I'm seriously disappointed with myself that I hadn't actually heard of jam house before, I love…read morethis sort of place, so I'm glad it ended up being introduced to me. Owned by jools Holland you can expect to see some seriously awesome (and rather loud) live music, and quite a mixed crowd - we were rather entertained by a very grumpy looking middle aged couple. Drinks are reasonably priced, but it did take a very long time to get served, the staff seemed pretty chilled out, and there were a good number of pushy customers. The place is well kept, there are some pretty features like the ceiling and sculptures, and it's a good place for **proper** dancing. One thing I will say, is that it took an odd turn after the band finished, where it's went from soul, blues, jazz and a little 80s goodness that fitted in quite well to 90s club music, which just seemed really strange to us. Saying that, I would definitely go again.

Located in the heart of the jewellery quarter of Birmingham the Jam House occupies a traditional…read moreand Historic Georgian building with seating spread over three stylish yet informal airy floors. Both food and drink are expensive in here, but good quality and the live music is fantastic but stay away if you do not like it loud!

Went there for an evening - you deffo dont wanna go in ya best clothes - chairs are made in Africa…read more- good for the ppl who made em - but not for your best skirt - get caught on a nails. Car park wasnt good for your best shoes either - suggest jeans trainers and tee shirt. Reading the reviews - it seemed a great place to go - but they are dated 2012 - its now 2019. My friend googled their food cleanse things and was horrified to see zero rated. Summer 2019. ive just checked and its not changed. Go enjoy the garden centre - great plants and stuff.

I first went to Akamba in April this year. I'd found it online a few weeks earlier, whilst looking…read morefor tribute nights locally, and then a friend mentioned she had a voucher for a meal there, so we gave it a go. Let's be honest, eating dinner at a garden centre usually sounds like the sort of things your parents or grandparents (depending on your age!) would do, however, this little slice of African themed heaven is a far cry from what you'd normal expect of such a place! I've not made it to Africa, though have traveled widely in Asia, and the outside felt totally authentic, being similar to bars and restaurants I've eaten in abroad. Even outside, you are sheltered from the rain, and inside, where the buffet is served, it's warm and cosy, with live music of an evening, and the most amazing spread of food. I've been a number of times since that first dinner, having returned in the day with my dog, as it's dog friendly if you're happy to sit outside - they even bring a bowl of water for our four legged friends! I've had lunch there, and the most fabulous afternoon cream tea, and cake, whilst the choice is limited, what they offer is very tasty (and I'm a fan of cake!) I loved it that much the first night, that I've refused to go there for a meal again, as I'm going for my 40th, which happens to fall on a Thursday, and looking forward to sharing the experience with close friends. The service is always friendly. It's not always super fast, as it runs on Kenyan time, so this isn't the place to go in a rush. Indeed, why would you? It's such a delightful experience that it deserves to be cherished. Oh, and the shop is pretty fab too! So yes, dog friendly, fab food, great shop and friendly service!

Tucked away at the end of Stirchley in a location you cannot see from the main road, neighboured by…read morea canal and a venue for children's parties, you cannot help but wonder how The Roadhouse has managed to exist for so long as a venue. I played here with one of my old bands about seven years ago and it seemed to have been around for ever then. My sporadic visits since have revealed The Roadhouse to be a friendly enough venue with the ambience set to old school/biker . A good sound system and a fairly standard but well priced bar make this a good place to see a band. The schedule seems to consist of a mix of up and coming indie/rock acts and tribute acts of classic rock bands with acoustic nights on a thursday. They also offer music tuition services but I can't comment on these as I haven't had need to use them. The venue side of the business I can recommend, providing the style of act playing that night is to your tastes.

This venue is part of the newly revived and thriving Birmingham (Brum) scene. Entrance is cheap,…read moreusually only a few quid, and the drinks are student prices, which is fortunate considering most of the clients. This venue is big on Folk, acoustic and rock. A place to check out the local talent in all it's various forms. The doormen are laid back and friendly. The staff rather new wave and hippy nice. A good laid back venue for a chilled out evening. Tune in and tune out.

Real ale/s, live music every Friday evening & Sunday afternoon, entry £1 (or members pay yearly),…read moredrinks cheap so make up for the small entrance fee (or membership fee), children allowed (unsure of the exact rules and times), 2 large rooms on the ground floor, large snooker room on the middle floor with 2 full-size snooker tables that are only 50p/hour, large disabled loo as well as newish ladies & gents (ladies beautifully decorated), often quizzes (some of unusual style) and other events, the live music is often a little on the loud side (although nowhere near as bad as most pubs and clubs) but the rest of the time it's very quiet & peaceful, very friendly, lovely looking building and grounds.

