Jewellery Quarter Birmingham: Restaurants, Bars & Things to Do

The Jewellery Quarter is my preferred place to hang out, with fantastic restaurants and independent bars, most of which are dog-friendly. This area is home to some nice architecture, including churches and a picturesque heritage graveyard.

The area is the home of many independent businesses, including bars, shops and, in particular, jewellers. It is a short walk from Birmingham city centre and is well worth the wander, especially to visit the museums and heritage sites. St Paul’s Square in the Jewellery Quarter is Georgian and looks absolutely stunning.

Pubs, Bars & Restaurants in The Jewellery Quarter

The Jewellery Quarter has a selection of independent pubs and restaurants, making it a great place to drink or dine out. St Paul’s Square is an excellent area for dining out, with plenty of options nearby.

1000 Trades: A Neighbourhood Bar

The 1000 Trades is a cosy neighbourhood bar that serves tasty food and a range of booze. It is on Frederick Street in a unique-looking venue. Their drinks are unique, with many organic options, including organic beers and even an organic prosecco. The bar is pet-friendly, so you can enjoy a beer or dine out with your furry friend.

Saint Paul’s House Hotel in St Paul’s Square

Although primarily a boutique hotel, Saint Paul’s House in the picturesque St Paul’s Square has a fantastic bar and restaurant. Saint Paul’s House has a well-stocked bar with many options for quality beers, wines, and cocktails. We have enjoyed various items from their restaurant menu. This is also a good place to take the laptop and work in a relaxed environment.

Cucina Rustica Italian Restaurant on Ludgate Hill

Cucina Rustica is a very nice Italian restaurant on Ludgate Hill, an ideal place for a date night or celebratory meal. The restaurant has an extensive menu featuring a wide array of Italian dishes. Some of my favourites include their lamb chops with veg and spicy sausage pasta.

Temper & Brown

If you like pretty bars with art on the walls, Temper & Brown is a good option. It is a great venue with vibrant colours, fantastic art, and pleasant food and drink options. Temper & Brown serves a range of premium beers, including some interesting craft beer options.

For food, they specialise in small plates and weekend brunches. Their full English includes rare-breed pork sausage, streaky bacon, black pudding, roasted tomatoes, beans, fried egg and toast.

Arch 13 Bar and Connolly’s Wine

Connolly’s Wine and Arch 13 Bar are on Livery Street near the entrance to Snow Hill Station. Connolly’s Wine is a wine merchant that sells a vast selection of wines from around the world. They stock some interesting beers, from local brews to some more interesting continental options.

I particularly like the variety of beers, including some German wheat beers, Belgian abbey beers and some nice British options. Arch 13, the on-site wine bar, is ideal for a date night. Inside, they serve superb wines, paired with a very interesting-looking menu. Their menu includes delights such as charcuterie or cheese boards.

Locanta, an Italian Eatery on Ludgate Hill

Another Italian restaurant on Ludgate Hill is the delightful Locanta. This is one of the most hospitable restaurants in the area. The restaurant is rustic inside and has a pleasant terrace for seating on warm days. Their staff are friendly and are very enthusiastic about their food and wines.

The food here is delicious, including typical Italian cuisine, tapas options and a daily specials board. Their tapas include delightful meatballs, calamari, olives and much more. Their pasta is good, as is the pizza, and they also offer a range of meaty dishes.

You can also choose from a good selection of Italian desserts, including tiramisu.

Damascena for Middle Eastern Food & Coffee

Another popular lunchtime choice for me is Damascena, a Middle Eastern eatery and coffee shop. You can order from Damascena via the Deliveroo app. Their stuffed vine leaves are my favourite starter or accompaniment.

Their chicken shawarma Arabiya is delicious, as is the lamb version. It’s basically meat in flatbread with a side of salad and spicy potatoes. The menu has many meze options, so you can pick and mix. Ful is also on the menu. A standout ful I enjoyed was the broad bean/fava bean ful Mahroos. Overall, a very interesting menu. Menu.

Soda Bread Cafe in St Paul’s Square

For lunchtime or breakfast sustenance, the Soda Bread Cafe at St Paul’s Square is fantastic. It’s my go-to place for a brunch sandwich on a dog walk in the area. The staff and owner are friendly, and the Soda Bread Cafe serves hearty food options.

The Indian Brewery Restaurant

The Indian Brewery serves delicious street food in its lovely dining area, which is suitable for small or large groups. They have an outside dining area.

The Indian Brewery brews its own beer, including its Birmingham Lager. This is an unfiltered beer which tastes delicious. A highlight of their food menu is their fat naans, which come in many flavours and are rather filling.

The Rectory in St Paul’s Square

The Rectory in St Paul’s Square is a pleasant restaurant and bar. They have some raised seating in the bar and a friendly vibe. They also have outdoor tables overlooking the church and a courtyard to the side.

A highlight of their restaurant menu is their flat iron steak sandwich, which was delicious and well presented.

