The Vine, Harborne

Horrible. Just Horrible. Went on a Saturday night and the place was really busy but populated exclusively by chavs and hooligans.

Drinks were limited to pretty much lager and cider with only one real ale. Prices were very good though considering many places have upped their prices. Only the thug of a bartender short changed me by �5 and by the time I managed to get his attention to tell him he got aggressive and said I should have said at the time and walked off.

Also during the couple of hours I was there I witnessed 2 fights break out - one of which involved a knife. By the "family entrance" no less!

Avoid.

20 Feb 2011 10:29

Bluu, Birmingham

Great bar.

Had the pleasure of spending a lazy Sunday afternoon in here and my girlfriend and I treated ourselves to a roast dinner off the set menu. The food was excellent, one of the best I've ever had anywhere and the waiter/bartender was thoroughly helpful and couldn't do enough for us. The meal was reasonably priced as well for three courses.

The bar itself was quiet, but was very plush inside and they had a wide panoramic view through the open windows of the canalside which was a nice bonus. Unfortunately I didn't get to see much of what was on offer at the bar but it seemed very much a trendy cocktail-style bar. No real ale, but the cold Heineken was a nice compliment to the sunny day of our visit.

4 Feb 2011 16:08

Bacchus, Birmingham

Bacchus is a strange pub. But in a good way.

Upon first entering you might be mistaken for thinking it's actually four different bars. If you go in with somebody, one of you could be sitting in a Medieval banquet room, while three feet away your friend is in a Rennaissance Library. It's beautifully decorated whichever room you sit in.

Unfortunately it's let down by expensive drinks and food. Don't get me wrong, the meals my girlfriend and I had were very nice (standard Nicholsons' menu) but the beer was pretty poor and not worth the �3 and upwards I paid for it (and this was 2 years ago). The staff in there seemed a bit standoffish as well and don't seem to make an effort to get anybody served quickly. Understandable if they were busy but this was on a quiet Wednesday night.

4 Feb 2011 16:00