Birminghams Pubs, Bars, Clubs, and Restaurants

[nigeman]

The Brown Lion in the JQ was back open tonite????

[morestoreysplease]

Yeah Nige it opened last week I think and my mates say it's alright.

[Spread]

Looks like they are working on converting the old Barclays on New Street into ASK (or was it Pizza Express?). Good to see that finally happening

[morestoreysplease]

I think it's ASK Spread.

[nigeman]

Noticed a Costcutter as popped up in Newtown between Clements bar and the coach and lorry park

[Typhoon2000]

I saw that, thought it was a bit of an odd place to put it....

[morestoreysplease]

And a hotel could open over the road...

[Spread]

From Business Desk:

Boston Tea Party arrives in Brum

A BRISTOL-based coffee shop chain has opened its first branch in Birmingham, after taking up residency in a building next to the city’s law courts.

The building, at 190 Corporation Street, was best known as a Yates’s Wine Lodge, but closed when that company went into administration in 2008.

Since then, 190 Corporation Street has been home to a number of short-lived ventures, but has now become a branch of the Boston Tea Party Group Ltd, in a deal arranged by the Birmingham office of Cushman & Wakefield.

Boston Tea Party Group is a family-owned business founded in 1996 and has four branches in Bristol, and six elsewhere in the South West. It also has one other Midlands outlet in Worcester.

The new Birmingham branch has been taken on a ten year lease on a commencing rental of £37,500 per annum.

Cushman & Wakefield acted for the landlord, London-based La Salle Investment Management.

Ed Purcell, retail surveyor at Cushman & Wakefield in Birmingham, said: “Boston Tea Party has spent a lot of money fitting out 190 Corporation Street and we are pleased to have finally secured the future of this famous old building.”

Meanwhile, Cushman & Wakefield has been appointed by financial services firm Oakam to acquire a number of stores throughout the Midlands on High Street sites.

Oakam is a London-based company with 15 outlets within the M25 and its main business is providing financial services for people who can’t borrow from the banks. It is aiming to open around ten outlets in the Midlands.

[morestoreysplease]

It looks like a great place for a brunch - might try it real soon.

[psprog]

Originally Posted by PRS

Been to Brewdog tonight and I think its an excellent addition to the bar scene in Brum.

Hopefully its the start of an independent bar scene on John Bright St which will ultimately take advantage of increased footfall via John Lewis

Just got back from there - it's a nice enough venue, wasn't too busy. However, the prices are *astonishingly* expensive - the highest I've ever seen for a bar in the UK (not club or hotel), including central London. Just paid £3.60 for an ok-ish lager, the only one on tap currently, but that's for 2/3 of a pint so it's £5.40 a pint. I've never paid more than a fiver for a pint anywhere before. Obscene.

The cheapest pint of ale/beer on tap that you can get an actual pint of is £4.20 I think, and one of my friends left half of it as "it was horrible"... I thought it was ok, not great.

Oh, and no toilet paper in the cubicle, which is just not on when they're charging those prices.... does anyone maintain the loos?

(edit) - I'm so shocked by the prices that I'm de-lurking on this thread as I live locally (Leam) - I'd been looking forward to it opening for ages. Plus I love my skyscrapers, Brum's brutalist library, Brum's telephone exchange, and the Sentinels ;-)

[SimonTheSoundMan]

Prices have got crazy. Spoons is now £3.40 for a Carling, the Rainbow Warehouse is £3 for a half pint bottle of larger. I went to uni between 2004 and 2008 and Spoons had Carling at £1/pint. Went to Spoons on Monday night and the next group of people close to my age were in their 40's, average age groups was 50's. Then went to Lloyds, still bleeding expensive.

I find Kensington, Westminster and Camden cheaper than some parts of Brum. I was amazed that I can buy a larger cheaper near to Belgrave Square than I can around Broad St. No wonder most the bars are only half full.

[psprog]

Hah you mentioned the Rainbow Warehouse. I went there for the first time ever a few weeks ago (Cream thingy) and a can of Strongbow was £4. Ouch! Festival prices.

You must have gone to a cheap uni (no offence!). I went to Warwick Uni 89-92 and prices were £1.20 ish a pint. Only on special occasions was there the "pound a pint" mayhem!

