Bacchus Bar, Birmingham

Called in to see what was on for the recent IPA festival, and was a little disappointed with the ale choice, but the Hopdaemon Incubus was in good condition. It is like entrering a baronial hall with the decor, but I enjoyed wandering around. Don't think I would enjoy it if it was busy though.

A Nicholson's cellar pub/eatery accessed via the Burlington Arcade. This was once the bar of the Midland Hotel, which faced the frontage of New St Station. The Hotel was made famous as it was the venue of Enoch Powell's 'rivers of blood' speech in 1968. Go down the stairs and you find youself on the set of all the MGM historical epics of the 1950. A long room, lined avenue like with tables, leads you towards the bar. The decor here is Gothic, with suits of armour, fake tombs - it is so naff, it is brilliant. Turn right and you move into a side room in Egyptian style, where i am sure Liz Taylor and Richard Burton were arguing (or was it making up) in the corner. If you turn to the right you have the bar facing you, but there are other areas - Romanesque arches, library, stocked with high backed mock-medieval chairs and candles to see by . The service was fine, the clientele mixed and it was busy. Beer; tap stuff with a so-so Nethergate Priory MILD and Hook Norton Haymaker on handpull, along with the untried Pedigree and Greene King St Edmunds. All in all it is very different and is worth a visit just to see it, but the beer seems to need some attention.

Because of the layout it only takes a smallish number of people in there to get to the point where you can't get a table. Super place to start a night out, if only for the decor. (which is well worth just dropping in for on it's own just to have a swift half and admire)

Official Bacchus Bar pages containing menu and real ale details - www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk

Official Bacchus Bar pages containing menu and real ale details - www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk