Bacchus Bar, Birmingham

This one took a bit of finding from street level but persistence paid off. There were five real ales on the hand pulls, St Austell Summer Anthem, Hop Back Summer Lightning, Purity Ubu, Nicholson's Pale Ale and something else I neglected to note. This is a dark dimly lit place with no natural light, definitely an interesting experience with lots of different seating areas to break up the space. My Summer Anthem was either £2.30 or £2.40 for a half, so a bit on the pricey side, but was otherwise OK. There is a second bar not in use at the time of my visit yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon, immediately to the left of the main bar. I don't think all the hand pulls were clipped but those that were had duplicates of those on the main bar.

This is a Nicholson's bar worthy of a visit just yo wander round and see all the features and decor round the place. It was very busy when we went, but we did get seats but beer choice seemed limited with only 3 ales on, repeated in the other bar. No problem with the Siren Craft beer, Here Comes Johnny though.

Interior as described below and it's certainly something different. Well worth a gander and it's handy for new street station. Usual Nicholson's real ale and food selection.

Pub is exactly as described in the previous reviews all a bit mad , rammed on my Saturday afternoon visit and i mean rammed , the one bar was closed and the queue for the other was about six deep with people trying to get served , so we gave it a miss .

Hidden away in the basement of the Burlington Arcade and Hotel, this is an eccentric, atmospheric Nicholson's pub that merits a visit for the mad décor alone. A spiral staircase lined with painted scenes of Bacchanalian excess, leads down into a jumbled set of vaults, side rooms and snugs, lot of thick stone pillars, grand archways and imposing doorways. A long bare boarded vault acts as the spine of the pub, running from the entrance, past all sorts of strange items including various suits of armour, large paintings, busts, collections of earthenware, swords, flags and a fake sarcophagus before eventually reaching the servery at the rear of the room. There is a real mixed bag of seating options, with high tables and stools in the main vault, comfier options in a side room to the left which boasts some nice woodwork and a further collection of busts, and cosy booths to the right on a series of raised platforms. The servery is split in two, with the right hand section dominated by a huge statue of Bacchus which stares down through the pub from high on the bar back, whilst to the left there is a similarly sized stretch of counter with a small seating area opposite. To the left of this, a formal dining room emerges, which is set up to look a bit like a dusty old library. A final room to the rear right has an Egyptian theme and is hidden partly behind a curtained entrance overseen by a statue of Tutankhamun. Suffice to say, this description doesn't really do full justice to the madness within - it may all be a slightly tacky gimmick, but it still has a real 'wow-factor' when you first enter. The ale range was typical of the Nicholson's chain, comprising Salopian Shropshire Gold, Nicholson's Pale Ale, Hop Back Winter Lightning and Purity Ubu with a lots more pumps out of action. A good keg range was also evident including a number of lesser seen brands. My pint of the Shropshire Gold was served far too cold, which was a shame as it was in decent enough condition. This is a really fun place to enjoy a drink or two. It seems to not take itself too seriously and makes an interesting place to take unsuspecting friends, especially as a reasonable selection of beers is pretty much guaranteed. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to have a knees-up in the British museum, this is about as close as you're likely to get.

Simply bonkers pub - hidden in the depths below the Burlington Arcade. I have lived near BRM all my life but didnt know this was here until I read the top 10 pubs in Birmingham. The photo on this site sums it up - leave behind SportsDirect and TK Maxx and pretend you are in 2000 years ago in Rome and having a pint. Good choice of beers - I had a Korev Lager - first time i have seen it outside the South West. A must visit.