On the flipside, the beer prices in Brum's xmas market this year are fine - £4 for a pint of lovely dark beer. When I was up at Manchester's version of the market a few weeks ago (it's not half as good as Brum's - too spread out) I paid £4.50 for a tepid weissbier in a plastic glass with "manchester markets" (or something like that) printed on it.

[SuttonBluenose]

Big extension going on for the Rainbow, and that rail line is finally getting used!

From facebook:

2012 has been a testing year for The Rainbow Venues. New venues and promotions have come and gone in the city and we have grown our team and spaces and have enjoyed regular sell out shows. Circoloco In The Arena was a spectacle and introduced the UK to The Rainbow Venues and in particular The Arena for me one of the most unique spaces in Europe. 2:31 has become Birmingham's no1 afterparty and FACE has continued to attract 700+ punters every week with it's diverse mix and attracting crowds from all over and appeared in Mixmag in the top 10 club nights for a second consecutive year and has been on tour in Austria and Croatia. The Rainbow Venues was also nominated alongside Sankeys, fabriclondon, Digital Newcastle and Ministry of Sound as the best large club in the UK which was a real honour. There has been a lot of dead wood removed from the business and certain people that held back innovative ideas will no longer have the last say and the creative minds within the camp will be free to spread there wings. Freedom Security Solutions Limited have been an absolute rock and i can't explain how grateful i am for more than giving a little more and a special thank you to Lenny Prime Scarlett who is the most amazing person and friend. From the cleaner to the bar staff to every individual promoter they are all fantastic and have made the venues what they are.

Next year i will be taking a step back and concentrating on new projects.
So whats next? We actually have the lease for a Victorian Viaduct that runs over the Arena and Rainbow Garden and we will be commencing work very soon to create a staircase from the Arena to the dissused track -
BELOW will be throwing a very special daytime rave up their with fantastic back drops of the city. - whats else is going up there is a surprise but i feel it will be celebrated internationally - and Trinity street that houses Spotlight will be developed with more bars and quirky pass times. Prepare for the car park of Spotlight to really get utilised next summer :-) and another Circo Loco in the Arena a massive Hacienda to bring some acid house with a massive live act. Phase 2 will begin on The Rainbow Warehouse with new toilets and a new space.

and finally the pub will launch with a polish on Sunday 13th January showing live football and i can begin plans for my fantasy The Rainbow Motel utilising the rooms above.
On a personal level i have met some amazing people this year you all know who you are.
Thank you all for your continued support for The Rainbow big love. See you next year.

Image available on facebook only:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater

[Typhoon2000]

Does Dave Whitall still run this? As far as I know he owns the Suki10c pub near Latiffs too. Rainbow seems to have come back from the brink of a noise abatement order, into something really ver special for the better nightlife of the city... Good stuff.

[sequenci]

Dave doesn't own the Rainbow. Lee Macdonald and another guy run it, I think. Might be Kent Davis if my memory serves me correctly.

Some great nights being put on. Some absolute tosh too mind. I guess they're trying to do something for everyone.

[Typhoon2000]

Originally Posted by sequenci

Dave doesn't own the Rainbow. Lee Macdonald and another guy run it, I think. Might be Kent Davis if my memory serves me correctly.

Some great nights being put on. Some absolute tosh too mind. I guess they're trying to do something for everyone.

Just like Air really.

Wouldn't surprise me about ownership though.. I don't think Dave was interested in creating anything big out of it so he probably had to leave so the new guys with the resources could push things forward.

[Qoasis777]

Planning Application submitted for Cherry Reds Cafe Bar on John Bright Street.

http://eplanning.birmingham.gov.uk/N...px?PT=Planning Applications On-Line&TYPE=PL/PlanningPK.xml&PARAM0=580649&XSLT=/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/SiteFiles/Skins/Birmingham/xslt/PL/PLDetails.xslt&FT=Planning Application Details&PUBLIC=Y&XMLSIDE=/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/SiteFiles/Skins/Birmingham/Menus/PL.xml&DAURI=PLANNING

Never been in the one in Kings Heath but like the sound of it - more craft beer. With Brewdog also open on JB Street is this the beginning of the craft beer quarter?

[Qoasis777]

sorry ballsed up the above link - here's the application number: 2012/08204/PA
Perhaps someone else can post the link?

[KHvillan]

the one in kh is tiny but good. quite pricey though

[NeilHouston]

88/90 John Bright St - India House diagonally opposite Brewdog.

http://eplanning.birmingham.gov.uk/N...rod_DC_PLANAPP