QUARTERlife`s GUIDE TO THE PLACES TO

As featured in the
summer 2013 issue of
HUNGRy?
Thirsty?
Tired?
Quarterlife’s guide to the
places to eat, drink and stay
in the Jewellery Quarter.
JEWELLERY QUARTER
www.jewelleryquarter.net
Prepare your palate for a culinary guide to the Jewellery Quarter’s
eating and drinking places, where you can see an award-winning
celebrity chef in action, drink cocktails in a private booth,
share a cuppa with a creative and dance the
night away to live music.
S
now Hill station commuters have a
handy pitstop tucked next door to
the Livery Street entrance, with the
independent coffee shop Brewsmiths.
With door-stop bacon butties available
all day, a range of specialist coffees,
30 leaf teas and a penchant for retro
sweets and handmade cakes, this is a
great place to refuel.
local deliveries to businesses. This café is
proud of its Jewellery Quarter location
and names its breakfasts after gemstones!
For a portion of crisp, golden, chips for
only a £1 head to Gordon Blue café.
After choosing from a great choice of
freshly made sandwiches, salads and
jacket potatoes at Lunchlines and Café
Neo, you can eat lunch in Café Neo’s
garden or alfresco in Golden Square,
which is due to open spring 2014.
Philpotts is popular with office
workers around Great Charles Street
who take away freshly made baguettes
with big eat fillings like New York
Deli – peppered pastrami, Emmental
cheese, dill pickles, Dijon mustard and
loads of coleslaw, or a tasty salad box
with tzatziki.
For a lunch with a view then Saint
Caffe has a great location in St Paul’s
Square overlooking the church. A chic,
but not snobby, interior displaying
work by local artists, there are big
tables for meetings and cosy chairs for
getting away from it all with lots of
free local magazines to read.
In the heart of the Jewellery Quarter,
craftsmen and creatives rub shoulders
at Hylton Café, Lunchlines and Café
Neo. The bicycle propped up outside
Hylton Café is a hint that they make
2
Brewsmiths
Photo: Charles Davies
For a more substantial start to the
day there’s nothing better than a full
English breakfast. Tiffany’s Café
certainly agrees as their hearty servings
demonstrate. If you eat breakfast on the
run, then a sausage and egg sandwich
from Pickwicks’ menu should keep
you going until lunchtime.
Birmingham has a large number of
independent coffee shops that cater
for the morning rush and meetings
as well as a mid-afternoon boost.
The floor to ceiling windows at the
Urban Coffee Company make it
easy for people watching. Inside the
‘Urbanistas’ serve connoisseurs with
coffee blends from all over the world,
breakfast or brunch. This coffee
emporium is also licensed.
The coffee lounge Fredericks looked
over the pond to the USA for both
design and menu inspiration. Their
indoor and outdoor seating options
offer a relaxed place that flows into
the evenings as a bar with space that is
good for private parties or events.
Deli Heaven prides itself on
homemade food freshly prepared each
day. They serve a range of hot and cold
sandwiches, panini, baguettes, jacket
potatoes and salads.
For an afternoon pick-me-up or break
from shopping, the homeware store
Pomegranate is an attractive airy, open
plan coffee shop that also offers a 10%
discount for students. This is the only
gluten free specific café in the Quarter
with a menu of sandwiches and cakes.
D
After a visit to the Museum of the
Jewellery Quarter in Vyse Street, you
can squeeze into the bijoux traditional
tea shop at Vee’s Deli. A refreshing cup
of tea or glass of cordial is perfect with
one of Vee’s homemade cakes. You
can also pick up store cupboard treats
including the award-winning Lashford
sausages that Birmingham is famous
for and speciality Scotch eggs.
The Brown Lion was refurbished last
year, so it is a cosy nook to wind down
in at the end of the day. Owned by the
Two Towers Brewery, a full range of
cask ales is available and you can book
tours of the attached brewery.
espite not being in the city
centre, the Jewellery Quarter
has a busy evening social
scene as many business owners and
employees live locally. From real ale
and live music to cocktails and table
football, the pubs in the Jewellery
Quarter have a lot to offer.
