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Bars Birmingham review

ROXY BALL ROOM BIRMINGHAM -REVIEW

GOT BALLZ BAB?

Come on through Roxy Ball Room, another brand new addition to Digbeth that is guaranteed to be a popular attraction for all in Birmingham. Located on Heath Mill Lane just right next door to Birdies bar and just round the corner from Digbeth Dining Club, Digbeth is thriving lately with more independents and attractions opening up every month, so why not throw another one into the mix hey?! I was invited to the launch night of Roxy Ball Room, a venue offering a variety of thrilling games for all to enjoy. From bowling, beer pong to arcade games, there’s plenty to explore in this adult version of Disneyland.

Arriving at 6.15 pm the venue was already getting packed out, the sound of bowling strikes, the clinking of glasses and the cheers from groups of people already enjoying themselves and its only 15 minutes into opening time?! The venue is pretty big offering a good selection of games that are spread out on two floors. The ground floor offers bowling, arcade games, bar and a few beer pong tables whereas upstairs offers more games such as ping pong, pool tables, shuffleboards and well, even more beer pong! Right next to the bar on the ground floor is the games desk where you would book your games.

The bar offers a variety of craft beers, wines and flashy cocktails, with all that on offer we pulled the basic bitch move, glass of prosecco, please! The first thing that caught my eye when you walk into Roxy is the Arcadian basketball machines. Pumped up to shoot some hoops, like an absolute klutz I spilt my prosecco over the machine-For god sake, you silly bugga Amy. Filling up with embarrassment as I had only been here no more than 15 minutes, one of the staff members came out of nowhere advising me not to worry, cleaned up the prosecco and then like a knight in shining armour brought me another prosecco with a smile within a minute, now that’s a bloody good service right there.

After shooting some hoops we made our way to the games desk and booked the bowling, straight away we were offered a lane. The game was set up already for us and also a staff member was there ready and waiting for any drinks or food orders. It’s £8 per person per game which is cheaper than my local. The bowling is just good solid fun, I haven’t played bowling in years and the thought of juggling heavy balls for the night doesn’t really excite me, but I absolutely loved it. My friend and I were howling with laughter, I managed to pull it out of the bag and get myself a strike, however, being all “Billy big balls” from my strike, soon landed me in the gutter and losing the game. Now, If you don’t fancy bowling there is plenty of fun-filled games to get that competitive streak out of you! Why not fancy a bit of beer pong? Balls, Brummies and booze? Now that’s a cocktail I’ll have any time of the day.

Talking of cocktails, there is a variety on offer behind the bar from signature cocktails, craft beers and for groups, they provide drink packages for reasonable prices. For those who fancy a quiet night (lolz) or still participating in “Dry January” there is a good selection of mocktails and soft drinks on offer. The service is pretty sharp here, I didn’t wait long at all to order a drink (2 minutes) and being a 5 ft 1 girl, the struggle is real when ordering a drink at the bar. Again the customer service was fantastic, very friendly and accommodating.

Now on to the food, from baked to perfection pizzas to naughty dripping burgers on offer to satisfy your taste buds or to help soak some of that alcohol up Pal. The pizzas are delicious but dangerous, as Laura and I found ourselves drooling over the bar a couple of times watching the chefs bake even more pizza and signalling them to feed us more. The portions differ, if you’re not feeling that hungry you can always opt for snacks such as cracked pepper chips and Mac N Cheese bites. Roxy also offers vegan and gluten-free options, these are highlighted on the menu. The prices are spot on for the portion and quality of food you get.

Another fantastic attraction that fits in perfectly in Digbeth with its industrial “Ready Player One” interior, Electric vibes flowing throughout and Birmingham artwork honouring the city with Birmingham icons such as Ozzy Osbourne and Mike Skinner. This playground for adults is guaranteed to give all a bloody tip-top time. The prices are reasonable, the staff are fun and attentive to gamers and the atmosphere is buzzing. The only negative I would say about Roxy Ball Room is that all good things must come to an end and I didn’t want the night to end, you could balls it all up and still have a bloody awesome time in there. Round up your crew and head on down to Roxy Ball Room in Digbeth, it’s time to put on that game face and get your ballz wet Babs!

Thank you for the invite and welcome to the Digbeth family, Roxy Ball Room. To many people Roxy will be right up their alley. This place is guaranteed to become a Brummie gem in months to come.

AMY ELIZA

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Hotel stay review

BLOC HOTEL REVIEW-THE JEWELLERY QUARTER

Located in the heart of the Jewellery Quarter is a sleek modern hotel with a pinch of neon that oozes Vice City Vibes. Bloc Hotel offers travellers a comfortable nights sleep in Japanese pod inspired rooms that to some might feel it’s a tight squeeze but to others may feel its compact, affordable and convenient. Surrounded by the historical yet animated atmosphere of the Jewellery Quarter, this hotel offers “affordable luxury stays” to the traveller who doesn’t have to go far for necessities.