Queens Arms Pub

The Queens Arms is a friendly traditional pub on Newhall Street. It is a good option for a relaxing pint or two. It has an outdoor smoking area with cinema-style seats.

Rose Villa Tavern

The Rose Villa Tavern has a traditional boozer feel, with additional outdoor seating overlooking the iconic Chamberlain Clock. Their menu includes plenty of chicken, burgers, and hot dogs.

Jewellers Arms

The Jewellers Arms is a friendly pub to pop in for a beer, especially on a busy Friday evening when it is quite vibrant. The pub serves a good selection of draught beer and also has some outside seating. More info…

The Button Factory

The Button Factory is a bar on Frederic Street with a balcony for summer hangouts, offering splendid views of the Jewellery Quarter. They are a multi-purpose venue where you can enjoy a coffee in the morning. Or a bottomless brunch on the weekend, too-late dinner and cocktails.

Actress & Bishop, a late-night bar & live music

The Actress & Bishop is a late-night bar and live music venue on Ludgate Hill near St Paul’s Square. They have a big bar inside and a lovely terrace outside. The Actress & Bishop has a wide selection of drinks, including beers, shots, and cocktails. The Actress & Bishop hosts a variety of live music events, pub quizzes and even an open mic night. This is one of the livelier places later in the evening.

Burning Soul Brewery For Local Craft Beer

The Burning Soul Brewery has a taproom open on Fridays and Saturdays for you to enjoy their beers. They also offer brewery tours to interested visitors. Their beer offerings include Pulling Down the Sun IPA, a 4.5% session IPA brewed with Idaho 7 and Citra hops. Their menu constantly develops to include new beers, so something new is often in the pipeline.

Pasta Di Piazza

Just along from St Paul’s Square is Pasta Di Piazza, another Italian restaurant in the Jewellery Quarter. Pasta Di Piazza calls a beautiful Victorian red brick building with hanging baskets home. Inside, there is a rustic dining room, and it’s a nice place for a meal out.

Pasta Di Piazza has two menu options: à la carte and set meals. Menu items include antipasti, pizzas, risotto and pasta. They serve platters with options like steak or veal Milanese.

Things to See & What to Do in The Jewellery Quarter

The Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham has plenty for visitors to see. These include tourist attractions to enjoy while exploring the area.

Museum of the Jewellery Quarter

The Museum of the Jewellery Quarter is a great visitor attraction. The museum tells the story of the 200-year-old Jewellery Quarter, which is considered the centre of the British jewellery industry. Smith & Pepper Jewellery Factory became a museum after it closed its doors for good. The museum is like a time capsule of a historic jewellery maker, where you can see all the tools and methods used. You can visit to learn more.

BT Tower

The BT Tower is one of the most prominent features of the Jewellery Quarter’s skyline and is visible from most parts of the area.

Chamberlain Clock

The Chamberlain Clock and tower are Edwardian and made from cast iron. It was erected in 1903 to mark Joseph Chamberlain’s tour of South Africa between 26 December 1902 and 25 February 1903, after the Second Boer War.

St Paul’s Square

Daffodils and dusk in St Paul’s Square is a lovely place for an evening stroll on a dry evening. The area is well lit and always a pleasure to visit. St Paul’s Square is a fantastic place to sit out on a sunny day. Many restaurants and bars are nearby.

Warstone Lane & Keyhill Cemetery

The Jewellery Quarter has two heritage cemeteries, and both are lovely places to explore, relax, and even learn a bit of history. The gatehouse at Warstone Lane Cemetery is rather special to see, much like the local architecture.

Warstone Lane Cemetery is a tranquil, beautiful place. This is a great place for a walk or to sit and relax, and one of the quieter open spaces. The grounds here are one of the nicer places to watch the sunset in Birmingham.

Jewellers & Jewellery Maker Shops

Visitors often come to visit the many specialist jewellers and jewellery makers locally. The area has specialists in gold, diamonds, and other precious gems, so it’s a great place to visit if you are buying jewellery. Warstone Lane and Vyse Street offer an array of options.

Jewellery Quarter Photographs

Some photos of my two and a half years living in this area of Birmingham.

The churchyard has flowers year-round. This is their lavender flowerbed in full bloom. The photo also shows Ludgate Hill, Soda Bread Café, and the Colmore Business District in the background.

Ludgate Hill and the Soda Bread Café, as the sun comes up on a winter morning, are among many brilliant spots to see the sunrise.

Stunning lights taken from St Paul’s Square down Ludgate Hill. The area has a great nighttime economy in normal times, with a range of fantastic venues to enjoy.

St Paul’s Square seems to be the focal point of winter activity when it snows.

Sunny summer days are a great time to hang out, and the church is photogenic year-round.

More flowers and colourful trees in St Paul’s Square, highlighting what a great open space this is to hang out.

The area has some interesting signage; this one on Livery Street says “A Matter of Opinion”-certainly food for thought when you see it.