Quarterlife’s guide to the places to eat, drink and stay in the Jewellery Quarter.
@JQDTBirmingham
TWITTER FEED
Followers of @JQDTBirmingham
recommend their favourite
places to eat and drink
@steffi_j_b:
@TheLordClifden for a stella
burger, or @therectorybar for
a fabulous cocktail #mojito
@jimlucascbt:
I love @urbancoffeeco for a
decent cuppa & slice of cake
@FrontPorchBBQ:
The pork belly @RedLionUAB is
amaze! Goats cheese and poached pear
crouton @cucinarustica1 is the nuts!
A ‘Sombrero Burger’ of flamegrilled chicken with sour cream and
salsa, washed down with a selection
of Belgian and Czech beers keeps
customers returning to The Red Lion,
or it could be their garden, quiz nights
and friendly service.
The Victorian stained glass windows give
you an idea of how old The Jewellers
Arms is. It is a popular meeting place
so the benches outside are often full,
especially as it is a dog friendly venue.
There are no literary pretensions at
The Shakespeare, just a well stocked
cellar of real ales. The smoking area
and patio are popular and, like many
places in the Jewellery Quarter, this
pub is a hidden gem just waiting to
be discovered.
The Queens Arms is an eye-catching,
Grade II listed 19th century pub,
with a magnificent art nouveau style
tiled frontage. A CAMRA favourite,
the cask ales are well received and
the pub features a guest beer each
month. Tasty treats on the menu
include Edward Moon Proper Pie
Company from Stratford upon
Avon. Don’t let the resident ghost
have a bite though!
Fleet Street Kitchen
H
aving quenched your thirst,
sate your appetite at one of the
local eateries. Birmingham’s
200 restaurants dish up 27 different
cuisines and in the Jewellery Quarter
you can table hop your way through
the best international flavours.
With a bar upstairs and restaurant
downstairs, at The Rectory you can
enjoy an appetiser of chicken liver
paté flavoured with Madeira, and slow
cooked belly of pork with braised red
cabbage, mashed potatoes, apple and
prune compote and mustard grain
sauce. The classically trained chef here
creates satisfying, well-crafted food at
reasonable prices.
The Rectory
Big Nanny’s is like a private supper
club in the living room of its owner.
The warm welcome is equally matched
in the heat of Caribbean dishes. From
the hot sauce on the saltfish fritters
to the jerk chicken, you’ll find the
short menu packed with recognisable
Caribbean ingredients that are served
with warmth and love.
You could also try Ethiopian cuisine at
Blue Nile who serve an exotically spicy
mix of vegetables, slow-simmered meat
or grain stews, and fresh meat sautés.
The Jewellery Quarter now has
two premier steakhouses, making
the grill the star attraction of their
restaurants. Anderson’s Bar & Grill
is housed in eighteenth century
cellars that are a cosy, intimate space
to enjoy the locally sourced Aberdeen
Angus beef, matured for 31 days to
intensify the flavour.
Newcomer Fleet Street Kitchen sets out
to be a place where you can eat, drink and
party. They have introduced Brummies
to the barbacoa grill. Housed in a neat
alcove alongside the main kitchen,
the lumpwood charcoal grill flavours
the 28-day aged Herefordshire or
Quarterlife’s guide to the places to eat, drink and stay in the Jewellery Quarter.
3
35-day dry aged Dexter beef.
If you like baby back ribs, with meat
softly falling off the bone and a mini
pot of the fruity house sauce, or a
whole roasted chicken, then this is the
place for you.
The quartet of Italian restaurants in
the Jewellery Quarter all have outdoor
dining areas to indulge in antipasti
right through to dolci.
If you can’t decide between the
variety of pasta at Cucina Rustica –
Spaghetti con frutti di mare, Penne
arrabbiata con salsiccia, Fagottini
ripieni di cinghiale – then let the
chef surprise you with a selection
of three different pasta dishes.
While you are deliberating over the
menu, a dish of free olives is very
welcome, as is the consistent cooking
and accomplished service.