Arriving at Bloc hotel that is slapped right in the middle of Snow Hill and the Jewellery Quarter train station offering a perfect location for transport links,restaurants, attractions and bars. Once we checked in and showed photo I.D we proceeded to our vista room on the third floor. Upon entering the room the first thing that jumps out at you is the size, it’s a bit on the small side. The second thing that stands out is how spotless the room is, nice clean sheets, fresh towels and not one little squirrel hair in sight. The bathroom (wet room) is also very small equipped with a monsoon shower and the essence of sandlewood.The room offers king-sized beds that are the same width of the room , ambient mood lighting (GTA Vice City vibes), toiletries such as soap, body wash and shampoo, HD TV, climate control system and WIFI. I also had a nice view from the window of the BT tower and some of the offices in Snow Hill. There is not a wardrobe in the room but there is a couple of coat hangers and hooks plus room under the bed to store away your travel bags/suitcases.

Once settled in I decided to look for food and referred to my Around the Bloc guide that’s in the room packed full of information on all the restaurants and bars in the area plus you can get discounts when you stay with Bloc! You dont have to go far to find a place that offers good grub round here, just opposite the Bloc hotel is Otto Wood Fired Pizza and located down the road in Saint Pauls Square is several eaterys and bars that are worth a pop in such as Saint Kitchen, Saint Pauls House and a golden oldie of mine: Actress & Bishop.

After a couple of red wines I headed back to the hotel just in time for bed at 10pm like the right old fart that I am. I had the neon purple “mood” lighting on with the blind open revealing a pretty cosmopolitan view of the thriving Colmore Row business district. The bed was very comfortable, duvet not too heavy and the tempature was just right. My retirement plans to bed soon changed as Ryan Gosling came on my TV screen in Nicholas Winding Refn’s “Drive” so I decided to stay up and dribble. Heading towards midnight there was a couple of “rumpy pumpy” noises in the night from next door but what do you expect the hotel is cheaper than a travelodge and well, we are all human hey? This wouldnt be the first hotel to of seen a bit of action and it certainly wont be the last. After I stopped giggling, I managed to fall asleep and my goodness, what a sleep I had, I woke up like bloody Sleeping Beauty. I suffer with a bit of back pain now and then but I felt like the mattress actually did me some good, for the past 3 years I have woken up with shooting pains in my back so it was amazing to wake up with no pain for once.

Bottled water is included in the rooms however there is no tea and coffee facilities, there is a coffee machine downstairs in the reception area however the downside to this is that you have to pay with cash. As we are leaning more towards going cashless nowadays, this may cause a right itch in the hoohar however there are many local coffee shops by the hotel that can ease the coffee morning jitters but it would of been nice to wake up to coffee in my room.

Checking out was very easy, hand in the hotel key and leave, simples. The staff were very polite and straight away they asked If I enjoyed my stay. A pleasant stay at a hotel I wouldn’t have thought to stay in but I would recommend Bloc as it offers luxurious yet affordable rooms, a great location bursting with lively nightlife, swanky restaurants and buzzing bars plus positive customer service. This hotel may be best suited for people who commute or fancy a budget stay in Brum for the night with prices ranging from £40-£80, you really can’t argue with the price even over a cup of coffee. They also have a range of bigger rooms on availability that I can confirm, do have tea and coffee facilities so its just the vista rooms that don’t provide this.

A comfortable night’s stay in a lovely modern hotel in the heart of the Jewellery Quarter where a room for the night didn’t have to burn a hole in my purse, would I book again? Of course I would, Bloc is an absolute treat for the price.

Please note this was a gifted experience by Bloc Hotel Birmingham, if you wish to use any of my photography please get in touch.

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Birmingham review

FESTIVE AFTERNOON TEA AT THE EDGBASTON HOTEL IN BIRMINGHAM

The Edgbaston is known to many for its alluring art deco interior oozing that 1920s class, unique but oh so fulfilling cocktails and its vintage showstopper afternoon tea. The Edgbaston is highly recommended by all especially at Christmas which for many is like stepping into a Charles Dickens novel, think A Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist with just a pinch of Tim Burton. Antique chandeliers, grand Christmas trees and delicate 1920s art deco tea sets, An afternoon tea here is not just fulfilling your taste buds but it’s also giving you the classic 1920s experience for the whole family to enjoy.

You can’t miss The Edgbaston especially at Christmas time draped in a red bow, a showstopper for all passers-by to grab their phones and take a snap. Beautiful on the outside and of course, in the inside. Soon as you go through the doors your experience begins with beautifully decorated interior and staff that are there to greet you straight away and make you feel at home. We arrived 40 minutes early however we were told we could sit down straight away at our table. Our afternoon tea took place in the lounge which just oozed that classic vintage attire, from mix match art deco sets to a grand 1920s bar that is quite simply spectacular. We were sat at a table which was quite small for 5 people, one person would have to be shoved at the end however this was noticed by our waiter and he offered a bigger table for us all.

