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Spotlight

4.0 (7 reviews)
ModerateBars

Spotlight Photos

SPOTLIGHT ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Loud
Casual
Outdoor seating
Good for groups

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Uk burger battle
Vicky O.

I'm going to start this review with an admission... I've only ever been to Spotlight when it's been hosting a food based event. I've never been to their club nights, only for Digbeth Dining Club (http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/digbeth-dining-club-birmingham?hrid=6m82IjcZEp72P-PVQijElA) and more recently, UK Burger Battle (http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/uk-burger-battle-birmingham?hrid=s_bhhXIXfy4eL0NybqlJ1w). To be honest, I don't think I would have ever heard of Spotlight if it hadn't been for DDC being there. Being a little hidden off the main stretch of Digbeth (behind the beer garden of the Old Crown), it's not somewhere you would stumble upon or plan to go to unless there was something advertised there you wanted to attend. Saying that, it's only really a 10 minute walk from the Bullring and just around the corner from the Custard Factory, so it's not difficult to find. Spotlight and Next Door are technically two venues but are the same building. They're the kind of place you would head to for a night of raving, rather than a quiet drink. The main entrance is technically past the railway arches and around the corner, but for the purpose of events, it's normally in the loading/parking area. Now this venue is pretty cool. It's essentially a warehouse on multiple levels which has been kitted out with top quality sound equipment and a couple of bars, but I can see it's appeal for "underground" parties. It's got a bar in the main room and a second bar upstairs. Unfortunately, I haven't ever really been impressed with the drinks offerings. A pint of Tiger (the only beer handpull, I believe) is nearly £5 and other than that it sells a range of spirits and bottles. The smoking area is the parking area and is pretty generous. Loads of space for grabbing a quiet chat or enjoying an outside drink in the summer. It is still essentially a car park though, so don't expect glitz and glamour. The toilets are servicable in this venue, but not pleasant. There are two cubicles downstairs (as well as the gents) with a ladies toilet block upstairs. The doors mainly lock and I haven't ever had "paper issues" here, which is about the nicest thing I can say about them. If you're into raving in a warehouse, I can imagine you having some pretty good times in Spotlight. The main reason to visit is the vast amount of events they put on throughout the year (Madame Moonshine's speakeasy being a big draw for swing fans). This place is big, it's well kitted out for a party and it has a couple of bars. That's about all I can say about it really. It's fit for purpose, but it's not the pinnacle of glamour.

Harvey T.

Never been to a night out here but this venue is used in conjunction with the digbeth dining club. What I can say is it offer great seating and some comfy looking sofas. But u need to get there early to bag one. It has a lovely ambience with soft lighting and also has some good beats playing from a DJ. The bar is okay too service is good and prices for drinks are very reasonable. The entrance is very strange looking but when your in its fine. This place has in street parking outside or down one of the other side streets. But again get there as soon as you can as these disappear fast too. Places of interest close by include club air, the custard factory and rainbow club. Overall its a good venue that's all I can say about it.

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The Boldmere Tap - The Boldmere Tap

The Boldmere Tap

(4 reviews)

££

I am smitten with this gem of a neighborhood pub. My favorite parts are the atmosphere and friendly…read morestaff. Bolder Tap is the flagship location for Joule's Brewery in the Midlands region. The interior has been painstakingly restored to its original charm. Decor highlights include display cases of beer bottles from the early 1900s, a wood fireplace, cosy seating nooks with leather cushions, and the outdoor patio. Because this is a neighborhood pub, families come in throughout the day to enjoy a refreshing pint and most know the servers by name. It's a bit like being on the set of Cheers (American TV show from the 1980s). I went here with Seth S. and took my laptop with some reading. While the Tap doesn't have wifi, seating is comfortable and atmosphere is conducive to relaxing. We stayed for a few hours, enjoying a few pints of cider and then ordered two sides of chips when the kitchen opened at 5pm. The chips were perfectly cooked and flavorful. The portions are HUGE. We could have easily split one side, which was served up in a pasta bowl. The staff were very welcoming and made us feel right at home. I'll definitely be coming here often.

