Cherry Berry Cocktail

Cherry Berry Cocktail

I decided to start something new along posting bar and club reviews. The new thing is that I will start sharing recipes for delicious cocktails for you to have an idea what I mean when I rate the drinks in the bars and clubs. 

First I will show you a recipe for cherry berry cocktail. It is perfect for every occasion or party. It is fun, easy to make and different than the usual vodka coke.

Cherry Berry Cocktail:

2 shots vodka

3 shots berry wine

1 shot cherry sourz 

1 shot archers raspberry schnapps

200 ml sprite/7up

200-300 ml berry juice

frozen summer fruits/berries

Enjoy!

The Figure of Eight

The Figure of Eight - J D Whetherspoon

 The Figure of Eight is a restaurant and bar on Broad street. The people that visit it vary in age unlike the other venues (clubs) on Broad street that are visited mostly by students and young adults. 

 Outside, the venue looks pretty appealing especially when it gets dark and the lights go on. In my opinion, it has one of the best exterior designs on Broad street. If you are not a fan of clubs with loud music but still want to enjoy few drinks in a nice commercial atmosphere with people around, this is your place. 

 Inside, it looks like a typical pub. However, there are more places for drinks. It is a lively place maybe because of the location. The staff is very efficient. They are nice and usually customers don't have to wait for long. The drinks are decent and probably better than the ones in the other venues(clubs) on Broad street maybe because they don't take advantage of drunk people and the quality is a bar-restaurant one. There is a smoking area in the back which is pretty big and there are tables. Unfortunately, there is no roof over them or umbrellas which make it pointless if it's raining. 

All in all, it is a popular venue and many people go for pre-drinks before heading off to the nearby clubs.

Venue score: 8/10

Atmosphere: 7/10

Staff: 8/10

Drinks: 8/10

Players Bar Birmingham

Players Bar Birmingham
Players is a club on Broad street. It is like the typical clubs on Broad street - mainly students and young people. It gets busy on Fridays and Saturdays. It is very appealing on the outside and looks really good. There is a big enough smoking area facing the street. When you get in it is obvious that there is too much staff on every location possible but not at the bar and they are not really friendly (they don't really care).
Inside is good but mostly in the VIP area. The other part of the club is a bit neglected maybe because they are really trying people to book the VIP tables. Even their main advertising materials and campaigns are all promoting this VIP area. However, many clubs don't reflect on other smaller things that make really a change and only strive for more money. Also most of the materials are using nice quite naked women. You will be disappointed if you expect it when going there. At least they provide some drink offers for the VIP area.
The venue works 7 days a week.The music and the parties are well-thought. You will have fun - they are good in entertaining. The DJs are positioned in the corner in the back of the venue which is a bit pointless. There is no such thing as a basement club or at least is hardly never opened. The drinks are fine and the prices are like all other clubs on Broad street.
Venue score: 8,5/10
Atmosphere: 7,5/10
Staff: 6,5/10
Drinks: 7,5/10

Subside Digbeth Birmingham

Subside Digbeth Birmingham

Subside is a rock bar in central Birmingham. It is in front of the Coach Station. The venue looks good from the outside. It is visible that it is a night bar and the best thing is that it works til 6,30 a.m.Once you are in, the place looks great. There is enough space for everyone to dance, to sit, to drink or even to play pool.
The music is pop-rock, rock and metal. The drinks are nice, on a good price and there is also a cocktail menu. The staff is very friendly and they work fast. The atmosphere is welcoming and lively. There is a smoking area  in the left side of the bar. It is a bit small compared to the capacity of the venue and it becomes a problem when it's raining.
Overall, it is a really good place if you like this type of music and even if you don't, you will enjoy trying it. Just remember, they don't have bracelets or stamps. So, when you go out, the security won't let you back in without paying again.
Venue score: 8,5/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Staff: 8/10
Drinks: 8,5/10

Jekyll and Hyde

Jekyll & Hyde

Jekyll & Hyde is a quite small bar located in the city center. Its design on the outside is eye-catching and it has an amazing garden in the style of Alice in Wonderland. Inside, it is a really small bar and many times there is no place to sit (especially on Fridays and Saturdays). So, before going there I recommend making a reservation. The put off is just that many times they reply that you should go and find a place on the bar by yourself and even the garden has only around 3 tables.
Moreover, the staff is really nice. They are really fun and will make your experience even better. The cocktails are also very good. There are the classic ones but they have also fun variations with candy in it. The music is good for dancing but there isn't enough space for this. The bar is visited by people of all ages but there are mostly younger people.
Venue score: 8/10
Atmosphere: 6.5/10
Staff: 9/10
Drinks: 9/10

Update: There is a new menu. However, there are hardly any new cocktails just some of the old ones are removed. What is more, I have noticed a tendency that even though the new menu is smaller, it takes quite a lot of time for the staff to make the drinks. So, prepare to wait...