The time had arrived, and we were brought out menus and asked what afternoon tea we wanted to have. We all opted for the Juliet sparking rose afternoon tea which also came with a hot drink that priced at £35.00. The rose was served first, sweet and bubbly nothing to complain about at all, it was a nice refresher to start us all off. Of course, the famous dry ice spectacular experience was next displaying a couple of cheesecake puddings to ease us in before the main event. A showstopper, of course, you can see all heads turning to your table and all phones leap out of everyone’s pockets to film because it is quite simply, dazzling to watch. The cheesecakes were a nice touch, not too sweet but very favourable and was a nice touch.

The afternoon tea arrived showcasing a variety of sandwiches and desserts, from turkey and cranberry mini baguettes to cheese and chutney crackers, and egg and cress brioche rolls, however, my brioche roll was simply missing the filling. This was rectified and a new brioche roll with filling came out within a minute. The deserts are small yet satisfying, jam-packed with a variety of flavours from raspberry, passion fruit, lemon and caramel. All flavours that pack a powerful punch to your sweet tooth. Soon as the sandwiches and desserts were gobbled down, The tea was served with the Scones and mince pies next. It would have been nice for the tea to be served with the afternoon tea sandwiches however this maybe because we didn’t mention anything and we could have had the option. A very generous pot of tea that gave me 3/4 cups of tea and our waiter also mentioned if we want any more to just ask. The scones were just the right texture and size, not like some mutilated scones you see in some places, I found they were also not that heavy on the stomach so I could eat a scone at peace and not be struggling for breath to fit it in my gob. A variety of sized mince pies that were same as the scones not too heavy and very delicious.

The staff are very knowledgeable, before tucking in our waiter who was very lovely explained to us what everything on the afternoon tea stand was, what was in it, what flavours, what would taste best with what drinks. I honestly don’t know how they remember everything, but it was very impressive. The staff add to the experience here, high-class service at its best, they are so attentive and really will go out there way to help customers out.

In conclusion, The Edgbaston is a stunning experience for all to experience at any time throughout the year not just at the festive season. A no brainer to sugar lovers however to non-sugar lovers you may be left craving a bit more savoury after the experience has finished. That is the only negative I would say, there are not enough sandwiches but that tiny negative is overshadowed by so much positivity as we all had a lovely afternoon and really enjoyed it at The Edgbaston.

The Edgbaston is an experience you will find nowhere else, The food, the service, and the staff is second class to none. It truly is a high class independent that will always have a sparkling future ahead in Birmingham.

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Food review

The Early Bird Bakery in Kings Heath-Review

Venturing out to Kings Heath on a cold Winters day with the family, we came across this little beauty of a Bakery on the High Street that simply gave us a wonderful family brunch with heart-warming food and a cosy atmosphere. A must visit, The Early Bird Bakery is one of Kings Heaths most valuable hidden gems.

At 2pm, the Bakery was already packed with happy customers and plates of rainbow coloured foods, luckily we managed to find a table. It’s quite a small space, there’s only a couple of tables and window seats, so a Saturday drop-in you may need to think about popping in the early morning to avoid disappointment. What first lit up my eyes were the array of cakes on display from tarts to cronuts all glistening in the display cabinet and of course, my Mom was the first to window lick the deserts on display, steady on Mom first things first, let’s check this menu out.

Quite a small weekend menu however offering a wide variety of lunch options, all different and unique with a bucket load of ingredients in each dish. Sweet potato hash brown, house-cured salmon bagels, toasties, and sweet and sour cabbage hummus, this isn’t your typical lunch at Weatherspoon’s. The Menu just oozes creativity, and whilst it took me a little while to work out what I fancied, I was quite fascinated and intrigued to see how these varieties of ingredients would go together in the dishes. The drinks menu is on a board on the wall offering a range of coffees, teas and soft drinks for all. Please note that the food menu changes regularly.

I decided to go with the ham hock & winters greens toast with a poached egg, my Sister ordered the house-cured salmon bagel, my Dad ordered the mushroom toastie and my Mom ordered a apple pecan bun. Its order at the till service and our drinks came within 5 minutes of ordering. My tea arrived presented lovely on a wooden board and it tasted as good as it looked. Looking around the Bakery, it’s very clean and simplistically decorated with a splash of rustic interior here and there. Within 10 minutes of ordering, plates of food were making there way over to our table and all of our eyes lit up.

The food is beautifully presented, full of colour and full of life. The one thing that spoils my dining experience is a stubborn egg, so a yolk test is essential when ordering eggs and it passed alright with flying yolky colours, it was a beauty. My dish held a variety of flavours, it was so delicious, I could taste the caramelised onion and mustard puree with hints of lemon and mint, it all blended so well. I always have a problem with sourdough, some places just get it completely wrong where it’s just impossible to cut into but the sourdough at The Early Bird was bang on, kudos to you guys it stayed well on my plate and didn’t go flying out the door. My Sister enjoyed her bagel, I managed to grab a bite and again, full of flavour, refreshing and not so heavy, it was perfect. I, unfortunately, didn’t manage to get a photo or try my Dad’s mushroom toastie as I was obsessing over mine so much but my Dad’s comments were “Great meal, won’t be expecting dinner from your mother tonight, that’s done the trick” I take that as a positive.

