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Disappointment of the week with Mobyduck
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Detail Pages
Cherry Reds, Birmingham
Birmingham
B1 1BN
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about Cherry Reds
City centre which was much busier and much livelier than on my previous visit on a Sunday in 2019. To be honest, I preferred the quietness of my Sunday visit to this busy Saturday, but there was certainly a buzz about the place and the surrounding area.
A couple of real ales were available - Birmingham Brew Company Gold Brummie & Burning Soul Harlequin. In addition, there were a few craft beers. It can take a while to get served, with many others ordering coffees and snacks.
Table seating was popular and there is also an overspill seating area upstairs.
On 29th September 2021
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about Cherry Reds
Good Beer Guide 2020 Entry - A cafe bar with a very pubby feel inside.
Knowledgeable staff - good beer (Pale Brummie was pefect) and a monthly comedy night in the upstairs room.
We will be back.
On 7th October 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1337 recommendations about 1323 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about Cherry Reds
A small cafe bar. A single room with a big fat pillar plonked in the middle. 2 handpulls with beers from Kinver and Salopian on today. It seemed to be quite studenty to me. Also a bar upstairs which can be reached by a rather precarious flight of stairs. Its not a bad place and there are crafty beers for those so inclined. Pavement seating out front.
On 26th July 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Cherry Red's
Small corner-bar-cum-patisserie. Not much in the way of seating and the large, awkward central pillar didn't help matters. However there’s further seating upstairs, a divided room with views overlooking the street and a bit more atmosphere. Fairly plain walls downstairs with the aforementioned pillar wallpapered in a 70’s-pastiche style. Three ales, Tyne Bank Dunkelweisen (too warm, put me off), Backyard Treason (who they?) and a German themed beer from Hand Drawn Monkey, served up by a brusque barmaid. Also a decent selection of craft kegs and bottles. Found the voguish clientèle and their facile conversations fairly irritating "Breaking Bad like OMG, Game of Thrones OMG like OMG yeah so amazing”, ad infinitum. It’s a bit different in here and fair play to them, but one visit was enough for me.
On 13th November 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5072 recommendations about 5055 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Cherry Red's Cafe Bar
Really does look like a café, with large windows and light primrose colour scheme. Even though it does discretely advertise beer and wine as being sold along with the cakes and coffee, it is really quite a surprise to find a traditional (if very compact) bar counter at the back. Initially appears to offer limited seating with a mix of furniture, but there are also two further rooms and smaller bar (not in use) upstairs. Three real ales on handpump: the regular Backyard Blonde (£3.40) plus Otter Ale and Revisionist (Marstons) Hefeweizen as guests. Relaxing atmosphere.
On 28th June 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Cherry Red's Cafe Bar
Just a short walk from New Street station, this is a compact, two storey street corner café and bar – the second venture to open under this name in Birmingham, with their sister site located in Kings Heath. The place seemed very popular when I visited on a Saturday afternoon, with the small ground floor level full and a number of customers spilling out to the café style tables out on the pavement. The main room is a small, bare boarded area, split in two by a central pillar which has been decorated with some pretty garish wallpaper. The servery is located on the right hand wall and comprises a traditional bar as well as a food serving section which incorporates a dessert cabinet full of tempting looking sweets. A selection of standard seating options are crammed into the room with a few bar stools along the servery being the best bet for the lone drinker. An old dresser stands opposite the bar and as well as being used as a condiment station, it had a stack of board games on it, as well as numerous flyers for a range of local events. The walls are mostly painted cream, but a splash of colour is provided by the odd bit of breweriana here and there, whilst several blackboards list the daily specials available. A quick look at the menu saw a range of typical café options, all of which I thought were reasonably priced. Stairs lead up to a second bar, which seemed deserted, despite offering plenty more seating. The clientele was mainly hip youngsters and an obscure indie soundtrack played quietly throughout my visit.
Three ales were available on the bar – Otter Ale, Dark Star APA and Backyard Blonde. The latter went off when I ordered a pint, so I plumped for the APA instead, which was in very good shape. The barmaid finished serving me and immediately went off to replace the Backyard Blonde, which was back on in a matter of minutes. A surprisingly wide keg range included beers from Freedom, Liefmans, La Trappe and Purity, as well as Hogan’s Cider.