At Locanta you’ll find the expected
Chicken Parmagiana and Calamari
Fritti,
alongside
Mediterranean
inspired dishes like Don Paco’s Chilli
Dish of prawns sautéed with chorizo,
chicken, peppers, mushrooms and
chilli tomato sauce. They regularly
run wine nights, so check their
website for details.
Pasta di Piazza has a buzz that’s great
for families. They are geared up for
groups and offer a larger than average
set menu of two course from £18.95
to three courses for £22.95. On a
summer’s day there’s nothing better
than an Amaretto ice cream and a glass
of Verdicchio with its bouquet of pears
and spritzy finish.
About to celebrate their first birthday,
the newest restaurant to join ‘la
famiglia’ is Portofino. Their signature
dish is Portofino Chicken stuffed with
spinach, goat cheese and sun-dried
tomatoes, with spicy Neapolitan sauce
served with fresh ravioli. They host
private events and welcome parties.
At Gino, an Italian tapas restaurant
and cocktail bar, guests can
enjoy tapas and cocktails in a
Mediterranean setting.
At The Drop Forge nothing goes
on the plate if it doesn’t taste fab.
They are not interested in wacky
techniques, for this Modern European
restaurant it is all about careful
sourcing of quality ingredients. The
pared down menu of sharing plates,
grilled steaks and gourmet burgers is
well thought out, reasonably priced
and updated seasonally. They have also
won a design award for converting an
industrial space into a hospitable bar
and restaurant, with different seating
areas both inside and out.
Q
uality is king for the restaurant
owners in Birmingham. The
city has four Michelin star
chefs, more than any other
city outside London, and the Jewellery
Quarter is home to celebrity chef
Aktar Islam. Macher jhol – pan fried
fillet of bream resting on garlic scented
tender leaf spinach and new potatoes
simmered in spicy Bengali tomato and
coriander scented broth won Lasan
Gordon Ramsay’s F Word Best Local
Restaurant. Aktar has set the standard
for high quality Indian fusion dining
in the city. This innovation has won
over restaurant critics and customers
alike so book in advance.
Afghani Lamb
4
Quarterlife’s guide to the places to eat, drink and stay in the Jewellery Quarter.
Taken from the Hindi word meaning
history, the decadent interior of Itihaas
takes its inspiration from the colonial
and maharaja eras. Carved elephants,
wall hangings and paintings set the
scene, with immaculately laid tables and
high backed chairs placed under black
chandeliers. The menu however is bang
up to date and dishes like the Karahi
Maha Jingah – king prawns, panfried in a traditional Indian wok and
marinated in a deep thick masala gravy
that is unique to the karahi cooking
style – has earned Itihaas the accolade
of the British Curry Awards 2012 for
Best Restaurant in the Midlands.
Milan has been open for more than 20
years and is a modern space of leather
seats, low lighting and fresh white
linens. The friendly and attentive
staff make this Indian restaurant a cut
above. Their reasonably priced menu is
very popular with groups and parties,
as its location is close to the Holiday
Inn Express on Lionel Street.
The Rajdoot Tandoori claims to have
introduced tandoori-style cooking to
Europe in 1966. Their skilled chefs
have been preparing traditional,
authentic North Indian cuisine for
over 40 years, cooking with Tandoori
clay ovens. From a mild Bhuna Gosht
of tender lamb spiced with capsicum
and fenugreek to monkfish pan-fried
in the chef ’s special masala sauce,
there is something to tempt everyone.
Henry’s is the only Cantonese
restaurant in the Jewellery Quarter.
This well established family owned
restaurant serves more than 200 dishes
to diners from their a la carte menu,
Sunday buffet and Banquet menu (that
also includes a free birthday cake).
‘Three Monks’ is a classic Henry’s dish.
Monkfish served in three styles – deep
fried with sweet Thai chilli, steamed
with garlic soy sauce and stir fried with
hot and spicy sauce.