The prices are very reasonable, my dish cost around £8 and I think that’s a very generous price for such a high-quality fantastic dish. After a table full of spotless cleaned up plates, we were asked if we enjoyed it and of course, we did, it was great to feedback to the staff who are very pleasant and caring towards their customers. Before we left, my Mom couldn’t leave without another cake, so we got a round of cakes in to take home with our brews before settling down to Sundays car crash Tv. We ordered the passionfruit cruffin which was very appetizing and luscious, I saved the other half for work the next day but almost lost it to a pack of vultures when it popped out my bag. I’ll fight a seagull any day for an The Early Bird Bakery cake.

The Early Bird Bakery was such a wonderful experience, the food is different but unique and more importantly, it works. I wish they would branch out and open one in the City Centre, but that’s just me being a bit selfish as I want it for myself so I will be making the journey to Kings Heath more often! Watch out fellow West midlands Bakery’s you have competition here.

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Birmingham Food review

INDICO STREET KITCHEN BIRMINGHAM-REVIEW

Now thanks to Indico we have North India right on our culinary doorstep offering food that is bursting full of flavour and a fantastic eastern experience for all. Soon to be a Birmingham favourite, Indico has already made an impression in the City Centre of Birmingham.

Indico is an Indian street food restaurant offering the flavours of Punjab to all of us looking to expand our culinary palettes! Indico opened there first restaurant in Shirley and the restaurant has received an award-winning status and now, Indico has opened there second restaurant in the Mailbox in Birmingham. Located in a great location sitting right opposite Bar Estillo, becoming the Mailboxes only Indian restaurant. We made sure we booked and it was lucky we did because come 6 pm it started to quickly fill up. Vibrant, bursting with colour and beautifully decorated, each table displays a teapot cannister that gives it that personal eastern touch to each table. We were greeted with smiles straight away and shown to our table and handed menus.

A wide variety of options from Currys, Tikka dishes, to Paaji burgers. A huge selection which will put a few people in a pickle choosing, I changed my mind literally 4 times. I found my myself scooping up my saliva looking at the menu, this food is defiantly going to test the tastebuds. First things first,  Papadums. Papadams are served with mango chutney, pickle, onion relish and mint sauce they came with Far Fars which are like little crisps that have been deep-fried, very addictive! Looking at the drinks menu there is a variety of drink options, the cocktails I will say are quite adventurous! Bollywood star dirty martini to Gingerbread martinis packed with a punch, very exotic and appetising cocktails. I went for a classic Strawberry daiquiri and boy, did it pack a punch, very sweet and quite the naughty little cocktail packed with a strong KAPOW of Rum! After a 10 minute debate with myself on what the heck I should order, I decided to order the lamb gilafi Kebab with cheesy masala fries and Bhatura bread, We also ordered The chefs special chicken taka tak curry with fried rice.

Looking around the place it is beautifully decorated with authentic decoration with a quirky tweak but stays true to Indicos North Indias roots, the seating areas are nice and spacious, and the interior just oozes class. The atmosphere is relaxing, the staff are very friendly and kept checking up on us to see if we were enjoying the experience. Now, this may irritate many eaters but for me, I’d rather have someone ask me how my food/experience is instead of being totally ignored. Food is flying in and out of the kitchen and the smell is absolutely divine, The service time is spot on, our food came within 15 minutes.

The lamb kebab was cooked to perfection and fell apart in my mouth. I am not a big fan of spice but this was quite mild, so I was able to eat the food without throwing down gallons of water. The curry was full of flavour and cooked very well, with nice juicy well-cooked pieces of chicken. The masala cheese fries were good but could have done with an extra bit of sauce, but I just dipped them into the curry and I can’t complain, it was an outstanding combination! The Bhatura bread was nicely baked, soft, fluffy and oh so satisfying! The food overall was full of flavour, delicious and possibly some of nicest Indian street food I have ever tasted.

I am very grateful for Indico gracing us City Centre folk, with its authentic charm and fantastic food and service. One thing that stood out at indico was the service, the customer service was brilliant however they may need to be a bit careful as some restaurant-goers want to be left to eat and not quizzed regarding the food. Of course, please take into account that I attended on the first week of the opening so of course, they want to know the feedback. I very much enjoyed my experience I came in with a smile and left with an even bigger smile but the only downside about my experience was as soon as I stood outside the door, I wanted more. I will be back before the new year as one trip simply wasn’t enough. Another fantastic restaurant in Birmingham with no doubt in my mind will be a favourite to many.

Congratulations Indico.

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Bars Birmingham review

ONCE UPON A TIME IN BIRMINGHAM

Where Elton John meets Albert Square…

Okay, So I am currently up at 2 am in the morning writing this up because guess who decided to get so drunk on a school night? This moron right here. I can now say those two words that most parents dread to hear…ITS CHRISTMAS

*QUE THE WIZZARD SONG”
Every year Christmas seems to get bigger and bigger and those pockets of yours seem to get emptier and emptier. Birmingham is always coming up with new and exciting Christmas related events to draw those with the spirit of Christmas in so when a mysterious event popped up called “Once Upon A Time In Birmingham” of course, it caught my attention however this is one event that might make you want to stay clear of Christmas this year.

