Last Saturday night (16th January) we ventured out into Birmingham for a belated birthday celebration. Having both been at university up until recently it was our first trip into the big city for a night out since returning home, and we weren't exactly sure what to expect. Being a city full of students it was easy to imagine how we might feel somewhat 'out-of-the-loop' now that we are out of that reassuring bubble called 'student life'.
Our first stop for the evening was The Island Bar, located on Suffolk Street. It's a shame our visit was on a wet and dark January evening because although the atmosphere was fantastic, it certainly has that holiday feel to it and was in need of a balmy, summer evening to complete the total effect. Far from being a negative, the atmosphere of The Island Bar makes for a completely relaxed evening and is a great first stop for a night out.
The main attraction at The Island Bar has to be the bartenders and their amazing skills at making a cocktail. No matter how busy the bar, the bartenders had fun with the drink preparation, throwing ingredients around to each other whilst keeping the drinks coming at a steady rate. The cocktail menu itself is extensive, with so many choices you are bound to find something to take your fancy; the only downside of this being the cost - at £5.50 each for the more adventurous drinks, just a few of these would set you back a bit for the evening (however these are the prices for Saturdays - there are offers on in the week such as £3 each before 7pm on Mondays).
Jen and myself with our cocktails!
Our next stop was a short walk away from The Island Bar, past the Mailbox and to the indie nightclub Snobs.
Unfortunately for me Saturday night music in Snobs is either indie rock or 60s, neither of which are the type of music I like to dance to. However despite my obviously lacking taste in music (Jen appreciated it all a lot more than I did) I was able to appreciate the end of the night venue for its good dance floors and friendly atmosphere. It is obviously a well loved club by those in their late teens and early twenties, who came out in full force to dance their hearts out.
One aspect I have to mention which probably seems really unimpressive is the fact that the whole club is air conditioned. You may think this an odd thing to mention, but as a former student at Aberystwyth University, where the clubs have not progressed as far as modern technological advances to accommodate nightclubbers, this is a wonderful commodity that does not go unnoticed or unappreciated.
When leaving the club, it was also nice to see some security measures outside, with people on hand to help leavers to find transport home and presumably to stop any fights should they occur.
Overall, the night was a great introduction back into the Birmingham social scene, with the only down side to the evening being the £33 taxi fare home!
Myself, Jen and our friend Grace in Snobs
For more information about the bars we visited please take a look at their websites, links below:
http://www.snobsnightclub.co.uk/
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