Also the closest bar to my house, a mere 1,338 steps away. Queen Victoria is on the National Highway near Baloy Beach Road and the border to Subic town. It’s also one of the largest bars in town with a big room in the back where the live music is performed. The front half of the bar features a pool table and two dartboards. It is fully staffed with attractive and thirsty waitresses, but I have never encountered any “buy me a drink” pressure from them.

When Queen Victoria first opened, I was a semi-regular there. The owner is a Brit (big surprise, huh?) and it was a nice place to chill and chuck some darts. In fact, I was planning to host a weekly tournament there. That didn’t wind up happening due to circumstances beyond my control. The owner returned to the UK shortly before the pandemic travel restrictions hit and the bar has not fared well since his departure. I’m honestly surprised it has managed to stay in business at all. I was the only customer on a recent Saturday night and I could hear the band in the back warming up. I’m thinking “why?” and “how much are they paying for live music no one will hear?”. I personally don’t really enjoy loud bands in a bar. It’s tolerable at Queen Vic because they play in a separate room. Just not my thing but I know others like the live shows.

So, bottom line is that Queen Victoria is a friendly place and has the potential to be a whole lot better. Hopefully, that will happen when the absentee owner is allowed to return to the Philippines.