and chips.
Bar
A long rigid piece of wood, metal, or similar material, typically used as an obstruction, fastening, or weapon
Bars on the windows
An iron bar
Pub
A pub (short for public house) is an establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term public house first appeared in the late 17th century, and was used to differentiate private houses from those which were, quite literally, open to the public as 'alehouses', 'taverns' and 'inns'.
Bar
A counter in a pub, restaurant, or cafe across which drinks or refreshments are served
Standing at the bar
Pub
A place of business serving beer or other alcoholic drinks and often basic meals.
Bar
A barrier or restriction to an action or advance
Political differences are not necessarily a bar to a good relationship
Pub
A public house where beverages, primarily alcoholic, may be bought and consumed, also providing food and sometimes entertainment such as live music or television.
Bar
Any of the short sections or measures, typically of equal time value, into which a piece of music is divided, shown on a score by vertical lines across the stave
The opening bars of the first hymn
Pub
A public server.
Bar
A partition in a court room, now usually notional, beyond which most people may not pass and at which an accused person stands
The prisoner at the bar
Pub
Clipping of publication
Registered pubs
Bar
The profession of barrister
His dismissal from the Singapore Bar
Pub
To go to one or more public houses.
Bar
A unit of pressure equivalent to a hundred thousand newtons per square metre or approximately one atmosphere.
Pub
To publish
Bar
Fasten (something, especially a door or window) with a bar or bars
She bolted and barred the door
Pub
Tavern consisting of a building with a bar and public rooms; often provides light meals
Bar
Prevent or prohibit (someone) from doing something or from going somewhere
Journalists had been barred from covering the elections
Bar
Mark (something) with bars or stripes
His face was barred with light
Bar
Except for
His kids were all gone now, bar one
Bar
A relatively long, straight, rigid piece of solid material used as a fastener, support, barrier, or structural or mechanical member.
Bar
A solid oblong block of a substance or combination of ingredients, such as soap or candy.
Bar
A usually rectangular slice of any of various flat baked confections that are typically dense in texture.
Bar
A rectangular block of a precious metal.
Bar
See horizontal bar.
Bar
A horizontal rod that marks the height to be cleared in high jumping or pole vaulting.
Bar
A standard, expectation, or degree of requirement
A leader whose example set a high bar for others.
Bar
Something that impedes or prevents action or progress
A poor education was a bar to his ambitions.
Bar
A ridge, as of sand or gravel, on a shore or streambed, that is formed by the action of tides or currents.
Bar
A narrow marking, as a stripe or band.
Bar
A narrow metal or embroidered strip worn on a military uniform indicating rank or service.
Bar
Chiefly British A small insignia worn on a military decoration indicating that it has been awarded an additional time.
Bar
(Heraldry) A pair of horizontal parallel lines drawn across a shield.
Bar
The nullification, defeat, or prevention of a claim or action.
Bar
The process by which nullification, defeat, or prevention is achieved.
Bar
The railing in a courtroom separating the participants in a legal proceeding from the spectators.
Bar
A court or courtroom.
Bar
Attorneys considered as a group. Used with the.
Bar
The profession of law. Used with the.
Bar
A vertical line drawn through a staff to mark off a measure.
Bar
A measure.
Bar
Variant of barre.
Bar
A counter at which drinks, especially alcoholic drinks, and sometimes food, are served.
Bar
An establishment or room having such a counter.
Bar
A unit of pressure equal to one million (106) dynes per square centimeter.
Bar
To fasten securely with a long, straight, rigid piece of material
Barred the gate.
Bar
To shut in or confine
Barred themselves in the basement.
Bar
To obstruct or impede; block
Barred the access route.
Bar
To keep out; exclude
Tourists are barred from this room.
Bar
To prohibit or prevent (someone) from doing something
Failing the eye exam barred him from driving.
Bar
To prohibit (an action)
The state bars the dumping of waste in the river.
Bar
(Law) To nullify, defeat, or prevent (a claim or action).
Bar
To rule out; except
Can we bar the possibility of foul play?.
Bar
To mark with stripes or bands.
Bar
Chiefly British Except for; excluding
This was your best performance, bar none.
Bar
A solid, more or less rigid object of metal or wood with a uniform cross-section smaller than its length.
The window was protected by steel bars.
Bar
A solid metal object with uniform (round, square, hexagonal, octagonal or rectangular) cross-section; in the US its smallest dimension is 4 inch or greater, a piece of thinner material being called a strip.
Ancient Sparta used iron bars instead of handy coins in more valuable alloy, to physically discourage the use of money.
We are expecting a carload of bar tomorrow.
Bar
A cuboid piece of any solid commodity.
Bar of chocolate
Bar of soap
Bar
A broad shaft, band, or stripe.
A bar of light
A bar of colour
Bar
A long, narrow drawn or printed rectangle, cuboid or cylinder, especially as used in a bar code or a bar chart.
