Diary of a Birmingham Party Girl
In the run up to the first ever edition of Arcane, our Editor Louise decided she should get out and about in Birmingham and see what the city has to offer – and she certainly didn’t do it by halves! With reviews on no less than 7 venues, sit back and enjoy the Diary of a Birmingham Party Girl...
February 1st – Pitcher and Piano
Tonight my best friend and I were out celebrating some personal successes, as we have both done well recently in our professional careers and decided that this was a definite cause for a trip to Birmingham City Centre. We headed to Brindley Place for a quiet drink near the canal side, and chose The Pitcher and Piano to spend the night in.
The venue is laid out beautifully, with plenty of seating, comfy sofas to relax on and a roaring open fire to warm your bones near. From the ground floor, you can look down to the basement room below – which is far from dingy, and instead is bright and welcoming; opening onto the canal side in the warmer weather.
Considering the venues upmarket feel, the price list was not bad at all. Red, White and Rose wine from £3.45 by the glass or £13.25 a bottle. The Pitcher and Piano has a wide variety of draught and bottled beer and cider, as well as a nice selection of shorts and spirits – but it is their cocktail menu that really impresses. With a massive choice of no less than 34 different cocktails and shots, ranging from the classic Mojito to the more exotic Choc a L’Organe – which is an exciting mix of vodka, Cointrea chocolate liqueur, milk and cream – there is sure to be something to suit everyone’s tastes, and many of the cocktails are as little as £6.25 a glass.
However, as this was intended to be a night of celebration for my friend and I, we opted for something with a bit more fizz. The Pitcher and Piano also boasts a decent selection of sparking wines and champagnes, ranging from as little as £18, right up to the extravagant £150 a bottle bubbly. Seeing as how we were not out to break the bank that night, we opted for the £18 Segura Viudas Cava and it was so nice we had another one!
The Pitcher and Piano gets the thumbs up from me, and after hearing they serve food as well, I have a feeling I’ll be popping back there before too long.
February 3rd – Big Wok and Indi Bar
Having barely recovered from my trip to the Pitcher and Piano and our two bottles of bubbly, I headed out tonight for an evening of fun, frivolity and fancy dress to celebrate Chinese New Year with some of my fellow journalists and industry peers. As it is Year of the Rabbit, we had each donned a pair of bunny ears and headed first to the Big Wok for a meal, before drinks at Indi Bar in the Arcadian.
If I’m totally honest, there are very few Chinese buffet restaurants which don’t feel like the school hall at dinner time, but the Big Wok definitely hadn’t done much to make the dining experience any more pleasurable. The place was hugely noisy, cold and the layout and decor screams greasy spoon cafe – which is a real shame as the food was really very good. They have a wide variety of different dishes on offer, and the freshly made chicken satays were a really nice touch. At only £9.99 for the evening menu, I could hardly complain at the price, but in all truth I have been to much nicer Chinese buffets, and the Big Wok could really do with a revamp.
From there we headed over to Indi Bar in the Arcadian, which is quite a small bar with very little seating, and most of the space is reserved for the DJ and the dance floor – but it somehow suits its purpose. The drinks are really cheap, and it’s not hard to see why this is a student favourite. On a Thursday, when we went, selected drinks are as little as £1 – with draught beer only £1.50 a pint and bottles of wine only £6.
The music is mostly current chart toppers, with some dance and old school R&B thrown in for good measure. Overall, it’s a nice bar, with cheap drinks and a good atmosphere, its only downside being it is quite small so it does get crowded quickly, and the lack of seating is a problem if you aren’t the type to be on the dance floor all night.
February 9th – Briar Rose and The Victoria
Tonight an old school friend and I decided to have a catch up over dinner and drinks, and so we headed off to the Briar Rose for some food, before heading to The Victoria pub for some drinks later. The Briar Rose is part of the Wetherspoon family, so the menu boasts the same good value for menu and wide range as the others in the chain. The meals are substantial and they really are very good value for money, with many options on the menu falling under the “meal and a free drink” promotion which is offered throughout the week – and, as with the other Wetherspoon restaurants, they offer a wide variety of drinks from across the world. They are one of the only places I know which sell my favourite foreign beer, Efes, so that always goes down well with me! The bar staff were friendly, the food was prompt, there was plenty of seating and the whole bar is nicely decorated and has a warm atmosphere.
After dinner we headed to The Victoria pub, which has become one of my favourite places to drink over the last year. During the week, it keeps its appearance of a quiet local pub - despite it’s location in the city centre – but of a weekend it comes to life with two rooms of alternative and indie music and classic 60s, 70s and 80s records too. The prices are a bit steeper than other pubs in the area, but the atmosphere in The Vic is second to none. With bookcases around the seating areas, carpeted dance floors and antique furniture, it takes you back in time through both the music and the decor of the place. An absolute must for all serious music lovers!
February 10th – Ask restaurant
Ask is a fabulous Italian restaurant chain, which seems to often be overlooked by food lovers for some reason – despite the fact that in my opinion it produces some of the best Italian food I have ever eaten. I took my best friend for dinner there tonight, and she loved it just as much as I did! With a wide menu of authentic Italian pasta, pizza and risotto dishes (to name but a few), and a bustling and interesting atmosphere it will appeal to all lovers of Italian food – and a fair few who aren’t I should imagine!
The Penne Paesana (pesto drenched pasta, with pine nuts, mushrooms and strips of garlic chicken) is my favourite dish, and at only £8.95 you could afford to eat there every week. Ask also offer great 2-for-1 offers several times a month, so if you want a tasty treat without the hefty price tag I’d suggest you sign up to their mailing list and start receiving the great deals they have on offer.
March 2nd – Reflex
Having been crazy busy recently, and not managing to get further than my local pub most weekends, I finally made it back to Birmingham tonight for a long-overdue trip to Reflex. Reflex is THE place for 80s music, and ever since I have been old enough to go, this club has to be my favourite on Broad Street.
Venues which are part of a chain usually guarantees you cheap drinks promotions, and you will not be disappointed with Reflex’s offerings. Most bottles, including beer and alcopops, are just £1.49, double vodka Redbulls are only £1.99, and each Thursday all cocktails are £1.99. Bring on the Cheeky Vimto!
The music is great, the atmosphere is great and the whole night is always a blast. Everything from the revolving dance floor, to the DIY pole-dancing podiums just screams wild night out, and my friends and I just cannot get enough of the place.
That’s it for now folks, but for more reviews in Diary of a Birmingham Party Girl visit www.arcanemagazine.wordpress.com to read Louise’s blog.
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