The Rep Bar, Birmingham

Mainly The Rep bar, but in a prominent position on the square between the Central Library and International Convention Centre and open to all. It features a L-shaped seating area which benefits from full-height windows during daylight hours. Not much doing on the beer front, with just a couple of keg beers from Purity: Mad Goose (£5.90) and Lawless lager. On the plus side, my visit was enhanced by a very proficient blues artist - Chickenbone John, with a sidekick - entertaining theatre goers (and others like me) just before the main performance.

Now connected with local Bitters & Twisted Group, this is a modern smart bistro. No real ale, the emphasis is on coktails and food pre-show. Its ok, but is just a theatre bar really, what you would expect here!

The new Rep opened in 1971. It is now adjoined to the new Library and there is a patio area. The bar (or Centenary Bar - after the name of the Square) actually consists of two separate bars, one being a cafe/bar, the other a bar/brasserie. The cafe sells bottles only and the brasserie has Stella and Becks Vier, the rest being bottles. Everyone here was dining. It is a split level area, white in decor and I cant honestly see why anyone would want to stop here unless going to a performance. A few theatre pictures are on the walls. I simply walked through.