The Vaults

Pretentious, very but there is no reason. Drinks 2/​5, poor menu, nothing really extravagant, only the usual suspect drinks you’d find in a low end bar. Atmosphere 2/​5, very loud DJ music. Bartenders and staff 2/​5, a little rude and not helpful, not very skilled at making drinks. Dress code dressy only, décor poor, floor and tables dirty. This used to be a lovely piano bar. Now it is a dive — a bar that has somehow managed to somehow find its way in to the JQ from Broad Street. £350 to hire a booth under one of the arches. So much security you wonder if they have had a lot of problems. Just avoid!

I came to eat here for the first time this weekend as my friend had a living social voucher, so we got a good discount! We walked downstairs and past all the booths in the bar area with their comfy inviting seats and cushions and then through a frosted door to the dining area. I didn’t especially like the main dining room as I thought the tables too close together and for some reason didn’t like the red table cloths. Anyway, out table was round the corner under one of the arches, where we had a god view of what was going on in the kitchen.
The house wine was very drinkable, but we had to ask several times for water. Starters-​we had a choice of onion soup, beef carpaccio, Brie wrapped in Palma ham or cod fillet. I chose the Brie and my friend the soup and we polished them off quickly! Service was fast so out mains followed quickly-​we both had beef fillet-​mouthwatering! Dessert-​my friend had chocolate brownie which she said was slightly burnt, but my frangipani tart was very light and tasty.
I enjoyed my meal and would go again, but maybe not for a while.

I’m a bit of a sucker for a voucher. I don’t buy loads of them, but occasionally something pops into my inbox and either reminds me of somewhere I want to revisit or try… A voucher for this place reminded me that I hadn’t been for around 4 years (I know, terrible right?) and I thought it was high time I should go back and give it another go.
I actually really love the décor of this place. It’s a basement restaurant and bar (hence the name), with the entrance being located on Newhall Hill. Once you enter and head down the stone steps you are presented with two doors; the entrance to the restaurant and the entrance to the bar. We proceeded to follow the labyrinth to the eatery and found the check in desk with relative ease.
The staff were ON IT from the moment we walked in. Reservation confirmed, seated and presented with some water within a couple of minutes. We went on a fairly busy Saturday night, but everyone seemed to be looked after during our visit. There was no snobbishness that we had used a voucher and we were presented with the wine and food menu (which wasn’t so large that it was a nightmare to decide, but there was plenty of choice) and left to ponder for a couple of minutes.
We opted for a bottle of house white wine (on top of the glass that was included with the deal), which wasn’t too overpriced at £16.95 and had a good think about what we were going to have. Our waiter had recommended the pigeon (something that I love, but don’t have as often as I would like), so I went for this to start and the venison for main.
The first course was bought out piping hot (obviously freshly cooked) and within about 10 minutes of our order. Although the portion wasn’t massive, it was very tasty and all of the flavours in the dish complimented the complex flavours in the meat. The venison was the star of the show. This was tender and delicious.
Now, not having a huge sweet tooth, I opted for a cheese board for dessert. This looked great (being presented on a slate) and offered 4 kinds of cheese, a range of crackers and a honey jelly (as well as the obligatory celery).
We left £20 (with tip and the cost of the wine) and the voucher had cost £29 making the meal just under £50. The cost of a 3 course meal was £25, and 2 course was £22.50 when we visited — so I would say it’s pretty reasonable. For a sumptuous dining experience in an underground basement, I would recommend a trip to the Vaults.

