Wherever you are – from a remote country pub to a buzzing urban bar – sharing a beer with friends in the golden glow of sundown, as the temperature mellows and the light softens, is a truly wonderful experience. It’s the perfect time to relax, unwind and reconnect, and capture the moment with a sundown snap in this gorgeous natural filter.
To help you have an extra special summer this year, we’ve created an edit of the best pubs around the UK to enjoy an ice cold San Miguel as the sun sets, as well as some expert tips from photographer Bal Bhatla – AKA Mr Whisper – to help you take the perfect pic for posterity while you’re there.
Somerset House Terrace Bar with San Miguel, London
This summer riverside terrace bar offers an excellent pairing: San Miguel on tap and a stunning view over the capital’s skyline. Serving ice-cold San Miguel Especial and 0.0%, cocktails including the new San Miguel Sundown Spritz, a delicious tapas menu and live music experiences from The Sax Man Ben Barnett and his team of artists, it’s the perfect place to relax and unwind with friends as the sun dips over the city. @sanmiguel_uk
The Watering Hole, Perranporth, Cornwall
One of the few bars in the UK that sits directly on a beach, this is set in the middle of Cornwall’s finest sands and is picture-perfect for incredible, atmospheric sundown snaps. With year-round live music events and outdoor stages, it’s also the perfect place to party as the sun sets. @wateringholecornwall
The Spyglass Inn, Isle of Wight
The Spyglass Inn is set right on the water’s edge in Ventnor Bay, with spectacular views across the rolling waves of the English Channel. Serving delicious, locally sourced food (including the aptly nautical Admiral’s Platter) it’s also a huge supporter of live music, hosting gigs every weekend. @thespyglassinn
Known as The Neppy by locals, this bar in the heart of Whitstable’s fishing town dates back to the early 19th century. Sip on its fine selection of drinks and home-cooked food and catch some photos of the town’s iconic sunsets. @the_old_neptune
The Pack Horse in Affetside, Bury
This classy bar is nuzzled in a gorgeous, rural setting. Head straight for the dining terrace for beautiful scenery of the open countryside, where you can enjoy delicious surf and turf as you look over green fields and rolling hills. @packhorseaffetside
The Blue Bar, Porthtowan, Cornwall
Set among dunes of Porthtowan beach, the Blue Bar is a family- and dog- friendly bar and restaurant on the North Coast of Cornwall. A great place to relax and catch up with friends, the beachside terrace also provides stunning views over the ocean – so bring your camera and your framing A-game.
The sunsets over Lundy Island have to be seen to be believed. You can do just that from the comfort of this pub’s balcony, with a refreshing drink in your hand. With a terraced beer garden boasting extensive outdoor seating, it’s the perfect place to settle in at sundown. @fairway_buoy
This stylish canalside bar is a perennial Manchester favourite, with its ‘suntrap’ terrace offering fine views of the city as the sun goes down. With a warm, friendly atmosphere and large outdoor area, it’s the perfect place to share a drink as the sun sets. Fun fact: Dukes 92 claim to be the number one seller of San Miguel on draught in the world, pulling an impressive 170,000 pints a year. @dukes_92
You can almost touch the sea from the terrace, which is perfectly positioned for envy-inducing sundown pics. No wonder this welcoming pub, by Fistral Beach in Newquay, is popular among surfers, hikers, and Instagrammers alike. @fistralbeachbar
This quayside heaven is an unbeatable place to be at sundown, with exceptional estuary views of Appledore and Bideford that demand to be snapped. Enjoy delicious seafood specials made with fresh, local ingredients, as you relax in the picturesque surrounds.
The Mermaid Inn, Isles of Scilly
Once a favourite of pirates and smugglers, this bar retains its maritime vibe thanks to its nautical interior (packed with local artefacts from model ships to flags and seafaring ephemera) and gorgeous views of the harbour and the ocean beyond – a perfect place to relax and restore at sundown. @themermaidinnscilly
Sundown tips from Mr Whisper
Plan your shot
“It’s great to take photos during golden hour because the colours are softer and you get much more detail. Planning is vital and native weather apps tell you what time the sun is setting, while apps like Sun Locator tell you in which direction, and where, the sun is going to set exactly.”
It’s all about timing
“If you are using your mobile camera, take the picture at the lighter end of sunset because natural light is a smartphone’s best friend. If you’re shooting at the darker end of sunset, use your phone’s native night mode because this will treat the image more like a long exposure, which means the shutter stays open for a few seconds longer and you get a clearer image.”
Go high def
“One of the challenges of sundown selfies is that when you are trying to capture yourself and the sun you can turn into a silhouette. Use your phone’s HDR mode. It will take multiple photos at once: at high exposure, middle exposure and a darker one, and then blend all three together, finding the right balance.”
Try a timelapse
“Bridges, beaches, rolling hills and parks are all good spots for sundown photography. If you can find a good resting point for your phone, a time lapse of a sunset can be a beautiful idea.”
To celebrate sunny days, warmer evenings and sharing it all with friends, San Miguel is once again hosting its summer bar at London’s scenic Somerset House. With its stunning riverside location and view of the iconic London skyline, the Somerset House Terrace Bar with San Miguel is the perfect spot to relax and unwind, and enjoy an ice-cold beer, delicious tapas, and live music experiences at sundown. San Miguel are also partners across a number of incredible musical events throughout the summer: at the annual Somerset House Summer Series, you can enjoy a San Miguel while you rock out to Black Midi (13 July), enjoy the luscious indie of Arlo Parks (12 July), grab some grime at Ghett’s set (14 July), get down to disco with SG Lewis (15 July), party to perfect pop with Carly Rae Jepsen (11 July) and Mabel (17 July), and enjoy the soulful vibes of John Legend (16 July). At Wilderness Festival from 4-7 August you can share a beer at sundown and indulge in the idyllic surrounds of Cornbury Park , Oxfordshire, listening to Years and Years, Jungle and Underworld. While at Classic Ibiza you can enjoy music from the White Isle reinvented by the Urban Soul Orchestra, live vocalists and headline DJs in breathtaking stately surrounds including Ragley Hall, Warwickshire (1 and 2 July), Weston Park, Shropshire (16 July), Bowood House, Wiltshire, (22 and 23 July), Burghley House, Lincolnshire (30 July) Blickling Estate in Norfolk (6 August) and Hatfield House, Hertfordshire (20 August). To find out more visit @sanmiguel_uk
