Bac Bar

Opened a little over a year ago as the Bar 38 this early twentieth century property was erected soon after the demolition of both sides of this busy northern artery out of Plymouth was widened and the current Museum, Art Gallery and Library complex was created.

In the last few months a period of refurbishment has been followed by a re-opening under a new name – The Bac Bar. This name is not, as many might suspect, a text-speak style abbreviation of Back Bar but is rather, in similarly abbreviated form, in honour of the Roman God of Wine – Bacchus. Although the sign here is purely typographic, it’s interesting to note that Bacchus was, until the early eighteenth century, represented as a bearded man, subsequent signs tending to follow his reinvention as a chubby infant sitting on a barrel.