Brit's Pub: A British Pub on Nicollet Mall in Downtown Minneapolis

A huge, popular British pub in downtown Minneapolis with one of the best patios in Minneapolis.

Brit's Pub is a huge bar on Nicolette Avenue in Downtown Minneapolis. The inside is wood paneling for true gloomy British pub style, the outside patio is one of the finest in the Twin Cities.

The inside actually has high ceilings so it's more like a stately home, but there are corners where you can tuck yourself snugly away with a pint.

The patio at Brit's is famous for having a sublimely manicured lawn bowling green. There's usually a queue for bowling on summer evenings, and if you can't bowl, try to snag one of the patio tables to watch drunk people try to bowl. "No tossers", as the sign says. You have to be British to get the joke.

The food is very unremarkable and somewhat expensive. Britain is not famous for it's food and Brit's food isn't good even for British food. The bacon buttie is a bacon sandwich revered in the UK. Brit's version claims to be made with British bacon but it's not even the real thing. Many ex-pats would gladly pay $5.95 for a genuine bacon sandwich, but not for what seemed to be three bits of possibly Canadian bacon in between some bread. Classic British cuisine is various combinations of stodge, fat and carbohydrates, so don't dine here if you want light and healthy. It's not bad comfort food on a cold day though, especially with a pint.

Yes, the pints. Britain may not be famous for food, but it's certainly known for beer. Several UK and Irish imported beers are on offer at Brit's, such as Old Speckled Hen and Fuller's London Pride.

Add in televised European sporting events, the infamous Pub Quiz, regular parties on the patio in the summer, and the coolest location right on Nicollet Mall, opposite Peavey Plaza and Opera Hall, and Brit's Pub is rightly one of the best bars in Minneapolis. Just eat somewhere else beforehand.