From the owner: Established in 1918, The Hollywood Social Club has been a part of Erdington for over 200 years…read more With live music Friday nights, two snooker tables and dart board it has everything you could want in your local pub. We are currently accepting new members. The Hollywood Social Club has no paid staff. A small group of dedicated volunteers run the club. With a group of musicians who perform free of charge and also run open mic nights. The club has live music ever Friday night. Events are on our Facebook page. Currently the club is open three days a week. Thursday 7:30pm - 11:30pm Friday 7:30pm - 12 Sunday 2pm - 7pm We accept cash and card.

Smoking food and music…read more The Dark Horse is a quintessential Moseley pub, full of the friendly bustle that you can expect from the area. The venue itself is a welcoming space with plenty of seats both inside and out, there's a full bar on offer with a variety of spirits that I'd imagine will have something for all tastes. Food is tasty BBQ style smoked meat and pizzas made in the pizza oven sitting roaring away in the back. I had the smoked meat platter and everything on offer had a deep smoky flavour with plenty of "narl". The Dark Horse lives up to it's name however by having a large space upstairs that they use when the night gets later and everyone gets their dancing shoes out, we had a great night listening to the house band and the DJ after that.

You guys rock, Atmosphere 10/10, Service 10/10, Food 10/10, We can find no fault here at all. Ok,…read moreif you really want fast food, then go to McDonalds. The Dark Horse they take pride in their food, service and presentation. We came here for Sunday lunch recently and we got tons of food. We were both extremely surprised and very happy with the amount and quality for the price we paid. Nothing is too much trouble, the staff are always lovely and friendly. Food allergies? no problem here at all as any questions can be asked and answered quickly and helpfully. The aroma when the smoker door opens is amazing and the stone pizza oven produces fantastic pizza too. What more can I say except, you guys really do rock.

I got to the pub for the Daytime Menu, and I was starving, luckily the Hare and Hounds has a large…read moremenu of tasty sandwiches, omelets, pancakes and burgers on hand to stimulate my culinary desires. I tried the recommended Organic Burger £6.50 with chunky chips and side salad. It was a clean plate of food with a healthy sized burger that tasted fresh and wholesome, the way a good burger should be. It was only until after I had devoured my meal that I noticed the large selections of Ales they have on offer from breweries across the country. My friend indulged in a reasonably priced IPA whilst I had a Coke as I had to drive home. Well, the car got left outside overnight, I couldn't drive home in the end. Crowds of chain smoking revelers outside were anticipating the arrival of a band at one of the Hares' two live music rooms. I noticed that UB40's first ever gig took place here in 1979 - commemorated recently with a PRS Music Heritage award and plaque - to establishing itself as one of the top small music venues in Birmingham. We were in for a good night! We had a few more ales and the band came on in the Main Room. The acoustics and smaller intimate feel of the venue put a big smile on my face, so did the band, so did the night. The Hare and Hounds is definitely the place to visit.

There are many great venues in Kings Heath, but one that often comes up in conversation is the Hare…read moreand Hounds. This is not just a great little pub, but a bustling music venue that covers a huge range of genres (it can be forgiven for the blue plaque stating "UB40 played here"). Easy to get to on the number 50 bus and with plenty of on-street parking (if you're not drinking, of course) available, it's well located on Kings Heath High Street. Like so many of the great venues in Birmingham, the exterior is smart and well kept (giving off a "traditional village pub" vibe). The interior isn't hipster, but rather twee and portraying a feel of antiquity. There are comfy booths and plentiful tables and chairs, but this venue can get very busy due to it's reputation and collection of fiercely loyal regulars. It has a smoking area just off the street (at the side of the pub on York Road), which is a great place to start chatting with the other frequenters. Last Friday we ended up having great conversations with total strangers about the cost of the Bloody Mary in London and Don Letts (who is due to be appearing at the venue soon). As with so many of the bars in this "up and coming" area, a drink aint cheap. It certainly isn't as bad as some Central bars - but you are looking over £3 a pint .It was £1.90 a half of guinness (rather than £1.80 as previously stated), making a full pint of the black stuff £3.90. A double vodka and tonic was north of £5. That being said, I still believe the venue is worthy of 4* (for it's fantastic atmosphere and well kept decor). If you are a keen Muso, I would recommend regularly checking the listings. There are some really great events being put on right through the year with big and small names rocking the H&H. If you're in Kings Heath, I recommend this as a bar to check out - but being based on the High Street and York Road; you are spoiled for choice in this area.

