• Added: 4th of September 2008
• Area: Birmingham
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Birmingham B29 6BJ
0121 414 9981

vicky_19130 said
Decent pub, but not the best
This pub exists as part of the Scream chain, and as such is perhaps aimed at a younger market. It is located in Selly Oak, south Birmingham, and as such has a huge student clientelle. It has a good atmosphere, and will regularly screen sports matches, which rallies the troops through its doors. On these occassions I would advise that it's best to stay away due to how packed it can turn out (not enough seating!). The drinks prices are average for the area, and there is comfortable seating and the food is adequate, if you choose to eat.

However, it is a strange shape with the bar in the middle and so doesn't make the most of the space available. I think the aim was to create different comfortable areas, which it does do to some extent, but can mean that once those areas have a *few* people in, there's not anywhere to sit if you're in a bigger group.

• Added: 4th of September 2008
• Area: Birmingham
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Birmingham B3 3HJ
0121 212 0211

vicky_19130 said
Good alternative bar
This bar is run by the people who organise the Subculture club night at the academy, and as such shares the leaning towards rock and grunge genre of entertainment. The bar is well laid out and covers two floors, with two bars (although only one is normally open). The atmosphere is relaxed end enjoyable, and there are sofas, as well as tables and chairs. The drinks are not exceptionally expensive, and there are often drink promotions to help get you in the party-ing mood. It is excellent as a pre-bar for snobs (right opposite) or subs (perfect atmosphere and tunes). It is open until late on club nights (6am), so if you want to keep partying the option is there.
On one night a week they open the decks and when you buy a drink, you can choose a song to play, which they add to the playlist! Fantastic idea, and they have many songs to cater for your demand!

• Added: 4th of September 2008
• Area: Birmingham
• Category: Nightlife

Birmingham B1 2BJ
0121 643 5551

vicky_19130 said
Heaving, but cheap fun
As a student I've only frequented the place on student nights (Wednesday). My experience has been largely good, with the aid of extremely cheap drink prices to loosen the attitude and ignore the less agreeable aspects.

There are two rooms, which play retro, and indie music. As such it is a good place to go to escape the monotony of chart topping dance beats.

The atmosphere is relaxed, but there is a great intake of clubbers so it's hard to strut your stuff on the dancefloor - if you can make it onto the floor in the first place! However I would imagine this is not so much of a problem on non-student nights.

• Added: 4th of September 2008
• Area: Birmingham
• Category: Nightlife

Birmingham B4 7LS
0121 262 3000

vicky_19130 said
Awesome venue, great club night
I love the academy. I've watched bands perform live there and found it to be a good, relaxed venue for appreciating the music. It is quite small so can get quite hot, but also means that you will be relatively close to the band, so can actually see them perform!

It does two main club nights of a week: Ramshackle (Friday) and Subculture (Saturday). I go to Subs nearly every week and have been to Rams a few times. Rams caters for the indie among you, whereas Subs has a certainly more rock-y approach, including metal, right through to ska. The people who attend Subs are incredibly friendly and easy going, so it is really easy to have a good night. At ram's the clientelle tend to be more posey and can be a bit snobbish, but it's still a good night.
The staff are also friendly and approachable, and the drinks offers are exceptional for weekend clubbing outside of student nights. The clientelle for subs especially has a particularly broad age range.

• Added: 4th of September 2008
• Area: Birmingham
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Birmingham B1 2HF
0121 632 4936

vicky_19130 said
Fantastic
Risa is a good club and bar experience all round. I've mostly been on student nights, where it is full of like-minded students up for a good time. As such, the atmosphere is friendly and upbeat. On these nights, there are usually 3 dance rooms open (R&B; Chart; Indie) but there can be up to 5 (Dance; Cheese). Song requests are usually played which is a plus!

Drinks are, as with most places, expensive if you stray beyond the night's promotions, but they usually have a good selection of drinks on offer, which makes it a very cheap night! Entry is £4 now, but you can book tickets online to save possible disappointment (not strictly necessary; sometimes the queues are much shorter if you buy on the door too, just get there in time!)

