Central Brum pubs/ bars

Some nice pubs up near Colmore Row, but the closer to Victoria Square you get the more they’ll be packed with Christmas Market crowds.
Try:
The Colmore
The Roebuck
The Old Contemptibles

The Digbeth area is really taking off - very lively at night will a few interesting venues. Over near Floodgate Street is worth exploring.

Thanks Blob, yeah Digbeth has come up before but we’ve never explored it.
Anyone have a specific recommendation for it?

Digbrew have opened up a small bar - the "club room" in the Piccadilly Arcade
Tilt - Warrick Passage
Good Intent - Great Western Arcade
Cheery Red - Opposite Brew Dog
Indian Brewery
(head to Jewellery Qtr - Rock and Roll Brewhouse) 10 mins walk)

Thanks Blob, yeah Digbeth has come up before but we’ve never explored it.
Anyone have a specific recommendation for it?

Digbrew - Great Pizza too!

When I first came to live in Brum Digbeth was an industial area on its way to being a post-industrial area, you'd have the Custard factory as a little oasis of creatives and what would eventually be called 'hipsters' but 5 minutes walk away you'd have some of the scariest pubs I've ever been in.

Been to some amazing gigs down there though, Propaghandi, Fugazi, Torche, etc.

Great to see it on the up, whilst keeping it's 'soul' as it were.

When I first came to live in Brum Digbeth was an industial area on its way to being a post-industrial area

i was part of the thin end of the wedge of gentrification:-) I had an art studio on floodgate street, back in 1993, mostly occupied by the folk that had originally got the ball rolling at the Custard Factory. It was wedged between a scrap yard and a screw factory. I could wistfully contemplate my art while a machine the otherside of the wall pounded out screws and made the whole room throb like a panicked heartbeat.

Round the corner was ‘Dr Bigfoot’ offering ‘chiropody while you wait’

Macc. My brother has a studio in Custard factory Digbeth and has had one on Floodgate st I think. Although he does drink he is of no use at all- he is an artist. (Lifetime skint)
I’m Working in Banbury now and any OAP brummies I meet moved down with the Custard factory, so used to work in the actual Custard Factory making actual Birds Custard.
I used to go to the odd Rave there as well.
Funny how life pings back to certain places.

The Old Joint Stock is a great venue. Possibly a bit too lively at this time of year. We usually go to their "radio Plays" in the build up to Christmas. A professional cast in full 1940s costume recreating live radio broadcasts of tear jerkers. This year it's a double bill of 39 Steps and It's a Wonderful Life.

Central Brum, The Shakespeare near to New St. is a lovely pub, but will be rammed at all times due to the market, as will most pubs within 5 mins walk of the Twon Hall.
The Shakespeare the other side of the town hall is a great place too. (2 pubs with the same name within 500 metres).
The Post Office vaults has a good selection of draught beers, and loads of bottled Belgian beers, and the market crowd dont tend to go in there, so you can get a seat. The Wellington on Bennetts Hill has a great selection of beers, and is very down to earth.
For curry, we find either the Hen and Chickens on Constitution Hill is very good, you can go in for just a drink, also, the Keg and Grill not far behind the Mailbox is good for a pint and curry, and the Craven Arms just up the road from there is a fine beer place too. Those 3 are all far enough from the market to be reasonably quiet.

for proper beer in a proper pub in central Brum I always go for the Wellington, https://www.thewellingtonrealale.co.uk/

some spots around the Jewellery Quarter worth a try too, eg Button Factory, https://thebuttonfactorybirmingham.co.uk/

cheers,

Keith

Ahh days/nights in Digbeth.
Some of the most iffy pubs then onto custard.
If I'm in brum it's the Victoria pub for me chilled out place

I always go for the Wellington,

The welly was the artschool hang out back in my day - in fact it was pretty much our canteen as the college didnt have one - there were very few people living in / near the city centre at the time so pubs off the central drag would get quiet pretty early on weeknights and most would shut early. Dave who owned the welly back then (spitting image of David Hockney and legend had it Hockney had given him one of his gold suits) knew the surrounding office staff would all have to drive home after a pint or two so it was in his interest to keep us sweet there were secret happy hours for the scruffy students where we'd get served double whatever we ordered / paid for. He'd also lay on 'Dogs Dinners' later in the evening after the rest of the customers had left where he'd cook up a big pot of chilli and rice and serve it in big ceramic dog bowls for a £1 each 🙂

Hockley Social Club is definitely worth a mention here, they're part of the Digbeth Dining Club group that sprung up some years ago based around drinks, music and really good street food. Well worth a look if you're in the area... it's not too far from the Jewellery Quarter / St Pauls Sq if you're down that way.

Hockley Social Club.

Pretty much what’s already been said…Indian Brewery for food, Post Office Vaults, Colmore (Thornbridge), Wellington.

Also Purecraft bar & kitchen.

Don’t mind the Victoria but can take it or leave it.