An advertising board on Warstone
Lane is the only clue that you’ve found
24 Carat Bistro. An unimposing
doorway (along from Big Nanny’s)
The Jam House
The king of the honky tonk piano
Jools Holland opened The Jam
House and its heritage as a lively,
informal music venue lives on.
leads into a snug café serving traditional
fayre. Cottage pie, lasagne, meatballs
and mixed grill are comforting menu
staples. Due to the tiny venue, you
have to ask for a key to visit the toilet
which is situated opposite the café –
it’s all part of the experience!
When the daylight dims the lights go
on in the Jewellery Quarter bars, for
a stylish and entertaining evening.
Getting glammed up is par for the course
at Mechu. The downstairs bar has a
dark, clubby vibe before you go upstairs
to the nightclub. The mirror balls and
VIP booths are a back drop to dancing
until 2.30am. Thursday’s Minted is a
popular weekly student night with a
DJ playing motown, soul and funk.
Next door is Après, the cherry red bar
where pizzas are cooked in the wood
fired ovens. Customers here relax by
watching sport on the plasma screens
or soaking up the sun on the terrace.
The king of the honky tonk piano
Jools Holland opened The Jam
House and its heritage as a lively,
informal music venue lives on. The
bar, restaurant and club is spread
out over three floors, providing a
one-stop venue for a fun night out
for more than 500 people at a time.
Live music is also on the menu at
the weekends in The Ropewalk
pub, where kids can make their
own tortillas to enjoy in the family
friendly garden.
Quarterlife’s guide to the places to eat, drink and stay in the Jewellery Quarter.
5
The tardis like space of Stirlings
means that you can quaff wine on the
outdoor terrace, sip cocktails served
to you in a jam jar on the mezzanine,
or down beers in the bar. In the lower
ground floor is a spacious room for
the Friday and Saturday DJs to spin
old skool classics.
Occupying the vaulted underpinnings
of an imposing Victorian building,
The Vaults has a classy wine
and cocktail list to match their
distinctive and upmarket home.
Eleven vintages of champagne and
mixologists keen to show off their
skills have caught the attention of
The Independent, who included
The Vaults in its list of top 50 cocktail
bars. With eight private booths
to book, plus a bar and boutique
restaurant serving modern British
dishes, this is a bar that aims to please.
Just one block up from The Vaults,
Vertu has recently opened a smart new
roof terrace. Open seven days a week,
the bar hosts DJs and live music all
weekend. Every day is happy hour or
‘good times’ as they like to call their
special promotions of selected drinks
for £2.50 from 4 – 8pm and five
bottles of San Miguel for £10.
The Actress & Bishop is not a quiet
cosy pub for a tête à tête. Expect
a loud venue packed with friendly
people. Their comprehensive listing
of comedy and quiz nights will
fill your calendar throughout the
year. Monday night’s quiz has a
cash jackpot, weekend DJs and live
music fill the dancefloor and a great
atmosphere is guaranteed.
The Lord Clifden is the daddy when
it comes to blending superior food,
drink and entertainment. Without
using the word cool, hipsters
definitely feel at home in the urban
art bar or playing table football in
the garden. Lots of guest beers and a
killer jukebox also help.