The vaults has, in my eyes, two very different faces. Much like Janus the vaults is home to the beginning and the end. On one side is the restaurant and the other is the variety of drunkenness that I’ve witnessed spilling from it’s doors on the early hours of a Saturday morning. But I’m only going to focus on the restaurant side of things as that’s all I’ve experienced and therefore it would not be fair to comment on the bar/​club aspect.
The vaults, as it’s name suggests, is underground. Underneath the flats on Newhall Hill this large cavernous space has been decked out with an air of class and sophistication very reminiscent of some of the venues in Manchester’s northern quarter. We ventured on down on Saturday evening and were treated to a lovely dinner. The regularly changing menu is varied yet concise, although there was venison loin on offer so my eyes didn’t wander too far.
Service was spot on, no complaints there, and the food was brought out in a timely fashion. Both starters were great, Vicky’s woodpigeon outshone my beef carpaccio though — the whole dish was a little oily but the chilli macaroons that accompanied it was delicious. Our venison mains were exquisitely cooked, the venison just melting with tenderness and flavour.
Dessert was tricky, I eventually decided on a ginger cake with orange custard which was lovely and moist and big enough to leave me contented without being overstuffed.
We had a living social voucher so our dinner was very reasonable but your standard three course dinner will set you back around £30 with wines starting at £16.50 a bottle. The cocktails are supposed to be great here too but as we were on wine we didn’t end up sampling them this time.

Wonderful Gastro menu. Some of the best did I’ve had in England. But the thing to die for is the bread pudding… Oh yeah!

One of my favorite bars in Brum. The atmosphere is really chilled. Red brick exposed in this converted bar and cozy private rooms along the hallway great for group gatherings
Good cocktails and friendly staff to top it off

A fab bar and restaurant that is situated underground in the Jewellery Quarter. I visited this establishment for drinks during the week, and was impressed by the layout and décor of the bar area.
There are a number of booths which come across as cosy with low lighting and curtains that can be drawn across each entrance to the booth.
My only one gripe with the place is the toilets which have been darkly painted, and lighting is a bit of an issue.
I can imagine that this place would get super busy at the weekends, so I suggest getting there early and propping up the bar.

Great bar and restaurant, which is located in the not so commercial Jewellery Quarter.
You can be put off by the descent down the stairs to an underground cavern where the original vaults are now turned into great private areas to organise get togethers and birthdays.
The bar area is small and seating is minimal which means lots of standing around and posing on the weekend nights.
The restaurant area is awesome for a romantic meal or a place to just have a quiet dinner without too much noise.
The food and service when I have been have always been exceptional and it is places like this which add character to what is already a congested market place.

The owner of the Vaults, Julian, first opened the bar and restaurant a few years back. Back in Victorian times, I’ve heard that the venue was used as a mailing house that had been forgotten as time went by.
Luckily for us, Julian found this little jem — which is quite fitting as it’s situated in the Jewellery Quarter — and restored it to its full glory keeping the original characteristics including the popular ‘vaults’ which have been turned into private booth areas.
The venue itself is probably one of my favourites not only because of its detailed and stylish décor, but also the quality drinks and delicious food.
Daryl the bar manager will ensure your cocktails are mixed to perfection and if you don’t see any that you fancy, ask him as he’s always busy making his own concoctions.
Food wise, I highly recommend pretty much everything on the menu it’s that good but my personal favourite has to be the salmon.
They often have food deals such as 2 courses for £15 so it’s worth checking their website before you book a table.

A pretty cool establishment, this. You might miss it on walking past, as it doesn’t really shout its presence and, due to it being located between Summer Row’s strip of bars and Jewellery Quarter watering holes, you really have to want to go and spend some time there rather than visit it as part of a larger bar crawl adventure.
However, do go seek it out. Its vibe is one that’s unique and separate from all the bars I’ve visited in Birmingham. When you enter, you walk down some stairs and you’ll be in the underground bar/​restaurant area. It’s quite dark but in a moody, cool, almost sexy way — you won’t be walking into walls or anything quite as extreme as that.
As you enter, you’ll notice the spacious and comfy booths that are available for hire, making them a perfect option for a work gathering or special birthday occasion. If you don’t want to splash the cash for one though, you’ll be comfortable regardless. I can’t say I’ve ever sampled the food here, as I’ve only ever headed down for after-​work or pre-​club drinks, but it definitely gets a thumbs up from me in this case. Drinks prices are reasonable for city centre, but students may only be able to stretch to a couple before heading to Snobs.

