• Added: 28th of October 2008
• Area: Birmingham
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Birmingham B18 6AQ

heaveneyes said
Proper old-fashioned pub
The Church Inn is a tiny, proper old-fashioned pub, with a log fire, and a good selection of beers and real ales (not my kind of thing but apparently the Bathams is very good!) It has undergone several changes of management over the last two years but is always good value, and a lovely place to go for a drink in a friendly atmosphere. I went earlier in the year on a Friday night, and it was packed out with people dressed in rockabilly gear, with a live DJ playing very loudly! Have also been when a band’s played in the back room which is tucked away and much bigger than the bar area. That’s one of the things I like about the Church Inn – it can be very random!

• Added: 27th of October 2008
• Area: Birmingham
• Category: Cafes and Coffee Shops

Birmingham B18 6JR
0121 236 9047

heaveneyes said
Top nosh!
This little gem in the Jewellery Quarter is the ideal post-hangover recovery place, with amazing breakfasts available at credit crunch prices. It’s a small, friendly place with lovely staff and good service, and an extensive menu. You can get ‘proper’ meals like lasagne, pasta etc, and baked potatoes etc. However I go for the breakfasts, where you can pick and choose what you want and it’s all delicious. There’s healthy and veggie options, and plenty of choice. You can even check your emails if you feel like it. A word of warning – try the chilli sauce (provided with the other condiments) at your peril! And the one complaint about this place is it’s shut on a Sunday – criminal.

• Added: 27th of October 2008
• Area: Birmingham
• Category: Restaurants

Birmingham B3 1JJ
0121 212 1661

heaveneyes said
Decent bar, good food, lively atmosphere
Après is part of the popular Summerrow complex and is always pretty busy, especially after work, at weekends and when there’s a big football match on! It has a good atmosphere and is cosily decorated in red with lots of wood, with an open log fire to huddle round in winter! Drinks are averagely expensive for the city centre, and they’ve got a decent selection of beers and wines. The food is really good value, with offers like 2 pizzas, a house salad and a bottle of wine or 4-pint pitcher of lager for £15.95. The stonebaked pizzas are gorgeous, and the food is general is better than most bar food.

• Added: 27th of October 2008
• Area: Birmingham
• Category: Restaurants

Birmingham B1 1RN
0121 6656437

heaveneyes said
Gorgeous canalside location
This is the perfect place to sit in the sunshine (on the rare occasions when we get any!) and enjoy a drink or bite to eat on the terrace overlooking the canals in the heart of the Mailbox. The service is pretty good, as is the food – fairly standard French fare, at about average prices. The steak and chips is always a safe bet! Personally I prefer to sample their wide range of Continental beers and wines, with olives or bread or other side dishes, and enjoy the view outside; rather than heading to the very busy and less picturesque location of the Brindleyplace Café Rouge.

• Added: 27th of October 2008
• Area: Birmingham
• Category: Nightlife

Birmingham B5 4TD
0121 693 2248

heaveneyes said
Great for comedy and live music
The Glee Club is a fantastic venue for both comedy and live music – have been to see both here, and both work well in the venue’s two rooms. The Studio, the smaller room, hosts lots of live bands and artists, usually playing acoustic sets which are brilliant in such an intimate setting. There are also late night comedy shows in the Studio, after the main show in the larger room. The main room hosts the comedy shows, and depending on the event, seating is allocated or you can sit where you like. It’s well worth going on for the Thursday night food special (£14), as the grub is decent and the acts are always of a high quality, even when you don’t recognise the names.

• Added: 8th of October 2008
• Area: Birmingham
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Birmingham B18 6AA

heaveneyes said
Best pub in the Jewellery Quarter
This place has undergone a total transformation in the last couple of years – what was a run-down ‘old man’s pub’ is now a funky, popular venue showing live sport, with live DJs and a (very!) late licence at the weekend. The food is really good pub grub with a twist and there’s a wide selection of beers on tap. Both food and drink is generally good value for money with beer prices about average for Brum We went to watch the Champions League final there, and the atmosphere was great and very lively. The only bad thing about this place is that I no longer live across the road!

• Added: 24th of September 2008
• Area: Birmingham
• Category: Restaurants

Birmingham B5 4QL
0121 633 3033

heaveneyes said
Quick, healthy & not too expensive!
Situated at the back of the Bullring, Wagamama’s is a great place to go for a quick re-fuel during a day’s shopping or a pre-concert or cinema bite to eat. The service is good and very fast(though the restaurant can get very busy I seem to only have been at off-peak times!), and the food really tasty and a lot healthier than any other ‘fast food’ place. The restaurant is utilitarian, with wooden benches for communal eating, and food is brought to you as soon as it’s ready, which can mean you’ve nearly finished your dinner before your friends start theirs! My personal favourite is the ginger chicken udon, but having sampled several dishes, it’s all good stuff and reasonably priced. Highly recommended!

• Added: 22nd of September 2008
• Area: Birmingham
• Category: Restaurants

Birmingham B1 2DS
0121 643 9888

heaveneyes said
Tasty tapas at a good price
I’m a regular visitor to La Tasca as I love the food and I think it’s really good value for money. The restaurant is tucked just off Broad Street and gets very busy at weekends – beware as the service does suffer, and you will often have to wait some time to get your drinks or your bill. It’s not really the place to go for a romantic meal for two as the atmosphere is quite loud and buzzy. The food is very nice with plenty of choice – we always stick to the tapas but the paella for 2 looks amazing. If you’re not familiar with tapas there’s a sampler menu, and if you are, as much tapas as you can eat for a tenner is available Sunday – Tuesday.

• Added: 3rd of September 2008
• Area: Birmingham
• Category: Restaurants

Birmingham B1 3HE
0121 236 9929

heaveneyes said
Worth a visit for food & drinks
Stumbled across this little Italian whilst living in the Jewellery Quarter – from the outside it looks tiny and unremarkable, but when you go in it opens out into a spacious restaurant, which feels quite welcoming if slightly quirkily decorated!
The food and drinks are reasonably priced (there’s a separate bar and the pavement tables are often filled with post-work drinkers enjoying the very good draft Peroni) and the menu is standard Italian fare, nicely done. The service is good and my boyfriend & I enjoyed our meal of soup, king prawns and pasta with a decent house red. One thing to be aware of: there is often musical entertainment in the restaurant at the weekends – one example was an Elvis impersonator! (thankfully we missed this!) This costs extra and there is a set menu, so it’s worth checking when you ring to book.