Now you’ve read all about the cafés, bars, restaurants and hotels in the Jewellery
Quarter, here’s a handy map to help you plan a day trip or an evening out:
1 Brewsmiths
19 The Shakespeare
37 24 Carat Bistro
2 Tiffany’s Café
20 The Queens Arms
38 Mechu
3 Pickwicks
21 The Rectory
39 Aprés
4 Philpotts
22 Big Nanny’s
40 The Jam House
5 Saint Caffe
23 Blue Nile
41 The Ropewalk
Livery Street
Warstone Lane
Newhall Street
Great Charles Street
St Paul’s Square
6 Hylton Café
Hylton Street
7 Lunchlines
The Big Peg
8 Café Neo
Spencer Street
9 Gordon Blue
Frederick Street
10 Pomegranate
Warstone Lane
11 Vee’s Deli
Vyse Street
12 Urban Coffee
Company
The Big Peg
13 Fredericks
Frederick Street
14 Deli Heaven
Caroline Street
15 Warstone Café
Warstone Lane
16 The Brown Lion
Hall Street
17 The Red Lion
Warstone Lane
18 The Jewellers Arms
Hockley Street
Summer Row
Newhall Street
St Paul’s Square
Warstone Lane
Great Hampton
Street
24 Anderson’s Bar
& Grill
Mary Ann Street
Warstone Lane
Summer Row
Summer Row
St Paul’s Square
St Paul’s Square
42 Stirlings
Ludgate Hill
43 The Vaults
Newhall Place,
Newhall Hill
25 Fleet Street Kitchen
Fleet Street
26 Cucina Rustica
Ludgate Hill
27 Locanta
44 Vertu
Frederick Street
45 The Actress
& Bishop
Ludgate Hill
Ludgate Hill
28 Pasta di Piazza
46 The Lord Clifden
29 Portofino
47 The Rose
Brook Street
Frederick Street
30 Gino
Frederick Street
31 The Drop Forge
Hockley Street
32 Lasan
James Street
33 Itihaas
Islington Gates
34 Milan
Newhall Street
35 Rajdoot
George Street
36 Henry’s
St Paul’s Square
Great Hampton Street
Villa Tavern
Warstone Lane
48 The Church Inn
Great Hampton Street
49 Bloc
Caroline Street
50 Hatters
Livery Street
51 Holiday Inn Express
Lionel Street
52 Travelodge
Newhall Street
53 Comfort Zone
Branston Street
54 Hampton by Hilton
Continued on p8
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Quarterlife’s guide to the places to eat, drink and stay in the Jewellery Quarter.
Constitution Hill
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Quarterlife’s guide to the places to eat, drink and stay in the Jewellery Quarter.
7
RW
IC
K
The team behind four other successful
bars in the city gave The Rose Villa
Tavern a contemporary makeover, to
bring the grand old boozer bang up to
date. The quirky design fuses an original
phone box with the original stained
glass windows and wall tiles. For any
time of day the menu of American style
breakfasts, gourmet sandwiches and
burgers plus the traditional Sunday
roasts is a winner. The cocktails blend
classics with new inventions – anyone
for a Chase Marmalade Vodka?
The Church Inn is a block up from
The Lord Clifden and reopened in
May 2013 following a £500,000
makeover. Run by the owners of the
Soul Food Project, this new pub
promises a taste of the Deep South
with their Cajun inspired menu,
outdoor cinema on their roof terrace
and a secret bar hidden within the
refurbished building.
F
or a sleepover after a business
meeting, or to make the
weekend last longer, the
boltholes in the Jewellery Quarter
combine budget conscious options
with design-led luxury.
The concept for Bloc is that small can
be beautiful and being competitively
priced (from £45 a night) doesn’t
mean that you have to forgo luxury.
The Egyptian cotton bed linen and
monsoon drench showers come as
standard in this 73-room hotel. An
additional 24 long-stay apartment
rooms are planned.
With rooms of one bed to twelve,
Hatters tops the list for groups and
partygoers. No longer the reserve
of backpackers, the clean, cosy, safe
en-suite rooms are managed by a
team of knowledgeable staff who can
recommend places to visit in the area.
Stirlings
Value for money and a convenient
location is what you’d expect from the
Holiday Inn Express brand, which also
offers the additional benefits of secure
car parking, complimentary continental
breakfast and a day pass to LA Fitness.
The 223-room hotel has decent sized
rooms with the standard work space,
modem point, pull-out sofa and power
shower in the compact bathroom.
Family rooms at Travelodge can sleep
up to four people in this three star
hotel. Built five years ago with 100
rooms, the modern, tidy rooms are
well equipped for a good night’s sleep.
If you prefer to do your own thing,
then the three bedroomed self-service
apartments with modern kitchens by
Comfort Zone in Branston Street may
suit you.
The
Quarter’s
newest
hotel,
Hampton by Hilton, offers spacious
contemporary bedrooms with free
high-speed Internet access and
Freeview on a flat screen TV. Guests
can also enjoy the use of the gym and a
complimentary breakfast.
Bloc
8
Quarterlife’s guide to the places to eat, drink and stay in the Jewellery Quarter.