Bar
(typography) Any of various lines used as punctuation or diacritics, such as the pipe ⟨{{!}}⟩, fraction bar (as in 12), and strikethrough (as in Ⱥ), formerly including oblique marks such as the slash.
Bar
(mathematics) The sign indicating that the characteristic of a logarithm is negative, conventionally placed above the digit(s) to show that it applies to the characteristic only and not to the mantissa.
Bar
(physics) A similar sign indicating that the charge on a particle is the negative of its usual value (and that consequently the particle is in fact an antiparticle).
Bar
A business selling alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises, or the premises themselves; a public house.
The street was lined with all-night bars.
Bar
The counter of such premises.
Step up to the bar and order a drink.
Bar
A counter, or simply a cabinet, from which alcoholic drinks are served in a private house or a hotel room.
Bar
, juice bar, etc.}} Premises or a counter serving any type of beverage.
Bar
An establishment where alcohol and sometimes other refreshments are served.
Bar
An informal establishment selling food to be consumed on the premises.
A burger bar
A local fish bar
Bar
An establishment offering cosmetic services.
A nail bar; a brow bar
Bar
An official order or pronouncement that prohibits some activity.
The club has lifted its bar on women members.
Bar
Anything that obstructs, hinders, or prevents; an obstruction; a barrier.
Bar
A metasyntactic variable representing an unspecified entity, often the second in a series, following foo.
Suppose we have four objects, foo, bar, baz and quux.
Bar
A dividing line (physical or notional) in the chamber of a legislature beyond which only members and officials may pass.
Bar
The railing surrounding the part of a courtroom in which the judges, lawyers, defendants and witnesses stay.
Bar
The bar exam, the legal licensing exam.
He's studying hard to pass the Bar this time; he's failed it twice before.
Bar
Collectively, lawyers or the legal profession; specifically applied to barristers in some countries, but including all lawyers in others.
He was called to the bar, he became a barrister.
Bar
One of an array of bar-shaped symbols that display the level of something, such as wireless signal strength or battery life remaining.
I don't have any bars in the middle of this desert.
Bar
(music) A vertical line across a musical staff dividing written music into sections, typically of equal durational value.
Bar
(music) One of those musical sections.
Bar
(sports) A horizontal pole that must be crossed in the high jump and pole vault.
Bar
(metaphorical) Any level of achievement regarded as a challenge to be overcome.
Bar
The crossbar.
Bar
(backgammon) The central divider between the inner and outer table of a backgammon board, where stones are placed if they are hit.
Bar
An addition to a military medal, on account of a subsequent act.
Bar
A linear shoaling landform feature within a body of water.
Bar
A ridge or succession of ridges of sand or other substance, especially a formation extending across the mouth of a river or harbor or off a beach, and which may obstruct navigation. (FM 55-501).
Bar
(heraldry) One of the ordinaries in heraldry; a diminutive of a fess.
Bar
A city gate, in some British place names.
Bar
(mining) A drilling or tamping rod.
Bar
(mining) A vein or dike crossing a lode.
Bar
(architecture) A gatehouse of a castle or fortified town.
Bar
(farriery) The part of the crust of a horse's hoof which is bent inwards towards the frog at the heel on each side, and extends into the centre of the sole.
Bar
The space between the tusks and grinders in the upper jaw of a horse, in which the bit is placed.
Bar
(slang) A measure of drugs, typically one ounce.
Bar
A non-SI unit of pressure equal to 100,000 pascals, approximately equal to atmospheric pressure at sea level.
Bar
(transitive) To obstruct the passage of (someone or something).
Our way was barred by a huge rockfall.
Bar
(transitive) To prohibit.
I couldn't get into the nightclub because I had been barred.
Bar
(transitive) To lock or bolt with a bar.
Bar the door
Bar
To imprint or paint with bars, to stripe.
Bar
Except, other than, besides.
He invited everyone to his wedding bar his ex-wife.
Bar
(horse racing) Denotes the minimum odds offered on other horses not mentioned by name.
Leg At Each Corner is at 3/1, Lost My Shirt 5/1, and it's 10/1 bar.
Bar
A piece of wood, metal, or other material, long in proportion to its breadth or thickness, used as a lever and for various other purposes, but especially for a hindrance, obstruction, or fastening; as, the bars of a fence or gate; the bar of a door.
Thou shalt make bars of shittim wood.
Bar
An indefinite quantity of some substance, so shaped as to be long in proportion to its breadth and thickness; as, a bar of gold or of lead; a bar of soap.
Bar
Anything which obstructs, hinders, or prevents; an obstruction; a barrier.
Must I new bars to my own joy create?
Bar
A bank of sand, gravel, or other matter, esp. at the mouth of a river or harbor, obstructing navigation.
Bar
Any railing that divides a room, or office, or hall of assembly, in order to reserve a space for those having special privileges; as, the bar of the House of Commons.
Bar
The railing that incloses the place which counsel occupy in courts of justice. Hence, the phrase at the bar of the court signifies in open court.