Nested in the old Jamie Italian restaurant lies Once Upon A Time in Birmingham. A festive pop up with 88,000 festive lights, tea parlour, party bar and event space brought to you Bompas & Parr. Walking through the front doors I was greeted with many smiles and gold shredded tinsel. The bar was on the left and a metal chain hanging curtain was straight in front which was the entrance to the light extravaganza. First thoughts, a strange combination of materials but okay, we will go with this.

When entering the main attraction my eyes lit up, 88,000 various hanging Christmas lights and a variety of bizarre Christmas decorations you had in your house from the ’90s. They had a fair share of seating areas, from tables and chairs to booths and even a section that wasn’t lit up at all which seemed to me, very out of place. We were told that later on in the night the seating area by the DJ Booth would go and would turn into a dance floor. It’s different and it’s very extra but we like different here in Birmingham, so lets get into this!

Sitting down in the “vibrating” booth which certainly did not give me good vibrations because we couldn’t feel any vibration at all. We took a look at the menu, a range of festive drinks from eggnog to winter spiced champagne cocktails. Beers and wines were also on the menu. Its order at the bar service and I decided to go for the winter spiced champagne cocktail.

Now, please tell me how I got quite pissed off half a cocktail? Well, I tell you why because they got the alcohol measurement totally wrong. When the bartender came over to take our next drink options, I mentioned it and he said they had 60% whiskey in there and had JUST cut it down as it was way too strong. I should bloody think so, I was hanging on those Christmas decorations like a pissed-up fairy on a Christmas tree. I decided to let them off and I ordered a gin & pomegranate drink which was a lot more drinkable and had the flavours of christmas. We tried a variety of the drinks, all with festive ingredients and they do smell lovely!

Looking around I noticed a couple of issues, the décor on opening night you expect those 88,000 lights to be working, they weren’t all working. It was a bizarre mixture of lights, I had it in my head it was going to be all the same but mixing with the tinsel and the other odd Christmas décor (also the random white Christmas tree that didn’t go at all) it’s like Elton John meets EastEnders in this joint. Now, I am no interior design expert but from my experience of designing and building houses on The Sims… it would have looked a lot more classy with the same lighting throughout and no tinsel crap.  The area that turns into a dance floor is quite concerning because I can just see with the boozy drinks offerings and the cheeky helium balloons they have on the menu, it’s going to be Christmas day mayhem of ripping down those decorations. I feel for the cleaners.

The booze was catching up with me and the scent of cinnamon was irritating my nose so when things get a bit too overpowering for me, I like to sit down and have a cup of tea and that’s exactly what I did, I ordered a cup of tea at Santa’s grotto. There was no escaping these Christmas scents because cinnamon was also in the tea. Taking in the loud scenery we were offered these pretty cool looking glasses to try on to get the full “experience” boy, would you get an experience alright, an experience of someone throwing up over you with these badboys. You can’t see a bloody thing and I even tried to drink my cup of tea wearing them in which I failed to do so and I ended up sipping back a chunk of my jumper.

The only food we got to try was the crystal-clear jelly which we saw on the promotional photo on the website that looked stunning with the lights reflecting of it, so we were really looking forward to this. When it came over our first impressions was…it’s tiny and it stinks of Christmas. Now I know why many places don’t sell clear jelly because soon as I saw it, I was rolling out that scene from Something About Mary in my head. What can I say? It tasted like nothing but that’s jelly anyway, but I was expecting a bit of a Christmas tweak to the pud. They offer a festive afternoon tea but looking at this it seems there are just deserts and tea, you can’t call it an afternoon tea if there are no BUNS HUN?! Where’s the sandwiches?! Let’s be honest when we have afternoon tea we want more savoury than sweets so I don’t know how this is going to work…

Honesty is the best policy and I have to say, I really wanted to love this but it was a little bit of a let down for me. Its amazing when you are full of alchol and I think every one should go and see it, the first words you will say when you see it is “OH WOW” it’s very extra and its very camp. Instagram obsessed girls would love it as there are many photo opportunities to be had and its fantastic for kids, kids will be AMAZED but playtime is over at 6pm. To me, the place looks unfinished and it comes across quite tacky. I couldn’t imagine spending a whole night in a throw-up Christmas without the christmas music? yep, a christmas event without christmas music but there was Chris Brown and Justin Bieber. I would recommend you all to check it out, I think it would be great to take the family for a 1 or 2 hours but its not a place you would keep rushing back to. A good attempt but if tweaked, it could be massively improved however for me, it didnt really capture the spirit of Christmas, it left me completly confused and I spent most of the night thinking I was at a 90s christmas party at my primary school. 

