We trotted through this door around five bars in to our day in Birmingham, a simultaneously good and bad habit of ours.
At this point I wasn't feeling at all wobbly- but that was about to change!
The bar is wood, and candles and plants and skulls. The two of us (the first two in as it opened, we did lunch, we weren't just hammering alcohol) were welcomed by two, lovely, knowledgeable and friendly as hell barmen clad in their work cravats (I love a cravat). It feels like a good old fashioned bar without it being tacky, misogynistic or forced- I think this was mainly achieved with the lovely glassware covering the bar (I love a good bit of glassware), the cocktail menu is fairly extensive, and un-fussy without any horrendous names.
We started off with an old fashioned, and an aviation. Gosh, did it knock my socks off, but in a very well mixed manner, it wasn't too perfume-y either which aviations can be. Now I felt wobbly. But, the banter, the drinks quality and possibly me wanting to avoid walking immediately after that drink kept us there for another one. I had a good chat with the barmen about whittards Dreamtime hot chocolate (because it's the best) to the confusion of my now quite drunk drinking partner, and a rant about favourite covktails; my favourite is a last word, (closely followed by caipirinhas, lemon meringue martinis and brambles, if you're buying) so I plumped for that, and the attractive barmen delighted in the fact I hadn't picked a porn star martini. The bestie went for a sazerac, which he said he reckons is his new fave which was in one of the loveliest cut glasses. We just had the two here early on, as it faces out onto the rather busy road, I wouldn't want to be leaving here entirely trollied.
I'd like to add that the toilets are clean and particularly lovely when it comes to bar loo standards, and I would like to blame them, myself, the Victoria, and my partner in crime for provided wonderful drinks that resulted in a rather ill and fragile Hannah on the way home...and the next day. I have not drunk so much since. read more