Bar
Any tribunal; as, the bar of public opinion; the bar of God.
Bar
A barrier or counter, over which liquors and food are passed to customers; hence, the portion of the room behind the counter where liquors for sale are kept.
Bar
An ordinary, like a fess but narrower, occupying only one fifth part of the field.
Bar
A broad shaft, or band, or stripe; as, a bar of light; a bar of color.
Bar
A vertical line across the staff. Bars divide the staff into spaces which represent measures, and are themselves called measures.
Bar
The space between the tusks and grinders in the upper jaw of a horse, in which the bit is placed.
Bar
A drilling or tamping rod.
Bar
A gatehouse of a castle or fortified town.
Bar
To fasten with a bar; as, to bar a door or gate.
Bar
To restrict or confine, as if by a bar; to hinder; to obstruct; to prevent; to prohibit; as, to bar the entrance of evil; distance bars our intercourse; the statute bars my right; the right is barred by time; a release bars the plaintiff's recovery; - sometimes with up.
He barely looked the idea in the face, and hastened to bar it in its dungeon.
Bar
To except; to exclude by exception.
Nay, but I bar to-night: you shall not gauge meBy what we do to-night.
Bar
To cross with one or more stripes or lines.
For the sake of distinguishing the feet more clearly, I have barred them singly.
Bar
A room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter;
He drowned his sorrows in whiskey at the bar
Bar
A counter where you can obtain food or drink;
He bought a hot dog and a coke at the bar
Bar
A rigid piece of metal or wood; usually used as a fastening or obstruction or weapon;
There were bars in the windows to prevent escape
Bar
Musical notation for a repeating pattern of musical beats;
The orchestra omitted the last twelve bars of the song
Bar
An obstruction (usually metal) placed at the top of a goal;
It was an excellent kick but the ball hit the bar
Bar
The act of preventing;
There was no bar against leaving
Money was allocated to study the cause and prevention of influenza
Bar
(meteorology) a unit of pressure equal to a million dynes per square centimeter;
Unfortunately some writers have used bar for one dyne per square centimeter
Bar
A submerged (or partly submerged) ridge in a river or along a shore;
The boat ran aground on a submerged bar in the river
Bar
The body of individuals qualified to practice law in a particular jurisdiction;
He was admitted to the bar in New Jersey
Bar
A block of solid substance (such as soap or wax);
A bar of chocolate
Bar
A portable .30 caliber magazine-fed automatic rifle operated by gas pressure; used by United States troops in World War I and in World War II and in the Korean War
Bar
A horizontal rod that serves as a support for gymnasts as they perform exercises
Bar
A heating element in an electric fire;
An electric fire with three bars
Bar
(law) a railing that encloses the part of the courtroom where the judges and lawyers sit and the case is tried;
Spectators were not allowed past the bar
Bar
Prevent from entering; keep out;
He was barred from membership in the club
Bar
Render unsuitable for passage;
Block the way
Barricade the streets
Stop the busy road
Bar
Expel, as if by official decree;
He was banished from his own country
Bar
Secure with, or as if with, bars;
He barred the door
Common Curiosities
Can you get food at a bar?
Yes, but the food menu at a bar is often more limited compared to a pub.
Is the atmosphere in bars and pubs different?
Yes, bars tend to have a more modern or sophisticated vibe, whereas pubs offer a traditional, cozy atmosphere.
What's the main difference between a bar and a pub?
Bars focus on serving a wide range of alcoholic drinks, while pubs offer a cozy setting with both drinks and hearty meals.
What kind of food can you find in a pub?
Pubs typically serve hearty, traditional meals like fish and chips, pies, and roast dinners.
Are pubs only found in the UK?
While pubs originated in the UK, the concept has spread worldwide, with variations adapted to local cultures.
Are bars or pubs better for large groups?
Pubs, with their focus on communal seating and dining, are generally more accommodating for large groups.
Is live music more common in bars or pubs?
Both can feature live music, but pubs often have a more laid-back approach to entertainment.
Are pubs more about food or alcohol?
Pubs emphasize both, with a significant focus on creating a social environment around dining and drinking.
Do pubs serve cocktails?
While pubs traditionally focus on beers and ales, many also offer a selection of cocktails.
Can children enter pubs?
Yes, many pubs allow children, especially during daytime hours, and often have a family-friendly section.
Can pubs have themes like bars?
Yes, though pubs often stick to a traditional or local theme, some may adopt specific themes, especially in cities.
Why do people go to pubs?
For the atmosphere, community, food, and drinks; pubs serve as a social hub.
Which is older, bars or pubs?
Pubs have a longer history, with origins dating back to Roman taverns in Britain.
Do bars have dress codes?
Some upscale bars may enforce a dress code, unlike pubs, which are more casual.
How do bars adapt to local tastes?
Bars often incorporate local flavors in their drink selections and design, tailoring their offerings to regional preferences.
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