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Birmingham Food review

WAYLANDS YARD BIRMINGHAM-REVIEW

My eggy crumpets bring all the boys to the yard…

Located in the city centre on busy Bull Street opposite the tram lies Wayland’s Yard. A quirky independent serving up a wide variety of coffee, freshly made food to warm the heart and tickle our satisfying taste buds and a great atmosphere for the people of Brum. When mentioning Wayland’s Yard to a couple of friends I was gobsmacked that they never even heard of it! so here is a lesson in educating the people of Brum of our amazing independents in the city and Wayland’s Yard is one of them.

Arriving just before lunchtime with a Wayland’s virgin (My good OL’ pal Bridge) we settled right down and grabbed a menu. It was around 12 pm, few people in there but not raving busy. The interior inside is very urban, almost feels like your dining in a warehouse with a few botanicals touches here and there. I like how it is quite minimal and it’s a light spacious venue with a generous offering of seats and tables. Every table displays a food menu and the drinks menu is right behind the till with a variety of pastries and cakes on offer. It’s order at the till service and they are pretty sharp with the service, my tea came within 2 minutes.

A wide variety of Breakfast & Brunch meals on offer, from eggy crumpets to one pans. The prices are reasonable, the prices of the big brunches are £11.50, okay, it’s not a £7 breakfast you get at your local Weatherspoon’s. We are talking about fresh, high-quality ingredients that are freshly cooked on the day…not in a microwave! There is also plenty of options for vegetarians and vegans. I decided to order the eggy crumpets with chorizo and avocado, and Bridge ordered Eggs Florentine.

The food came to us beautifully presented and full of colour. Diving straight into it was absolutely divine, the crumpets were soft and fluffy, and it was bursting with flavour. Forget basic-bitch crumpets like Warburtons think soft sassy little freaks that melt in your mouth. Never would think to put crumpets with chorizo, a strange combination that works wonders. The portions were very generous and very filling, Bridge loved her eggs Florentine, the eggs were cooked properly with a pop of a fork, the egg yolk spilled out…so satisfying when you see that right?

The staff are very friendly and very informative, I was stuck for choice with the teas as I am trying to lay off the milk and felt a bit peaky that day, so it was suggested the gunpowder green to give me a pick me up and boy, did it do wonders for me. The staff are full of smiles, there’s no denying that they enjoy working there and it’s lovely to see.

The food is stunning, the service is high class and the coffee is badass. I regularly go there now to pick up a hot drink in the morning and have a bite to eat at lunchtime. The only negative I have is that it’s right next to work and they are going to bugger up my yeast intolerance and add to my muffin top. In conclusion, this is definitely one of my favourite spots for bunch in the city and definitely a place that should be on your list to try out, dare I say? ANOTHER Brummie gem? Of course, it bloody is and please, support our independents and give your taste buds a bloody treat instead of that Costa Crap.

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Bars Birmingham review

BATTER UP BAB-THE FLOODGATE DIGBETH

Ever wondered what the future might look like? Look no more! Step into a futuristic urban world with rooms full of exploding colour and quirky artwork covering the walls of this fantastic venue. A variety of exciting and fun fulfilling games await you with refreshing cocktails and mouth watering delicious food. I had the pleasure of attending the launch night of The Floodgate in Digbeth and this is what went down in Digbeth’s newest attraction.

Floodgate Street Digbeth

Just turned 6.30 pm me and my cousin arrived at The Floodgate named after the street its on-Floodgate Street. We were greeted by a gentleman who gave us wrist bands for the various sporting activities that await us inside. The entrance is where you would check-in and pay for the games plus signing a disclosure for the batting cages in which you must read before you enter the cages. Entering the front doors, you see the Bleachers batting cages and the very large bar area full of seats and a wide variety of drinks. The music is upbeat, people were already smiling and we were offered a drink straight away..this is my kind of shindig. 

We first had a look around with our vibrant and refreshing cocktails- very good choice on offer from gins to rum-based cocktails and plenty of beer. In the main room, you have the batting cages, the bar and doors that lead to an outside area where the independent food trucks are selling a variety of tasty and oh so satisfying food. The four food vendors are Home run pizza company, The Cookie Mumsters, That’s mature toasties and Phata Phat food. Good selection of variety there but we had to a bit of exploring first.

We finished our first cocktails and headed to play Pit Pat table golf, the UK’s first and only PitPat. A neon jungle room that is very generous in size and offers a variety of PitPat tables for you all to challenge each other and enjoy. It’s a race around the room, completing the variety of challenging Pit Pat courses that are harder than they look however I quite surprised myself, I was quite good at it.

The next room we went into was the curling lanes, this was one of my favourites and really brings the competitive side out of you… this game may cause a few argy-bargys! 3 curling lanes and more neon lights, the room also offers more seating areas where if you feel like giving up, you can go sit down and have a sulk on the sideline. What I absolutely love about this room, is the ceiling full of Slinkys, that’s right SLINKYS, it’s raining Slinkys!
So creative and so Birmingham.

The final activity is the Bleachers Baseball batting cages where we first entered. This was the one game I wasn’t too sure about, but I absolutely loved. Only one person in the cage, you must wear a helmet, and you must stand by your mark. The balls shoot out pretty fast so it may take you by surprise at first, it never gets easier you just get better! This is great fun for groups and it’s so satisfying when you finally get that perfect hit.

