Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Pub Of The Month - July 2026 with Tris39
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
Canalside Cafe, Birmingham
Birmingham
B1 2JT
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
General Staal left this review about Canalside Cafe
This is a tiny Georgian canalman's/toll cottage with Victorian additions. It is rendered in white with seats outside the front facing on to the canal.
Internally, it has a bar facing you as you enter with the real ale taps almost hidden on the right. It is tiny with tables arranged around a central, 'two-faced' fireplace. There are further tables in what was once a small courtyard which is now roofed over.
It is bare brick and white inside with old photographs and paintings of the local canal network.
The place serves food. I had a bowl of chilli and rice which was tasty, but the portions are not huge. Good for a lunch snack I would say.
There are bottled real ales, tap cider and wine. There were four real ale handpulls. On today were Morrissey-Fox Aussie IPA, Black Sheep Best Bitter, and Kelham Island's Little Red Corvette and American Stars and Stripes. I tried both Kelham ales and the Black Sheep. I would say they were at the warm end of the correct temperature but they were very nice indeed.
The two barmaids/waitresses were Eastern European, as noted in a previous review, but they were polite, friendly, efficient and knew the beers.
I would definitely come here again to eat and drink. I felt very comfortable in here. Could get extremely full though, given its small size, just try to avoid the lunchtime or teatime rush.
Highly recommended.
On 20th August 2010
- rating: 9
[User has posted 142 recommendations about 125 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Andy Ven left this review about Canalside Cafe
What can I say about this place that hasn’t already been said in other reviews… The clue is in the title: it feels like a café and it’s at the side of the canal. Still, it’s a GBG 2010 entry.
Today they were offering Kelham Island Easy Rider Pale Ale and Kelham Island Night Moves Ale (a chocolate orange MILD) – the weather was a bit too warm to be drinking something of that description for me. I opted for the former which was OK but nothing to rave about.
The main thing that this 'pub' has going for it, apart from its location – which lends itself to people watching – is that it is different, and I’m all for pub diversity.
On 27th May 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 244 recommendations about 240 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about Canalside Cafe
This pub is in a tiny lock keepers cottage right on the canal towpath. It's at the junction of the Birmingham Mainline and the Birmingham – Worcester canal where there used to be a bar stopping boats going from one canal to the other which means that all the cargo had to be unloaded from one boat and then reloaded on to another boat on the far side of the bar. Then they came to some arrangement (in 1815) and built a lock between the two canals and therefore, probably this cottage. It looks like a café once inside with cakes etc on display on the bar. It was red hot in here yesterday late afternoon so I wouldn't have been up for buying a cream cake that wasn't stored in a fridge. It's got a good looking black & white exterior and several tables and chairs on the towpath. Inside there's loads of mismatched seating and a covered courtyard area (also tiny) with plants and brass bits and pieces on the ledges. Four handpumps on the bar, three with Enville Ale on the pumpclip. I went for the Outlaw Buckeye which was OK and went to sit outside. The guy served after me went for the Enville and was served a pint of cloudy sludge that he took back. I'm not convinced about the beer quality here, but it is a nice place to sit and contemplate.
On 18th September 2009
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3381 recommendations about 3288 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Soup Dragon left this review about Canalside Bar
Quirky little place, which i have visited a few times. Looks like the old lock-keepers cottage - yes, situated next to the canal! great view!
Interior is basically a room with a few tables and a small bar by the door.
They only have a couple of beers, we had the Rut, which was fine enough.
Worth a visit for a one-off if nothing else - a spot of lunch maybe?
On 10th September 2009
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3167 recommendations about 3162 pubs]