SELF-styled "art bar" Victor Js, on Finkle Street, has just completed its second major refurbishment in three years.

And this latest one involves expansion, with the conversion of its disused first floor into a second bar including new toilets.

VJs - recently named among the "ten best Saturday nights out in Britain" by Company magazine - was started in 1997 by sisters Jen and Victoria Frame, with Andy Osborne, Jen's husband, making up the trinity in charge, and its popularity has seen the need for an increase in capacity.

Victoria explained: "It was dead space upstairs and because we were getting so busy it seemed obvious to expand.

"It's taken six weeks to do and it's been a bit hectic. We want to apologise to our customers for the disruption but we hope it's worth it."

The refurbishment did not stop upstairs - the downstairs decor and furniture also has a new look. Gone are the bright reds and yellows and in is a more chilled-out muted green. Of particular pride to Andy is the fancy new beer pump in the downstairs bar, which at present supplies Budvar and Lowenbrau lager.

Other alcoholic drinks are bottled lager and beer, wines and spirits - Andy claims to make the "best gin and tonic in the North" - while, as you would expect of a caf bar, they also specialise for the daytime crowd with coffees, soft drinks and a food menu.

The refurb hasn't affected Victor Js' laid-back nature. In its November issue, Company magazine described VJs as the best venue for an evening of chilling out.

Andy explained: "We didn't know they'd been here until a customer showed us the magazine. There was no award or anything, it's just nice to be recognised that way."

The upstairs at VJs was due to open for the first time today. Bar Talk has had a sneak preview and it's fair to say it's another step up (geddit?) for the amiable trio and their merry staff.

- Landlady Sarah Robshaw, right, is celebrating news that her pub, The Hole In The Wall, serves one of the best pints of Mansfield Bitter in the country.

The High Petergate hostelry beat more than 500 pubs, including The Three Tuns, Coppergate, and The Corner House, Burton Stone Lane, to come third in the "Great Pint Awards", run by Pathfinder Pubs.

Sarah said the prize is a reward for the extra care she has taken over the cleanliness and efficiency of her beer cellar. She said: "It shows that all our hard work has paid off."

There must be something in the beer because Pathfinder big cheese Derek Andrew said Sarah "recognises the value of pulling the perfect pint". Bravo.

- Clarke's Organic Brewery should pat themselves on the back because our competition to win a box of their Yorkshire Heritage Beer left the Bar Talk desk swamped with entries.

They are clearly making a popular product at their base in Huddersfield, as most entrants correctly answered.

So, Diane Boldison, of Shirley Avenue, York, there should be 12 bottles of fresh organic ale winging their way to you in the post very soon, direct from the West Yorkshire brewery.

Updated: 16:09 Friday, December 19, 2003