Island Bar, Birmingham

A glass fronted terraced bar with patio, where the windows have paintings of the sun kissed islands etc. on. It has a separate Tiki bar upstairs, which I hadn't the energy to go and explore. The room is on two levels. The bar is at one end and has an array of spirits for cocktails. The room is in brown, with bright wall paintings of Easter Island heads and native girls, a brown ceiling and wood floor. The perimeter seating and pouffes are pretty brightly coloured and loudish charty music was banging out. The service was fine enough and the clientele a mix of younger professionals and older blokes that looked as out of place as I did myself. Beer; no r/a, just bottles and the usual kegs with Oyster Stout and Shipyard Pale, which was fine enough. It seemed popular enough and I didn't mind a swift visit due to the beer choice - definitely far worse around.

A tropical cocktail paradise in Birmingham - well thats the advertising blurb. A smart trendy bar situated off the small pavement alongside the hugely busy Suffolk Street part of the inner ring road, but next door to the New Alexandra theatre and in Birmingham's growing craft ale quarter. Its really exactly what it says, a pre club/theatre cocktail bar offering a wide range of cocktails from a rather different menu, helped by the fact it is run by the team behind the nearby Victoria amongst others rather than a large chain. Modern, dark trnady bar fittings/furniture, its quite comfortable and relaxing though I bet its busy at weekends despite its slightly out of the way position. There is a further tiki bar upstairs, presumably open at the weekend. No real ale, but there is a Marstons stout on keg as well as craft/world beers in bottles, such as Flying Dog, Goose Island, St Peters and Vedett. Opens from 5pm on a wekday and 8pm on a Sunday.