On to the FOOD, my goodness and what a treat you guys are in for. We were absolutely spoilt, from pizza to cookie dough balls and butter chicken, it really did fulfil my taste buds and even satisfied my picky cousins food habits(she’s a hard one to please with food) As we sat down, the food just kept coming out and it was great to talk to some of the food vendors who were so excited as well as the Floodgate staff for the long-awaited opening. A shout out to Home run pizza company which was honestly the tastiest pizza I have ever had (3 little pigs Pizza) The food is fantastic and we both left with full satisfied bellies.

Another great attraction in Digbeth to draw friends, families, parties and even first dates. The vibe in here is electric, throwing back beers to upbeat music and hearing the roars of laughter throughout the venue. Another Brummie gem, Well done Floodgate I am sure you are going to do fantastically well! Thank you for the invite, it was an absolute pleasure and we had a belter of a time!

So many exciting attractions, it is never-ending! You really are spoiling us aren’t you Brum?

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Bars Birmingham Food review

THE GIN VAULT BIRMINGHAM REVIEW

Let the good times be GIN!

Hidden away on Gas Street, you will find this little gem of a place on the canals. A Gin bar offering masterclasses, cocktail making and TAPAS. Gin lovers are faced with a novel of gins to choose from and a varied food menu with great offers on all week. This has been on my list for quite some time to try out and finally, the time is here!

Entering the vault, it is a reasonable sized venue all lit up with fairy lights. Very pretty venue and very warming, the staff are there to greet you and make you feel welcomed, straight away I felt very comfortable in there. For some reason, it was giving me old London/Pirates vibes, something different and it’s something that draws you in and makes you sit your butt down! Now, where do I begin with the 40 pages worth of gin?! I mean, this is a gin bar, what do you expect? It’s not a gin bar if there not offering a bloody book full of the stuff, its safe to say that you will never be stuck for choice here. I asked for advice from the lady at the bar, who was very happy to help, I opted for a raspberry fruity gin cocktail that was refreshing and not too heavy.

We went for 6 tapas for £17.95 and we was spoilt for choice because there wasn’t one plate on that menu that we didn’t like. Good selection of meats, fish and vegetarian and some great gluten-free options. Its order at the bar service when we went to order our food however there were a few plates they didn’t have due to non-deliveries however they offered suggestions such as I wanted the mac and cheese with chorizo but they said they could do mac and cheese croquettes in which I was happy with that.

Looking around its defiantly a place I would recommend for dates, and somewhere I would go for pre-drinks, the little booths are so inviting but the benches could do with being a little bit bigger as we had to move as my bum kept sliding off or maybe I should just lay off the avocados? The lighting is quite dark and the candles create that homely cosy feel which creates a relaxing atmosphere. 

The tapas portions are small but they are very filling. The tapas were very tasty and full of flavour, not the best tapas I have ever had as Spanish food is my favourite but it’s still very good! My favourite dish was the salmon bruschetta. I was impressed with the variety that’s on offer and the pricing, it’s very reasonable for what you are getting and I finished with a full belly and didn’t go snooping in the fridge when I got home.

Overall, another gem in Birmingham offering guests a unique experience and a great atmosphere for all kinds of occasions with an impressive selection of Gins. If you are a gin lover and looking to expand your palette, this is the place to do it. I would like to point out that there are other drink options such as beer, spirits and soft drinks. The staff are very friendly and very caring. I will defiantly go back here again to try out more of the fantastic food and try out the 400 gins that are on offer, this may take me some time!

Simply GINTASTIC!

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Bars Food review

BAB, WE ARE NOT IN BRUM ANYMORE- BIRDIES REVIEW

Birmingham to classy Ibiza who says you can’t have both in a day Hey?

Birmingham has opened up its very own tropical paradise in the heart of Digbeth. Birdies is an outdoor cocktail bar with a beach/island theme selling refreshing cocktails and bloody good BBQ food. 

Right next door to Ghetto Golf and just down the road from Digbeth Dining Club, you will see the Birdies neon sign flashing amongst palm trees to lure those of us desperate for a holiday. Stepping into Birdies is like stepping into your holiday without the hassle of early morning rises, broken toilet signs and crying children. The place has been made out of shipping containers (of course, that’s Digbeth for you) decorated in fantastic art that gives that quirky edge. Open roof in the centre means it’s the place to be in the summer, however, I am wondering what they are going to do when dreaded winter arrives.

It’s order at the tills, they have a main bar for ordering the drinks and then they have the kitchen bar where you can order the food. They do not display food menus on the tables so you will have to check the main menu by the food bar. From halloumi burgers to salt and pepper chicken and even ‘Buddha Bowls’- there is a variety on offer and they even cater for vegan and gluten free.