Hidden gem. Beautiful family run pub in the heart of digbeth with live music and events. Lovely…read morescotch eggs and cobs on offer with friendly bar staff

Do you suffer from the chain pub blues? Well, The Spotted Dog is here as a perfect cure for what…read moreales you! This pub is located in Deritend/Digbeth and has the look and feel perfect for Brum's Irish Quarter. It has a real sense of place and history, as should any pub with its own theme song (seriously, check it out on youtube). The landlord John has built a reputation as a friendly face of the pub and representative of the neighbourhood. In a sea of bars and gastropubs serving £12 'craft' cocktails, the Spotted Dog serves as a landmark of sanity. The pub has a charmingly worn interior that is ridiculously clean for a boozer in Digbeth. Table tops adorned with candles sit inside, while a side door through the lounge exits onto what is probably the best covered garden in the whole of Brum. The drinks menu is simple yet satisfying. You'll find some of the usual suspects like Guiness on draft in addition to several rotating real ales. Liquor covers a breadth of options, with regular specials. On jazz night (Tuesday), Bushmills Irish Whiskey can be had for a pound and certain ales for £2.50. Even on a normal night, The Spotted Dog is one of the best values in Birmingham. The pub opens at 5PM most nights (sometimes later in the winter). Crisps are offered as the only snack, so you'll want to plan for food accordingly. The customer service is above expectations. A friend and I stopped in one evening right as the pub opened to sip some whiskey. As the first and only customers for over an hour, John shared with us some special Polish vodka a personal friend had brought to him. One of his bartenders asked what music to put on over the sound system and his reply was 'anything you want, as long as it's Bo Diddley'. These types of charmingly quaint memories are what makes The Spotted Dog so special for me. If you are in search of a proper Irish pub experience, look no further than The Spotted Dog.

Traditional looking from the outside with a spacious more modern interior. Do not let this put you…read moreoff however as the real ale that you can get here is worth going for. Maybe it misses having an identity - minor point though!

This is a nice little pub just outside of town. It is in the more studenty area of Coventry but has…read moremany other regulars too. It's only a smallish pub but it has a lot of character.They often have bands on and the pub serves traditonal beers in a nice atmosphere.

I actually love this place. Really sweet with the train set up and great staff…read more We came for a working lunch meeting, and now I really want to come here more! The food was genuinely epic, sandwich, salad and chips- and seriously good value- the decor was gorgeous, and the bar looked well stocked even though I was only on the Diet Coke! I hope to get across for one of their infamous and intimate comedy nights soon

This is one of my favorite pubs in Birmingham. When all food items on the menu are available, they…read moreare superb! I'm wary of going on the weekends though, because they typically run out of the vegetarian items by then as well as some beers. They occasionally host tap takeovers and fun events like a vinyl fair, plus comedy upstairs Thurs-Sat. My absolute favorite item on the menu is the vegetarian filo tart. It usually has a lovely blend of spinach, cheese, pine nuts, and mushrooms and is served with a superfood salad and optional chips. The superfood salad is divine - mixed lettuces, onions, pomegranate seeds, tomatoes, carrot shreds and peppers drizzled with a mustard seed vinaigrette. The chips are always cooked to perfection, never mushy. The atmosphere is warm and inviting. The outdoor seating includes heat lamps for winter and dazzly lighting.

The Actress & Bishop is a real institution in Birmingham. It has that traditional pub feeling with…read morea real connection to Brums live music community. I have been coming here for literally years now. In my early student days a very young me would be down the front of the gig room getting sweaty to a mates band, when I visit now however it is much more if a civilised affair usually with food on the terrace or a pint downstairs. Its great to see so much still going on here, the venue still has strong following and keeps providing young Birmingham acts and bands with a stage to play on. Well done Actress & Bishop!

As stated by Vicky O the A & B has long been regarded as a great venue for bands and the odd comedy…read moregig. Recently(ish) they sorted out the rather tired looking decking out the front and refurbed inside as well. Unfortunately in doing so it seems to have lost some of the charms it previously had. They've reduced the amount of seating downstairs which is probably great when it's really busy on a weekend but during the week (which is the only time I ever go) it leaves the whole place looking rather sparse. Being an ale fan I have been continually disappointed as the ales have always been off when I've been in (along with most of the better lagers as well). I can understand the intention behind the refurb as the area round St. Pauls is a little more upmarket but in sprucing the place up and removing the dive bar aesthetic they seem to have also removed the soul of the venue. Although, the Monday night quiz is well worth a go!