With more and more openings each week, the Jewellery Quarter is solidifying its position as the centre of all that is currently new and exciting in Birmingham. Ana Rocha Bar & Gallery is one of these recent additions to the scene that is, at first glance, baffling and almost beyond description.
Ana Rocha is many, many things, and the first you'll notice after bidding a good day to the tuxedo clad doorman, is that of an art gallery. It is a Victorian era Grade II listed building that was a factory at one point in its history. The part being utilised by Ana Rocha is a former rear workshop, where the art is displayed in the long entrance corridor that takes you to the back of the building. Contemporary art abounds, in addition to some very nice vintage time pieces behind glass. The next door you'll go through leads into an office/till for the gallery, that is adorned with all sorts of curios strewn about including an antique revolver by the door. Ana Rocha is also in the property management business apparently and from here you can discuss apartments and villas available in Costa Del Sol. This part of the building is a quick pass through though as you really go down the rabbit hole into the back section.
The rear of the building hosts a combination bar, tapas restaurant, and curio/antique store. The ceiling in this area is vaulted with skylights, giving it the feeling of a conservatory. Pretty much everything you see in this part of the gallery is for sale, even if you don't see a price tag. There is a certain charm to it all, as you'll just as likely find a rare piece of furniture as you will junked eight track tapes. This is the place to go in Brum if you want to save time and buy a pair of Anubis statues and a vintage typewriter in one go.
As you navigate the field of antiques, you'll set your eyes toward the very back, where the bar (and restaurant) is housed. Here the bartender serves up some of the most competently made cocktails I've found in Birmingham at really great prices. An old fashioned can be had for £7.50 or even sangria for £6.80. It's a far cry from the £12 craft cocktails that have been spreading to new bars in the area. There's also wine by the glass or bottle, a house Spanish lager, and many different canned and bottled drinks in the fridge. The 'restaurant' portion of Ana Rocha focuses on tapas, and the best part is that you can get small portions of the tapas for free with drink purchases. This captures the true spirit of tapas across the Mediterranean, and I'm excited that a bar here finally gets it. I can attest that the Spanish tortilla has all the right flavours you would expect, and transported me back to the sunny beaches of Barcelona.
Right now I'm a bit blown away at how quirky, oddball, and just plain unique Ana Rocha is for Birmingham, or well pretty much anywhere. While a bunch of disparate businesses coalesce to make Ana Rocha happen, it somehow just works in most regards. While I am not in the hunt for up-market paintings or vintage watches, I will definitely be back to sip on some cocktails in a vibrantly one-of-a-kind venue. read more