Market Drayton based Joule's Brewery entered the Birmingham footprint last year, opening their…read morelocal flagship location in Boldmere. The Boldmere Tap has refurbished the previous Old Cork & Bottle into a homely neighborhood pub that is one of the most welcoming in Sutton Coldfield. Joule's is a craft brewery that jump-started a defunct 19th century brand (the first ever trademark in England) in the early 2000's that had been purchased by one of the big macro-breweries. The brewery is an easy one hour journey from Birmingham, and centers on crafting real ale with the local spring waters of Shropshire. The focus on the Joule's brewing legacy has led to the creation of some very well done ales and lagers. The Boldmere Tap is the first pub in Birmingham to be under the Joule's umbrella, and features their full line of beers on tap. I recently dropped by one afternoon with one of my mates to see what the brewery had to offer. I have previously tried their pale ale at a pub in city centre, and was excited to see the other featured beers. Joule's has four main beers in their stable, which are complemented by seasonal offerings. The mains are their flagship Pale Ale, Slumbering Monk (a malty bitter ale), Joule's Blond (nice and citrus forward), and Green Monkey (their lager). Their winter seasonal, Old No. 6, is a dark ale. All of the brews are available in half or pull pint pours (a half of the Slumbering Monk is only £1.50). If you aren't in the mood for Joule's taps, the pub also provides more standard fare, including Guinness. All of this is on top of their food menu. The kitchen opens at 10AM, where you can start the day off right with a full English Breakfast for £4.95. The main courses at dinner average around £8, with fish and chips at £7.95. For vegetarians, there are four main courses to choose from, including broccoli cheese bake, mushroom stroganoff, vegetable lasagna, and a bean burger, all for £7.25 or less. The neighborhood feeling that the Boldmere Tap elicits is woven into the very fabric of the building. The pub is decorated with bric a brac of old photos, vintage beer bottles, and a railway sign from the Chester Road station before the branding was refreshed by London Midland. On a cold January afternoon, a stove fire roared near the entrance, heating up the front room. Events are held throughout the week, with a quiz night on Mondays at 9PM and open mic nights on Wednesday. The Boldmere neighborhood, and Birmingham as a whole, are lucky that the Boldmere Tap has been chosen as the flagship Joule's pub for the area. The pub gets all of the benefits that come from being affiliated with a craft brewery, while still maintaining a very old school English pub charm that is increasingly lacking in the city.

The Raven

The Raven

(2 reviews)

££

As it was a rare occasion where the sun was out, we wanted to make the most of it so we headed to…read morethe nearest beer garden by my friends house. I'd never been there before or even heard of it for that matter. The inside was a bit dark and I'd say it appears smaller from the inside than it does the outside. After queing for about 5 minutes, we ordered a couple of ciders and took them outside. I was surprised there weren't more benches and seating options than there were as there seemed to be a lot of people there. There wasn't much of an atmosphere as there was a complete mix of people, both young and old, but the venue was OK and perfect if you're looking for a quiet place to go and enjoy a drink.

When I think of The Raven I think of whistling rockets, clashing fireworks and magical sparklers,…read moreall enjoyed with a pint in one hand and a ketchup lathered burger in the other. Yes, this is one of my favourite times of the year - The Raven's Bonfire Extravaganza! I came here every year as a child and I continue to keep The Raven torch alive now with my friends. Once a year we get together, meeting on the train, transferring to a bus and ending the journey in a taxi. It's worth it, believe me! We start off the afternoon by grabbing a bite to eat from the vast menu, then we watch the late football game in the side bar. As the evening draws closer we go out into the huge garden for the spectacular fireworks display and enjoy a jacket potato, a burger or a hot dog from one of the food stands. The night ends with us putting our final coins into the jukebox and we dance the night away. The pub got refurbished last October so I popped in to have a nose around. It looks amazing. The menus have been updated, the garden has been spruced up and the layout of the pub is more open and welcoming. The only downside is that they have taken out the jukebox but...they've replaced it with a quiz machine, so I was kept happy. I can't wait to go back this October to enjoy another great night out.

Spotted Dog

Spotted Dog

(17 reviews)

££

Historical Quarter - Irish Quarter, Digbeth

Hidden gem. Beautiful family run pub in the heart of digbeth with live music and events. Lovely…read morescotch eggs and cobs on offer with friendly bar staff

