Watford's nightlife is under the spotlight after bar closures and a recent mid-table ranking. 

The town’s offering has been criticised after Barrio shut nine months after opening, following Marcel’s bar and Wetherspoon’s Colombia Press closing earlier this year.

It comes despite the town having Purple Flag status recognising excellence managing the night-time economy.

Research firm Public First recently ranked Watford 63rd out of 112 major towns and cities for a night out, up from 70th in 2013.

Watford Observer:

In response, the mayor Peter Taylor said “we are a town that keeps punching above our weight”, given the area’s size compared to others on the list.

However, that view was not shared when the Watford Observer recently sought locals’ views.

Emma, 34, from Watford, said: “It used to be a great night out, I remember paying £20 to get into a club at one point when I was younger because of how busy the clubs were, we all really wanted to be there.

"It would be good if the town had somewhere like Bodega come back, we used to really enjoy going there when it was open.”

Bushey resident Zahra Saley, 22, added: "Watford nightlife is terrible.

"I would probably rank Pryzm as the worst nightclub I have been to in my nearly five years of clubbing experience."

Watford resident Felicity, 34, said the offering now was “completely different to what it used to be”, adding there were fewer options and people going out now.

That view was supported by Amy Watkins, a Waterstones shop assistant, who added: “I used to go out a lot around 10 years ago but now the high street has changed a lot. It doesn’t appeal to me anymore.”

Watford Observer:

Michaela, The Florist bar and restaurant’s manager, said seeing Barrio close does worry her, but serving food as well as drinks makes it better positioned to cope.

Reflecting on nightlife changes, she added: “We used to see a range of ages come in, from 20s to 40s, but now we mainly see people aged 40 plus.

“I think this is a knock-on effect from lockdown, especially because most people prefer drinking at home because it is a lot cheaper.”