Bacchus makes the grade thanks to its sheer wackiness. It’s one of those places that’s always fun to duck into with a visiting friend, if only to watch their reaction to the extravagant décor within.
The bar is tucked away on the basement floor of the Burlington Arcade, a complex of hotels and shops in the centre of town, and located on one of Birmingham’s oldest streets. Dating back to 1398, this is a pub that’s taken the historical theme of the area and ran wild with it.
Walking through Bacchus is a bit like taking a trip through an Ikea showroom down the ages. First, you have your Greek and Roman mosaics and frescoes, then, suddenly, you’re surrounded by suits of armour and medieval archways. From here, you can take a drink into the ‘library’ with its genteel Georgian vibe, or duck into the dazzling Egyptian room with its golden tomb paintings.
Drinks are a selection of real ales from across the UK, as well as your regular commercial beers and wines, but it’s the novelty factor that makes Bacchus special and really stand out from the crowd.