The Moon Under Water was opened in 2000 at the same time as the huge Xscape complex it composes a part of. The facades of the pub (there are two, turning it into a sort of walk-through pub) are quite simple, albeit brightly lit and colourful. The huge parent structure is perhaps the main attraction, standing 44m tall and dominating the Milton Keynes skyline.

Occupying a unit in the Xscape complex the pub has two entrances; one to the exterior overlooking the outside seating area, and another to the interior of the centre. Whilst the Xscape building itself is a towering 44 metre tall structure which dominates the skyline, the facades of the pub are fairly plain, albeit illuminated by bright blue lights which can be seen from quite a distance.

The theming of the pub is interesting, taking quite literally the name of the pub and offering a mixture of aquatic and lunar elements. There is a peculiar clash of colours, however, with three shades of blue throughout the interior mixed with red and yellow walls. Seating is ample, reasonably spaced out with a few booths and a raised seating area, as well as a large outside seating area.

The toilets are very standard Wetherspoons offerings, with little to write home about. The white wall tiles and black faux-marble sink retain a modern look, but make it very almost impossible to keep the grout clean.

Above a rather grand and unique curved table sits a six-armed light sculpture, perhaps representing some sort of sea creature or moon monster. There seems to be no information about this sculpture (similar to the sculpture in The Savoy, Swindon) so it adds a little mystery to the décor.

Ratings (out of 5)

We both rate the pub based on three criteria; the building, the interior and the toilets. These scores are averaged out to give the pub its overall rating. You can read more about the rating system here.

Building: 2.0 & 1.5
Interior: 3.5 & 3.0
Toilets: 3.5 & 3.0

Overall: 2.75/5