Do you suffer from the chain pub blues? Well, The Spotted Dog is here as a perfect cure for what…read moreales you! This pub is located in Deritend/Digbeth and has the look and feel perfect for Brum's Irish Quarter. It has a real sense of place and history, as should any pub with its own theme song (seriously, check it out on youtube). The landlord John has built a reputation as a friendly face of the pub and representative of the neighbourhood. In a sea of bars and gastropubs serving £12 'craft' cocktails, the Spotted Dog serves as a landmark of sanity. The pub has a charmingly worn interior that is ridiculously clean for a boozer in Digbeth. Table tops adorned with candles sit inside, while a side door through the lounge exits onto what is probably the best covered garden in the whole of Brum. The drinks menu is simple yet satisfying. You'll find some of the usual suspects like Guiness on draft in addition to several rotating real ales. Liquor covers a breadth of options, with regular specials. On jazz night (Tuesday), Bushmills Irish Whiskey can be had for a pound and certain ales for £2.50. Even on a normal night, The Spotted Dog is one of the best values in Birmingham. The pub opens at 5PM most nights (sometimes later in the winter). Crisps are offered as the only snack, so you'll want to plan for food accordingly. The customer service is above expectations. A friend and I stopped in one evening right as the pub opened to sip some whiskey. As the first and only customers for over an hour, John shared with us some special Polish vodka a personal friend had brought to him. One of his bartenders asked what music to put on over the sound system and his reply was 'anything you want, as long as it's Bo Diddley'. These types of charmingly quaint memories are what makes The Spotted Dog so special for me. If you are in search of a proper Irish pub experience, look no further than The Spotted Dog.

The Dark Horse - DJ Squirrel upstairs Scratch Club

The Dark Horse

(28 reviews)

££

Smoking food and music…read more The Dark Horse is a quintessential Moseley pub, full of the friendly bustle that you can expect from the area. The venue itself is a welcoming space with plenty of seats both inside and out, there's a full bar on offer with a variety of spirits that I'd imagine will have something for all tastes. Food is tasty BBQ style smoked meat and pizzas made in the pizza oven sitting roaring away in the back. I had the smoked meat platter and everything on offer had a deep smoky flavour with plenty of "narl". The Dark Horse lives up to it's name however by having a large space upstairs that they use when the night gets later and everyone gets their dancing shoes out, we had a great night listening to the house band and the DJ after that.

You guys rock, Atmosphere 10/10, Service 10/10, Food 10/10, We can find no fault here at all. Ok,…read moreif you really want fast food, then go to McDonalds. The Dark Horse they take pride in their food, service and presentation. We came here for Sunday lunch recently and we got tons of food. We were both extremely surprised and very happy with the amount and quality for the price we paid. Nothing is too much trouble, the staff are always lovely and friendly. Food allergies? no problem here at all as any questions can be asked and answered quickly and helpfully. The aroma when the smoker door opens is amazing and the stone pizza oven produces fantastic pizza too. What more can I say except, you guys really do rock.

Akamba

Akamba

(9 reviews)

££

Went there for an evening - you deffo dont wanna go in ya best clothes - chairs are made in Africa…read more- good for the ppl who made em - but not for your best skirt - get caught on a nails. Car park wasnt good for your best shoes either - suggest jeans trainers and tee shirt. Reading the reviews - it seemed a great place to go - but they are dated 2012 - its now 2019. My friend googled their food cleanse things and was horrified to see zero rated. Summer 2019. ive just checked and its not changed. Go enjoy the garden centre - great plants and stuff.

I first went to Akamba in April this year. I'd found it online a few weeks earlier, whilst looking…read morefor tribute nights locally, and then a friend mentioned she had a voucher for a meal there, so we gave it a go. Let's be honest, eating dinner at a garden centre usually sounds like the sort of things your parents or grandparents (depending on your age!) would do, however, this little slice of African themed heaven is a far cry from what you'd normal expect of such a place! I've not made it to Africa, though have traveled widely in Asia, and the outside felt totally authentic, being similar to bars and restaurants I've eaten in abroad. Even outside, you are sheltered from the rain, and inside, where the buffet is served, it's warm and cosy, with live music of an evening, and the most amazing spread of food. I've been a number of times since that first dinner, having returned in the day with my dog, as it's dog friendly if you're happy to sit outside - they even bring a bowl of water for our four legged friends! I've had lunch there, and the most fabulous afternoon cream tea, and cake, whilst the choice is limited, what they offer is very tasty (and I'm a fan of cake!) I loved it that much the first night, that I've refused to go there for a meal again, as I'm going for my 40th, which happens to fall on a Thursday, and looking forward to sharing the experience with close friends. The service is always friendly. It's not always super fast, as it runs on Kenyan time, so this isn't the place to go in a rush. Indeed, why would you? It's such a delightful experience that it deserves to be cherished. Oh, and the shop is pretty fab too! So yes, dog friendly, fab food, great shop and friendly service!

Spotlight - bars - Updated May 2026

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