Propaganda Birmingham

Propaganda Birmingham

Propaganda is in O2 Academy. The place is near the city center (on Bristol road) and it has quite different vibe than Broad street although the people visiting the venue are mostly students. There is a party every Friday. The place doesn't look very appealing from the outside but you can notice that it is big and there is room for everyone. There are 3 rooms and every room plays different music. In every room there are DJs: in the main room the DJs play Arctic Monkeys, Blink 182, Rudimental etc. , the second room is for Hip-hop and R&B and the third - House, EDM & Dance. Maybe the place is so popular because you can choose in which room do you want to go. However, their events are quite the same every Friday. The only difference is the theme of the party but the music is the same and even many of the themed parties look the same.
I like it inside because you can dance but still have your personal space and no one steps on you. There are several bars but they are usually crowded and I wasn't really impressed with the drinks. Yes, the price is appropriate for students but they shouldn't disregard the quality.
All in all, you can have very good time there and you can dance all night to whatever music do you want but be careful with the drinks and don't expect a big difference on the next Friday.
Venue score: 8,5/10
Atmosphere: 8,5/10
Staff: 7/10
Drinks: 5,5/ 10

The Slug and Lettuce Birmingham

The Slug And Lettuce Birmingham

The Slug and Lettuce bar and restaurant is located by the channels, really close to Broad street. In my opinion, the location is even better than the actual Broad street because you can enjoy the beautiful view of the channels.It has a smart design on the outside like the other bars in the area. In front is the smoking area with some tables. Inside it is a nice place but you still can feel the vibe of the restaurant even though they remove the tables near the bar. The music is mostly party mash-ups of pop, hip-hop and R&B. The staff is incredibly nice and they work as fast as they can. They make really tasty cocktails and before 22 p.m. you can have 2-4-1 option (two cocktails for the price of one). The cocktail menu is quite impressive - there are many options and they have all the classic cocktails. The menu only lacks other alcoholic beverages and spirits but you can ask on the bar. The prices are the same as other bars in the area. It gets really busy on Fridays and Saturdays and sometimes they let too much people in and it gets really crowded around the bar and quite impossible to have personal space. It is open til around 3 a.m. and is suitable for all ages. 

Venue score: 7/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Staff: 9,5/10

Drinks: 8,5/10

The Lost and Found

The Lost & Found

 The Lost & Found bar and restaurant is a very nice place. It is in the city center and is beautiful on the outside and even more inside. The design of the place is really good. I will review only the bar and the drinks because the purpose of my reviews is to portray the nightlife in Birmingham.
So, leaving the food aside, as mentioned, the interior design of this place is impressive. The only things that I didn't like are the colourful chairs. It is slightly too much for my taste. The venue is popular for all ages. The music is perfect - relaxing and not so loud. They make the BEST cocktails (the menu includes the classic ones and some specials) and the staff is incredibly friendly!!! The prices are normal for the more sophisticated bars in the city center or by the channels. The bar is suitable for having drinks with friends, dates or just having a drink after a long day. The atmosphere and the delivery of the service are designed in a classy way. The only problem is that they don't have a smoking area.
Venue score: 9/10
Atmosphere: 8,5/10
Staff: 9,5/10
Drinks: 9/10

Indi Vidual Bar Birmingham

Indi Vidual Bar Birmingham

Indi Vidual bar is in the Arcadian. It is a very popular place for students.The location is nice - in the city centre but is a bit hard to find it if you are new in town. I really liked its design on the outside. The mixture of black and red and the statues on the entrance make it look classy.
It is really popular club and maybe it just seems so popular because it is quite small. There is a smoking area in front but it is also not that big. The problem with the small clubs is that they let as many people as they can in. It is understandable because they earn bonus money but it is really disappointing some nights. No one wants to be pushed by others. All in all it is a nice place if you want to dance and meet young people.

However, you won't have any personal space. The music is mainly hip-hop and R&B. There is always a DJ. The atmosphere inside is pleasant. I saw many complaints about the staff but I can't agree with them. I think the bar staff is good and helpful. They try their best in serving as quickly as possible. The only turn off is the crowd of people you should go through to reach the bar (not every night but Tuesdays and Thursdays mostly). There are no places to sit or put your things except two tables.The VIP area is slightly disappointing and mostly empty. The prices are cheap especially when it is a promotion night - Tuesday. You can have a drink for just £1.
Venue score: 7/10
Atmosphere: 7,5/10
Staff: 8/10
Drinks: 7/10

Nightlife in Birmingham

 Nightlife in Birmingham

If you wonder where to go out in Birmingham, here you can find a thorough review of some famous clubs and bars. The review will be made form my point of view and I appreciate different opinions.
You probably think what is special in these reviews, what is different about them?
In my opinion, this is a very underestimated business. That probably could be explained because people go there and get drunk. But there is really more about it. When you go for a night out, you deserve the best. Is your time to make special memories without thinking about work. So, every venue in  the hospitality sector should satisfy customer needs. Why then bars and clubs don't have a thorough reviews like hotels and restaurants for example?
I have noticed that there are no such reviews on the Internet. Maybe people just don't care that much where will they go but they should be!!! It makes such a difference in the experience. I always want to try different things and be open-minded. However, when you go to a venue that you don't like and don't enjoy, it can ruin your whole night and yes, this blog is for you, your free time and experience. You will have better time where you are appreciated and, of course, it depends on the taste in music, drinks and interior design. That is why I will try to revue venues quite neutrally but thoroughly.
Moreover, I am really into nightlife. I have visited many clubs and bars. However, every time I visit such a venue I look at it in a slightly different way. Of course, first I notice its appearance on the outside. It is pretty important the look of the venue from the outside. People say you have only one chance to make first impression and that is totally true. This can also be applied for bars and clubs. People also say don't judge a book by its cover but you should do when it comes to bars and clubs. Next thing is inside. The whole design of the service delivery process. So important!!! It can make or brake you night out and, of course, to prevent the breaking I am writing these reviews.