4 Best Bars in Birmingham, Stratford-upon-Avon and the Heart of England

If you want to know where locals come to hang, this is it. Held every Thursday through Sunday, it’s a collection of street food stalls—largely from homegrown cooks—and bars, all with a buzzy, fun vibe. There’s a heady mix of music too, on Friday and Saturday nights, and the occasional market. It even has its own record store. Originally held in the neighborhood of Digbeth (hence the name), it relocated in 2021 to a former printing works in Hockley. The organizers (Digby Dining Club) host similar events across the Midlands, including pop-ups everywhere from Warwick Castle to Coventry. It's about a mile from the Jewellery Quarter—get off at the Jewellery Quarter train station and walk 10 minutes. The same people run the equally popular Herbert's Yard, farther out of town.

The place to come for live music in the city is this excellent drinking, dining, and dancing venue, set across three floors. There's live jazz, soul, or funk most nights.

This handsome, trendy pub in the southern suburb of Moseley is full of polished wood tables, colorful cushions, and stained-glass windows. The beer selection is huge, and the high-class pub food is delicious. This place gets rammed to the rafters for the traditional roasts—beef, pork, lamb, chicken, or nut—on Sunday at lunchtime.

The spacious and high-domed Old Joint Stock serves good ales and pies in an old bank. The attached theater presents a steady stream of good plays and comedy gigs.