Samba Lounge

A new replacement for the every-​changing use-​to-​be of JD’s Bar.
Just opposite the bar, its a straight bus into the city centre, if you’re looking for a night out i’d head up there!
The jukebox is pretty cool, drinks were a fair price.
However, the atmosphere was a little dingy, it was completely empty, the music far too loud for a bar atmosphere and the staff were pretty despondent.
Fine if you’re looking for a cheap night out in Smethwick, but i’d really recommend heading to the pricier (but less dive-​y) bars on Broad St.
On a Friday night the atmosphere definitely picks up, but it does have that middle-​ages-​drunk-​crying-​woman feel about it. But if you’re middle-​aged and looking to get drunk? It’s perfect.

After having a drink at The Midland, looking for somewhere else to go for a ‘change of scenery’. My friend suggested The Samba Lounge with a bit of a grin on his face. Not one to miss out on a new experience (perhaps to his surprise), I agreed. From the outset, I didn’t have high expectations.
The A-​board outside lists their ale offering and advertises a discount for CAMRA members. Inside the place feels a bit like a small youth club come student union bar. The red and white wall paint has been chipped away in places through years of blue-​tacked posters.
The venue was once fitted to a fairly high standard, going after a more exclusive market. Theis business failed and has since gone through several name changes; leaving us with The Samba Lounge. They don’t play Latin music, nor do they serve South American food (or any food), so it’s unclear as to where the name originates from.
The fixtures & fittings feel as though they’ve been left somewhat unloved over the years. Chairs made from one piece of curved wood for the seat & back feel like if one leant back too much they would snap in two. The Samba Lounge doesn’t have an abundance of seating so it may not be great for larger groups. There’s a couple of metal tables on the raised street terrace outside, then bench seating with 3 small round tables by the door and two small square tables by the widow. I didn’t visit the toilets whilst I was there, as I wasn’t brave enough to.
Next to the widow is one of those machines that you find in arcades; like the grabber one only it has pronged arms sticking out with prizes on like headphones and a chromecast. Even though we’re used to ‘one-​armed bandits’ in pubs, the bright flashing lights from the machine seem out of in a public house. To add to this light pollution, a large TV flashed images from the ‘KISS’ music channel.
At the back of the room in a darkened corner is a rather small raised dance floor. Although it was fairly early when I attended, the music was blearing out to an uncomfortable volume (perhaps I’m too old?). The dance floor was empty, but I would hasten to guess that by midnight it would be full.
On the bar they had Titanic Stout & Mid Atlantic Pale on keg and Titanic Plum Porter on cask, (I believe the cask offering rotates but is regularly from Titanic). As well as a few of the usual macrofizz suspects. The back bar is full of different flavoured shooters; Corky’s, Sours, Sambuca etc. I would expect the drinks to be fairly inexpensive, MAP was £3 a pint.
It’s definitely a locals bar. The locals themselves seem the kind that would head straight to Broad Street when going for a drink in town. I did feel that there was a sense of community when I was in there. Not a community I am part of, but the group of men at the end of the bar, were joined by others as they entered. In fact, every customer in there (bar my friend and I) were stood in a huddle around the bar.
If you want flavoured shots, disco music and a Broad Street atmosphere on a smaller scale without travelling into town, then The Samba Lounge is the place for you. If not, it’s probably best avoided.

Situated about 10 minutes drive from the city centre, this bar makes a pleasent addition to the area.
Inside, it’s a pretty stylish venue especially for the as Smethwick isn’t exactly the most ‘go-​to’ area This bar is ideal if you live in the area but I wouldn’t go out of my way to go here.
It was a quiet evening when we went and they had music playing from the TV’s.
There wasn’t much of an atmosphere as there was a complete mix of people, both young and old, but the venue was OK and perfect if you’re looking for a quiet place to go and enjoy a drink.

Samba is an eye catching place in the middle of Bearwood, I was immediately drawn to the unusual shop front of this place (which is obviously named after the Brazilian dance) and wondered from the name if it’d be some sort of South American bar. (Unfortunately, it was not, but I’m not disappointed by that at all.)
Curiously, I entered the doors to be greeted by tables decorated with orchid flowers, helping to make the pub feel very homely. The vibe of the pub was rather unique to say the least, and almost felt like I was stepping back in time. Grainy television screens surround the walls, and broadcast 80s/​90s music videos straight from the MTV Classics channel. I loved the whole experience, and felt like I’d entered some sort of time capsule from the synth pop era; It was strange, yet very welcoming. Additionally, the TV advertisements between music videos were all in Italian dialogue, so I’m guessing that the pub broadcasts its channels from Italy. Obscurely, I think this really adds to the unique atmosphere at Samba. (Although hearing acne cream adverts in Italian would certainly be very confusing while sozzled!)
The stage area of the pub was sectioned off, and had planks of wood lying across it, which is a shame because by looking at the size and amount of speakers, sound systems and lights, it seems as though a night here would be quite prolific; So I hope it is cleared up/​improved soon!
Prices of drinks here are phenomenally cheap; There was a football match on the day before, and according to the board, pints had been £2! Crazy stuff! I purchased two Sailor Jerrys from here for £4.80; I think this has to be the cheapest I’ve ever paid for my favourite rum.
The staff at Samba are very friendly, and strike up conversations really easily. On purchasing the two Sailor Jerrys, the lad who served me asked if I’d tried this rum with lemonade. I actually hadn’t, so I trusted his recommendation, which turned out to be great! The alcohol here is very diverse and unusual; I had a good look on all the shelves, which were full of drinks that I’d never heard of before. There was even a bottle of crystal head vodka, which comes in a plastic skull-​shaped bottle; you very rarely see this anywhere!
Unfortunately, there weren’t many customers in the pub at the time of my visit (around 5pm) which is a real shame. But I’m going to check out Samba in the evenings to see how busy it is at this time.
If this pub was situated in the city centre, I know for sure that It’d be a very popular destination!