50th Street Bar first opened its doors in March 1997, in a Yangon more like Pyongyang than the cosmopolitan sprawl of today. In a meeting before the bar’s opening, one high-ranking Myanmar general reportedly even suggested that a line be drawn through the bar to separate Burmese and foreigners.
But over the years, a loyal cabal of international expats have mingled with members of Myanmar’s middle class, united by a love of pool, darts, sports and beer. The pub is also a triumph of colonial architecture: imported British brickwork, beams carved from local teak,and a stunning spiral staircase are relics of the building’s storied history.
Once a treasury for British spoils and later a printing house for the 45 and 90 kyat notes that helped dictator Ne Win bankrupt a generation, the bar changed hands once again, in 2016, coming under the Pun + Projects brand and the management of exemplary Irish publican Brian Eviston.
Under Brian, 50th played host to the city’s largest stand-up show, a quiz night with a cultish following, Halloween parties, Pecha Kuchas and language exchanges. While pickled expats threw darts and knocked balls below, the upper floor blossomed into something of a cultural space.
Last month, the announcement of its imminent closure and Brian’s departure* caused much wailing and gnashing of teeth. One patron of seven years confessed to me that he had moved to 49th Street because of the proximity of what he proudly calls his “local”, and opinion has been strongly divided about this change in management.
But hope came in the form of four different fonts and broken English promoting the bar on its Facebook page. The ghost of 50th street was alive, and was attempting to communicate with humanity through a tenuous grasp of MS Paint.
Concerned that a venerable Yangon institute had been allowed to go to the street dogs, your reviewer descended on the establishment to triage the damage and offer our verdict on the food and ambience in this Yangon institution.
Diehards need fear not—the building is largely untouched, excepting some reupholstered leather benches. Prices now include tax and service charge, a change that seems to indicate a more straightforward approach to doing business.
A glass of Yoma will cost you a reasonable 2,500 kyats, with Myanmar Premium coming in at 3,500 kyats. In a slight departure from the previous menu, which had become something of a gastro-pub mess, the new offerings are classic pub grub: fish and chips, pizza, burgers and spaghetti; a modest yet confident selection with a lower average price tag.
I ordered a pint of “draught” Guinness (6,000 kyats, poured from a can) and fish and chips. Dipped in a light batter, the fish was mildly flavoured and served with well-seasoned, crisp fries. The 50th Burger has become less fanciful, and, though the meat was a little tough, it does a solid job for its 13,000-kyat price tag.
Pizzas (9,000-12,000 kyats) are thinner and crispier than their forebears—more akin to a supermarket oven pie than a doughy carb-fest, but they're certainly no travesty. Pudding was a compact slice of satisfyingly gooey brownie with strawberry cream, the latter a little saccharine and cheap tasting.
Service was attentive, although a request for a Wi-Fi password threw the staff into paroxysms of confusion (top tip: put the Wi-Fi name and password somewhere customers can see it). When we were finally connected, however, the internet was lightning-fast—no small boast in a city where speeds often dip.
Hardened, boozy regulars, some of whom have held court at the bar for years on end, have been split in their reactions to this new chapter in the 50th Street chronicles. For some itinerant drinkers who want nothing more than to network and shoot pool over pints of beer, the “hipster” pretensions of its previous incarnation were irksome.
Now, instead of comedy nights and Mundo Lingo meetings, the bar’s social posts focus on BOGOF offers and discount pizza. The playlist, which once featured the Manic Street Preachers and Pulp, now plays Ed Sheeran and Rhianna. The smoothies are made with syrup. Pretentious this is not.
Fundamentally, the 50th reopening is a return to the establishment’s roots as a public house. While some may miss their special treatment and others the cultural events, 50th is now what it was always meant to be—affordable beer, pub grub, sports and a telly. In a long and grimy history of British colonialism, let’s be thankful for something we did right: the pub as democratic social space.
* Fans of Brian have no fear, he will be running a new bar, 1964 on 8 Mile, due to open in December.
All Myanmar Mix reviews are done impartially and independently.
Address: 9/13 50th Street, Botahtaung township, Yangon
Contact: 01 397 060
Open: 10.30am-1.30am
