I went to an underground pub and found one of Birmingham’s best kept secrets

Minutes away from the hustle and bustle of Birmingham New Street station is an historic underground bar that you might not even know about. I didn’t, but I’m happy to report I’ve found a new favourite bar in the city centre.

Tucked away in the beautiful Burlington Arcade is Bacchus Bar, a bar which gives you limitless opportunities for your next Instagram snap. Whether it’s paintings, statues, knight’s armour, an Egyptian room, or just the main bar area, it’s a bar that needs to be seen to be believed.

Originally a theatre which burnt down, the venue was also the cellar to the upstairs Macdonald Burlington Hotel. Like with the theatre, the cellar burnt down too, and has been a Nicholson’s pub since the 1980s.

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Getting here is the hard part, there’s no signs to the bar apart from when you are right at the entrance. Hadyn Evans is the shift supervisor at Bacchus Bar and says that’s intentional.

“It’s not like we advertise for people to come here, we like it being lowkey. It’s like an achievement when you find us, we do get people ringing who have trouble locating us,” he said.

In his own words, Hadyn describes Bacchus Bar as ‘the hidden gem of Birmingham’. And it’s hard to argue with that description.

The underground setting teleports you to another world with a number of different vibes, ranging from Greek and medieval all the way to cosy and comfortable. Rooms include the Egyptian room (which features pharaohs heads and hieroglyphs on the wall) and a restaurant area which is themed like a library.

The general bar area has a gothic feel with deep seated chairs comfortable enough where sitting down is a risky game. The name of the bar is a nod to Bacchus, the Greek god of wine which explains why the bar has an ancient feel to it.

Although wine is more than an appropriate choice to drink here, Bacchus Bar prides themselves on their gin selection with over 40 different types available. On my first impression, I was impressed with the architecture more than anything, it didn’t feel like I was in Birmingham.

Hadyn added: “You’re not going to get anything like this in Birmingham. And the fact that we’re underground, I don’t know many underground pubs, especially this size.

“In the winter, during the German Market, I’d say we’re the busiest pub in Birmingham. We can have up to 800 people here during then.

“We’re next to New Street, if people want a quick drink, we’re right here. If people want to get out the cold, or people want to wait before their train, we’re right here.

“It’s a pretty cool place.”

Outside of drinking, the bar has a fully fledged kitchen, including breakfasts, main courses and a Sunday roast menu. For socials and work parties, the bar has a buffet menu too which features a sandwich board, and a vegetarian platter.

When asked why people should give Bacchus a try, Hadyn said: “You should come to Bacchus to experience something you haven’t before, especially if you’re from Birmingham. We do amazing food and it’s a theme and environment that you’re not going to get anywhere else.

“We like to chat and get to know our regulars. Great food, great drinks, great environment… I think everyone should come.”

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