If the term “style over substance” applied to anywhere, it has to be Oceana! It’s certainly very trendy and cool looking inside. It’s a huge club too, but therein lies its problem - it’s just far too big and you’re almost guaranteed to lose your friends at some stage!

Despite its reputation as Bristol’s chief cattle market, it’s quite a difficult place to pull - certainly for the guys anyway! The cheese section is where you’d expect to find the most success but the dancefloor is so heaving it’s an effort to get on and make some space for yourself, never mind find a good spot!

Another huge criticism is that the drinks are very suspiciously watered down! I have ordered double shots at the bars and still felt no different.

The good thing is that there are lots of different rooms playing different styles of music, so if you want a dance there’s something for everyone. It’s also a welcome touch to retire to the cleverly designed themed chillout spots for a chat or some quiet drinks. Overall though, the atmosphere is lively but just feels manufactured.

Oceana remains inexplicably popular yet I find it totally overrated. Lloyds Bar, just a few yards up the Waterfront, although smaller, is lots more fun and also free entry!

Oceana is new and huge - that’s all that can be said. Otherwise the bouncers and guards are the most arrogant, rude, and sometimes racist people I’ve seen. I had the worst night out in this club ever in my life after being pushed out of the club via the fire exit when a security woman heard my foreign accent: I wasn’t even drunk. This was my first ever experience of such kind, and having done nothing that deserved such attitude I have not even received a proper apology when I complained.
There are a lot more better places in Bristol for great night-outs.

This is a very big club, but includes a multi tude of different tastes all into one place. It is very easy to loose your friends, especially when a bit drunk! There is always something going on in each ‘room’. I find it gets very busy and there is always too many people at the bar. It is normally very clean and there are always people in the loo to treat you with lollipops, perfume and make up, but you do have to pay for what you use!

Good place for good fun

This is a massive club that has a sight in pretty much every major student city in England, which indicates it's popularity and success. This is possibly the most cheesy club in existance, with seperate bars, ranging from a departure lounge to a boudoir type room. As well as this there is the ice room, which plays more current r and b music and the cheese room, where al the old classics can be found. Both dance floors are of a fairly big size. the best thing about oceana is there is a guarantee of a fair sized crowd all though half of these will be sleezy men trying to pull. However if you are in the right frame of mind you are always able to make a good night out of it.

Oceana’s crown as one of the top commercial clubs of Bristol may be challenged by the ascent of Syndicate on Nelson Street but the sheer size of Oceana shows just why it is popular. There are a variety of different rooms which can be slightly gimmicky after going there too much but none the less fun. The Boudoir room looks like a slick 1940s-style woman’s bedroom whilst on the other side, the Aspen room looks like you have stepped into a ski lodge. Taste ultimately determines what you may conclude about Oceana but if you have a bunch of friends and are up for a laugh, the gimmicky nature of Oceana can work.