• Added: 4th of September 2008
• Area: Birmingham
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Birmingham B1 2HF
0121 665 6508

vicky_19130 said
Smart pre-bar
Revolutions is a chain of Vodka bars that extend all over the country. This is a fine example of that chain, with an emphasis on a smart and cool atmosphere. The furnishings are clean, smooth and dark, which is suitable for the low lighting (making people look more attractive!). There is a (small) dancefloor which provides the answer to alcohol-fuelled bursts of energy that you might experience, listening to the popular chart music beating your eardrums. Drinks are not especially cheap, but there are drinks offers and a membership card which gives other perks (£3 joining fee, with vouchers to use there and then + card to keep). Cost aside, there is a huge array of alcohol available (with vodka in mind.. naturally) so there are flavours running from chilli (beware!) right through to birthday cake.

• Added: 4th of September 2008
• Area: Birmingham
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Birmingham B15 1SU
0121 248 0500

vicky_19130 said
Warm atmosphere
Oh! Velvet is a good standard for a bar on Broad St. It is an odd shape, and there is not a great amount of room, but what is provided is of a good quality. There are also pool tables to pass the time during the day. Located, as it is, on Broad St, it gets its fair share of rowdy drunks at the weekend, and some weeknights more than others - predominantly student nights. If you head to broad street though, this is what you can expect so this doesn't necessarily take anything away from the atmosphere, which is friendly and warm. Go there of a Monday evening and you'll be in for some karaoke fun - there can be some real shockers, from the surprisingly good to the extremely bad, but it's all in the name of fun. Drinks are not too expensive and there are a selection of cocktails that are relatively cheap.

• Added: 4th of September 2008
• Area: Birmingham
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Birmingham B5 4TD
0121 666 7777

vicky_19130 said
Poor
This is a fairly small bar, located in the arcadian in the centre of Birmingham. Whenever I've been in the week, it's been fairly empty, and as a pre-drinking kind of bar, that makes the atmosphere a little stale. At the weekend and on friday nights, it does liven up a bit, along with all the other bars in the arcadian. It is to its advantage that it's in the arcadian; people can move on to/from other surrounding bars, and it is also in a good location for getting in the mood for a dance before heading to Oceana, round the corner. Its decor is somewhat understated, and I think many of the other bars offer a better alternative atmosphere-wise. Drinks are competitive for the area, but that doesn't make them cheap.

• Added: 4th of September 2008
• Area: Birmingham
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Birmingham B1 2HG
0121 633 4000

vicky_19130 said
Average
This bar, located on Broad Street, is a favourite with the young people of the area, including, and especially, the student population. Boasting a 'big screen', most of the main sports events are broadcast inside, which rallies many alcohol drinking rowdy types through its doors. This could be very much your scene - if so; it is a decent bar with nicely priced drinks, if not; avoid it during game time. It is a regular haunt of those parktaking in bar-crawlage, and as such gets its fair share of drunken young adults. If you are one of these, it can be a great laugh, but its layout is a bit disjointed so it CAN be difficult socially if it's busy and you're in a large group. During the day it's fairly empty, so you can enjoy a quiet drink to yourself if you wish. However, it is very dark so not a good choice if you want to enjoy the fact it's daytime.

• Added: 4th of September 2008
• Area: Birmingham
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Birmingham B1 2HL
0121 643 0214

vicky_19130 said
A good example of the P&P chain
Pitcher and Piano have been going for a while, and have many other bars in cities over the country, and this canal-side venue is not a disappointment. The area in which it is located is pleasing - the canal area is nicely lit up at night, and there are several water features to the eye entertained. This puts you in a good mood for a posh drink, which P&P provide well. It is a bit expensive, but there is a good selection of drinks available. The clientelle is mainly young professionals (especially during the nights of the weekend) and can get quite busy, but during the week there is a more mature customer base and a more relaxed atmosphere. It's a smart venue with good lighting, comfortable seating, and good service.