Top Rated Nightlife in Birmingham

Perhaps Birmingham's most eye-catching bar, Bacchus is located underneath the luxurious Burlington Hotel. Its interior consists of a gaudy mish-mash of styles, ranging from Egyptian to Gothic, that is truly breathtaking. Some excellent, if pricey, food is served all day. Go, if only to sit in a wrought iron cage and be eyeballed by a suit of armor.

The Jam House is backed by ex-Squeeze keyboarder and TV presenter Jools Holland. The club is spread over three airy floors, the top one being an open-plan restaurant serving modern world cuisine. The menu is set, although it changes regularly. Music, however, is the driving force with live acts nightly, and even a traditional Louisiana gospel brunch on Sundays.

A flashy, stylish bar and restaurant for the new millennium, Sobar brings utilitarian chic to the Arcadian Centre. It calls itself a Noodle Bar, a phenomenon springing up more widely these days, and serves deliciously spicy, genuinely fast food to business people and the fashionably lazy alike. It has a bright, clean and nice interior and you can choose to eat at tables or at the well-stocked bar. Either way, you can see your meal being cooked and it arrives with frightening haste.

As the name suggests, this is an Australasian theme bar, with accompanying nightclub downstairs. Plenty of Aussie lagers are available, as well as some European imports for the less adventurous. It's usually frequented by twenty somethings, attracted by the cheerful ambience, cheap food and live sports shown on a big screen. It can get very busy and very loud at weekends, especially if there is a band playing, so it is best to get in early.

Queen's Hall is a spacious entertainment venue in Nuneaton. It largely promotes bands playing various music. It is extremely popular with upcoming as well as established bands. The two bars are well stocked with an extensive cocktail list. Several events of Music festivals like Bloodstock Open Air, The Rock and Blues Custom Show are held at this venue. It can hold approximately two-fifty people. The website lists the event details.

Egon Ronay recommended this 18th-century pub—a pub where there is every chance of rubbing shoulders with Shakespearean actors and that is only 100 yards from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. This two-name pub has two separate areas. The Black Swan side is very like a pub would have been in the 1700s: a rather austere drinking-bar look preserved with simple tables and old settles. The Dirty Duck side of the pub—the name by which the Black Swan is affectionately known throughout the world—is also a restaurant with bar snacks available.