Birmingham Bar Guide
30+ bars across Birmingham's drinking neighbourhoods, curated by editors who know the city.
Birmingham's bar scene grew up. The Jewellery Quarter ran working jewellers for two centuries; the same red-brick buildings now hold the city's serious cocktail rooms. 18/81 has held a 50 Best Bars UK position multiple years. Digbeth's craft beer wave built next door. The drinks lean Birmingham-gin, Vimto, and Black Country bitters.
Five neighbourhoods cluster the action. The Jewellery Quarter is the cocktail-and-creative spine. Digbeth holds the craft-beer and warehouse-bar district. The City Centre wraps the polished hotel bars. Moseley is the indie residential-bar strip. Harborne covers the gastropub-and-wine-bar quarter.
Cocktails run £10 to £14. Pints £4 to £6. Tip £1 a round at full service. Most bars run to 1am, weekend bars to 3am. Reserve 18/81 and The Jekyll & Hyde on weekends.
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Cocktail Bars in Birmingham
World-class cocktail rooms
Rooftop Bars in Birmingham
Skyline drinks
Date Night in Birmingham
Romantic spots
After Work in Birmingham
Apéro-hour bars
Live Music in Birmingham
Bands and DJs
Craft Beer in Birmingham
Microbreweries and taprooms
Hidden Gems in Birmingham
Unmarked doors
Sports Bars in Birmingham
Watch parties
Top Picks This Week
18/81
Birmingham's most awarded cocktail bar. UK 50 Best regular. Speakeasy hidden behind an unmarked door. Twenty-eight seats. Reserve.
The Wilderness
Restaurant-bar with one of Birmingham's tightest natural-wine lists and a serious cocktail programme. Best for a long Friday-evening dinner.
The Jekyll & Hyde
Two-floor cocktail bar — Victorian gin parlour upstairs, Hyde-side speakeasy downstairs. Forty seats split. Reservations recommended.
Couch
Boutique cocktail bar with a tight rotating menu. The bartenders rotate the menu monthly. Best on a Wednesday or Thursday.
Albert's Schloss
Bavarian-themed beer hall with stein-served pours, communal tables, and live music every weekend. Loud, joyful, and fun.
The Old Crown
Birmingham's oldest pub. Open since 1368. Wood-beamed interior, real ales on hand-pump, and the most authentic old-Birmingham drinking. Cash-friendly.
Neighbourhood Guide
Jewellery Quarter
The cocktail-and-creative spine. Working-jeweller workshops still here. The densest concentration of awarded cocktail rooms in the Midlands.
Digbeth
The craft-beer and warehouse-bar district south of the centre. Converted Victorian factories now hold breweries, taprooms, and music venues.
City Centre
The polished cocktail spine. Hotel bars, restaurant-bars, and the most dressed-up after-work crowd.
Moseley
Indie residential-bar strip south of the centre. Neighbourhood pubs, gastropubs, and a thirty-something local crowd.
Harborne
Gastropub-and-wine-bar quarter west of the centre. Wine bars, polished neighbourhood pubs, and a quieter weekend pace.
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