This place definitely feels more like a café than a bar or pub, but I still thought it was an enjoyable place to stop off for a drink. They clearly take care over the products they select and there was a nice, friendly vibe within. I can see this place appealing to quite a wide range of customers and would recommend it as something a bit different in this part of the city.
On 9th May 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Soup Dragon left this review about Cherry Red's Cafe Bar
This is a corner pub and cafe. It is housed in the ground floor of a fantastic Victorian/Edwardian building, next to what was once the Futurist Cinema. The upper floors are in red brick, with decorative moulding around the dormers and sash windows. Three Roman windows break-up the general squared Georgian styled ones elsewhere. The pub/cafe frontage is a little out of keeping, being yellow and glass, but there is a patio. The interior has a single room downstairs, which sells beer, cakes and other things before you perch yourself in or at anything from a sofa to a red 60s transport cafe table. As my fellow PG'ers have noted, a somewhat uneasy staircase takes you up to three smaller and differing styled rooms. One has cherries and shoes on the wallpaper, another is in red and purple, while we headed into a room that was in purple and yellow and had lots of maps on the walls and a small tiled fireplace (which i wish was lit, as it was a bit cold). The furniture was equally as mixed, but all wood (and a bit wobbly) and the floor was wood too. There was no TV and the music was general and at a decent level. The service was friendly and the clientele a real mix, from families to miserable blokes like me. Beer; usual tap things, with an array of continetal and US lagers and bottled beers - on handpull there were Backyard Blonde, Single Hop Wakatu and a very good Otter Ale. Really surprised at how much i liked this place - somewhere that aims for a wide clientele and clearly gets it. I will be back.
On 27th November 2013
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3067 recommendations about 3062 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about Cherry Red's Cafe Bar
Early days here and I expect a work in progress.
Its a fine corner building now a cafe bar on 2 levels, though to reach the second the stairs are a little precarious. Its not large and has a cafe servery tucked in one corner and a mish mash of furniture mainly wooden cafe chairs and tables. There are a few comfy chairs, but you have to get in early to use these. The upsatirs is split into two with views over the pedestrian John Bright Street.
It should be a great addition to the City Centre with its cafe style. However, the seating is rather uncomfortable and wobbly, unless you are lucky. Also they still seem to be finding there way (not unsurprisingly), the upstairs had a sign showing only open in busy periods, part was shut off & could really have been done with opening for space.
There seem to be between 2 and 3 real ales, including Backyard Blonde from Walsall, which was very good. However, my partner ordered a hot chocolate - we were advised they had run out of cream, but there was no suggestion of a discount. And by the time it arrived it was cold. We were going to eat here but were put off by the experience, my partner especially very disappointed.
Not to everyones taste and a work in progress, I will give this another chance soon, but my partner refuses to go back after the poor service and seating.
On 21st October 2013
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Cherry Red's Cafe Bar
Really liked this retro style café bar. The staff were very friendly and helpful and their ales were superb. There were three handpumps in use, I went for the Conwy Autumn Red, which was very much to my taste and was in tip top condition. The tables and chairs were eclectic. We sat downstairs at a 1950's style red formica topped table, there is also more seating upstairs.
I especially liked the 1970's style wallpaper around the central column. Also another feature were the 70's lampshades near the front. I noticed they had an American craft beer on draught from Anchor Steam, which is excellent and will have to try it in here on our next visit.
They also had Freedom lager on tap and a good range of bottled world beers.
Proper HP and Heinz tom ketchup on the tables.
On 12th October 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about Cherry Red's Cafe Bar
I was impressed with this café bar when I popped in lunchtime today. Toilets upstairs but there is a disabled one downstairs. 3 ales on and I had Whale Ale Ruby Moby which was fine. A group were enjoying trivial pursuit on one of the tables and there were other games available. Enjoyed the café culture feel sitting outside with my drink. Should do ok here. Opposite the Brewdog bar.
On 25th September 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]