The Vaults is a great drinking den. I say den because this bar and restaurant is housed under ground. It must have been a former cellar as it has half a dozen red bricked alcoves off the main corridor to the bar which, these days make for comfortable drinking holes. The main bar is quite small but large enough to accommodate a baby grand piano and on some occasions a band playing live music. I haven’t had the pleasure of eating here yet, however, my friends inform me that the food is very good. I paid £14.95 for a bottle of house white, a Pinot Grigio which was chilled to perfection. I quaffed it with a pal from two large goblet glasses which had also been chilled, a nice touch I thought. The service was excellent. The atmosphere was relaxed and the cliental at the time of my visit was aged late 20’s early 30’s wearing smart but casual attire. A very pleasant visit.

me and mu boyfriend went to the vaults on a thursday night when the menu is priced at £16.5 for three courses. the food was not only extremely good value for money had it been simply ok but it was outstanding! great choice of classic and seasonable ingredients. the wine choice was also great although I would like to have more choice on wine by the glass. Finally our waiter was one of the most polite i have ever met asking if everything was ok every so often. all in all a great place

Full Review with Pictures at —

The other evening, on the way home from dinner I was walking past The Vaults, spotted the bright red door, and thought a little Martini to finish the night off would be a good plan.
It may have been this moment, in retrospect where it all went wrong, but wrong in a good way as I’ll explain. The Vaults has been open for a while, but it had been a long time since my last visit where we had spotted that some of the staff were good at making cocktails.
So, wandering down the stairs, into the vaulted rooms, and onto the bar on a Thursday evening I settled for one Martini. Now, I was expecting the place to be quiet, but there was a little crowd mingling around enjoying their evening.
The place has class, no doubt about it, but of late I’ve always heard that it has got a bit too popular for its own good and on a Friday/​Saturday it’s a tad too busy.
Anyway, I digress, the drinks. The first Martini, came out overshaken, with a layer of ice crystals at the top, luckily the attentive Korro spotted me looking at the drink and offered me a replacement. I do like attentive service, and he even admitted that it probably had been overshaken. (That said, I did think I had asked for a stirred Martini, but I didn’t comment)
The evening continued in an array of drinks including Negronis, Aviations, a Martinez and some others. What was interesting for me, is that the place is trying hard on it’s cocktails, the menu has Classics, Contempary, Signature and a dedicated Martini section. Of course, don’t feel scared to order ‘off the menu’, they do say ‘you name it we can make it’. Pricewise, most fall in at £6.50, with a couple using premium spirits towards the £7−8 mark.
The fact that the service is good, the staff will really try to make the best drink they can (including asking comments on the drink, in the case of the Aviation as the bartender had never made one before.. .shows that the staff care about improving their skills). The quote of the evening was I’ll keep making you an aviation until it’s perfect, this had some consequences for my sobriety.
I’d certainly add this to a place to visit for a drink, and I hear that the restaurant does some good food too.
Atmosphere: ⁸⁄₁₀
Staff: ⁹⁄₁₀
Price: ⁸⁄₁₀
Drinks: ⁸⁄₁₀
Overall 8.25÷10
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This bar is in the deep vaulted basement of an old factory building that is now city living chic epitomised. It has a wonderful bright red door and a relatively modest exterior. The stairs lead straight down to the bar, the brick work has been exposed and reconditioned and the lighting is spot on. You walk down towards the bar ahead and pass cosy booths on either side, one under each arch. Each one has a slightly different feel and a thick luxurious curtain to bring immediate intimacy. These booths can be reserved and on Saturday night they all were.
The bar area itself is nice and they drinks menu is excellent. We had cocktails early in the evening, when the seats were all taken but the place was yet to fill up to capacity. The general concensus was that the cocktails (£6 each) tasted a little light on the alcohol, but good all the same. And so they should be they run a cocktail school for the ultra keen among you: o)
There is a restaurant adjacent to the bar, which I haven’t tried yet, but I would definitely give it a try next time.
Good if you fancy a classy cocktail, plush surroundings and a dash of footballer spotting: o)