I opted for the salt and pepper chicken fries and a cheeky can of Estrella. Once ordered, I sat back and relaxed listening to the music, the music is bloody good in here and I need the playlist ASAP. Seating area is very generous here from container seats to barstools and deck chairs. Warning: the bar area is not so generous as there is only one bar, so it gets very busy on the nights as it’s lit up with fairy lights and looks like a classy full moon party-if they ever do exist. You have a great mixture of people in here, people of all ages and it’s great to see a couple of the old gals dancing with the young lads and teaching them how the older generation get down- I learnt a few things that night…

On to the important stuff, FOOD. The food is from streetvendor Apocalypse Cow who also provides the food for Ghetto Golf. It took about 20 minutes to come but I didn’t really care about the wait as I was too busy downing my drink and enjoying my holiday. When it did come my eyes lit up like a Christmas tree (too soon? Okay, okay) My salt and pepper chicken was POPPIN’ forget bloody KFC, Birdies chicken is finger lickin’ good! Layered with a Chinese sauce, very vibrant, very tasty, and the portion sizes are very generous, I actually couldn’t finish mine as it is quite filling. I made another trip back to Birdies for the cocktails, also very refreshing and tasted great and the prices are quite reasonable here. A variety of fruity cocktails on offer and beer, so you may be stuck for choice. For all you non-alcoholics or those nursing a dirty hangover, Birdies provides mocktail versions of all the cocktails so you don’t feel left out.

Birdies is the place to be, vibrant, lively and just a pretty god damn cool place to have casual drinks in the day and then a dance on the night. The only downside I would say is the bar on the nights, it gets way too busy and you could be waiting there for 20 minutes or more to be served. In the day, its perfect and the staff are very friendly and willing to help. If you’re sad that summer is over, you can always pop to Birdies as it’s summer all year round but just don’t expect a tan at the end of it.

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Food review

Breakfast at the Medicine Bakery Birmingham

Sunday Morning and Cronuts are calling.

Never heard of cronuts? Well, you will after your visit to Medicine Bakery in Birmingham however this bakery has a bit more to offer then just the yeast and Sunday morning I was there to find out.

Hidden away in the centre of Brum, you’ll find this gem squished in between Nando’s and Santander Bank literally 20 second walk from Victoria Square, look out for the fresh bread outside. When you step through the front door you are greeted with a grand staircase, but don’t let that put you off as what’s awaiting for you at the top of that staircase is bakery heaven, so in fact, it’s a stairway to heaven.

As I got to the top, I have never seen such a lovely display of bakery goods, but what caught my eye first are the cronuts. The staff are very helpful, straight away a young girl was there to assist me with my non-existent bakery knowledge, I asked what is a cronut? Instead of “its soo good you got to try it” she actually explained what it was “ A cronut is a croissant/donut pastry, looks like a donut but its made from croissant-like dough which is filled with cream, these are blueberry mascarpone flavoured” it’s nice to have staff actually explain what they are selling instead of throwing the “don’t care what you say just buy it” card at customers. Soo tempting but I was here for breakfast, so I quickly shuffled forward to the restaurant/seating area and never looked back… Until 2 hours later. 

The restaurant is pretty huge, light, spacious and straight away felt really chilled out in there. Its order at the till service, and straight away I was greeted with a smile, given a menu, and informed of how the service works. Menu was pretty impressive, lots of options – vegan friendly, and I was spoilt for choice. Still dreaming about the cronut, I opted for a light dish-Avocado & chilli on sourdough with a green tea with mint. 

Set my laptop up, my tea arrived, and I zoned out, people started to flood in, but the room is so big, it never got loud! I was surprised how quiet it was with the amount of people coming in maybe because the seating areas are all spread out in the room, you are not too close to people. I was then greeted with a big smile carrying a more then generous plate of my avocado and sourdough! Bright, colourful and bloody good looking- tucked straight into it but found myself struggling half way through as I found it to be quite filling! Very tasty and very fresh. I paid under £10 for what I ordered, and I wouldn’t have minded paying more for it as I enjoyed it so much. In fact, I have paid more for a similar dish however the quality didn’t compare to Medicine and I actually paid £15 for what looked like a baby’s nappy that had exploded on my plate.

Plate to the side, work was calling, I was checked on after I finished, and I have to say I was pretty impressed with the customer service. Quite a lot of young staff working, smiles and friendly service, that’s what I like to see! I was already eyeing up the lunch menu after my breakfast but still full, I decided to pack up and pay the bill, however I couldn’t exactly just walk out there just yet, a cronut was calling.

A young girl was assisting with packing the cronuts, I also queried about the carrot & walnut cake , only because I know my mom would kill me if I walked past a carrot cake and didn’t buy her a piece, I landed in her good books that afternoon, I have to say the cronuts are bloody divine however word of warning you have to be quick to swipe one of these bad boys, I tried the following day and failed miserably- all gone by 4pm! Not a big fan of carrot cake however I found myself gobbling it down on the night and vacuuming at midnight *sigh*.

In conclusion, The Medicine Bakery is quirky and different, Great for a grab & go and even better for wining & dining (Yes! They sell alcohol) I would definitely recommend and would like to go back and try the lunch & dinner menu. An independent Brummie gem, I would say that is definitely worth more credit and more visits. 

AMY ELIZA