Cuddle up with a warm pint of Birmingham brew and drink away the winter blues!
One of the best antidotes to beat the winter blues is undoubtedly meeting up with friends in a warm, cosy pub, and chatting the night away, pint of beer (or beverage of choice) in hand. With this in mind, we’ve rounded up five of our favourite cosy pubs in Birmingham to help our West Midlands readers navigate their way through low temperatures and dark nights of the coming months.
The Post Office Vaults
84 New Street, Birmingham, B2 4BA
Only two minutes walk from New Street Station, The Post Office Vaults is ideally located for you to get straight off the train and on the booze. Specialising in real ales, there’s a wide range of beverages available for hop lovers, from the Hobson’s Mild and the Kinver First Class Stamp (which is brewed especially for the pub) to bottled beers from microbreweries around the country. They also have a variety of foreign bottled beers - 259 different varieties and counting. (If you’re thinking of becoming a regular, pick up one of their beer passports so you can tick off beverages as you go, and to be in with a chance of winning a full crate of beer, a t-shirt, and your picture on the wall of fame.) While they do not serve food—a dangerous prospect with so much alcohol to choose from—The Post Office Vaults allows you to bring your own, and will even provide cutlery.
The Edgbaston Hotel
18 Highfield Road, Birmingham, B15 3DU
Looking for something a bit fancier? The Edgbaston is a boutique hotel complete with three art-deco inspired lounges where you can sample the sumptuous cocktail menu in style. Mixes range from Italian Bellinis to Smoky Old Bastards (made with malt whisky, French aperitif, and vanilla), and can be accompanied by The Edgbaston’s British/European style bar food menu.
The Physician
Harborne Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 3DH
Formerly used to house the vast 'Sampson Gangee Library for the History of Medicine', The Physician is a grand, high-ceilinged, sash-windowed venue dating back to the 19th Century. Located in the suburban area of Edgbaston, it’s the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city centre. Head inside to grab a pint from their impressive reclaimed wooden bar, and enjoy your drink in front of the warm open fire. If you fancy some more intimate alone time with your loved ones, you can always squirrel yourself away in the building’s many smaller rooms and nooks and crannies, or even book yourself one of the two private dining rooms for a post-Christmas get together.
The Victoria
48 John Bright Street, Birmingham, B1 1BN
For the more traditional among you, city centre based The Victoria is a quintessential 19th Century English pub comparable to the locations used in popular TV drama ‘Peaky Blinders’. Turn up on any night to enjoy a wide range of handpicked wines, whiskeys, cask ales, and cocktails, or head over on one of their special comedy nights or cocktail making masterclasses. The only catch is, rumor has it, a ghost still resides in the venue!
Bonehead
8 Lower Severn Street, Birmingham, B1 1PU
For low key food and craft beer, head to Bonehead on Birmingham’s Lower Severn Street. Their rough and ready, industrial interior is a great environment to grab some tasty fried chicken wings or American style burgers (which according to Birmingham Live give Nandos and KFC a run for their money), and a pint of your favourite brew. We’ve also heard from friends it’s known for playing heavy metal and rock music!