Sound the new opening klaxon! Jungle Bird has arrived.
Found right by the Alex Theatre (ideal for pre show drinks and nibbles) this bar and kitchen is serving up cocktails and tasty vegan bites in a bright, tiki-style space inspired by the tropics.
Food wise you’ll find plant-based small plates and snacks (3 for £18 deal available; generous portions) or larger meals including burgers and loaded fries.
Lots of choice and a really creative menu with some interesting options that exceed far beyond shite salads. Expect big, punchy flavours and food more colourful than the language used in Rebekah Vardy’s texts about Inspector Coleen of Rooney.
There’s so much care and thought that’s gone into the food here – half the time you’re eating you’re trying to work out how they make something that’s never seen an animal taste like one.
We ordered:
- Coastal Cakes (like fish cakes but not)
- Holy Smokes (creamy croquette-like balls of joy)
- Sweetcorn Fritters (the best; my favourite)
- Kraken Kalamari (calamari-ish as a huge plate of loaded fries)
- Latino Heat (spicy marg type cocktail)
- Hawaii 5-0 (frozen slush cocktail)
Around £55 for loads of food, 2 cocktails and 4 pints between 2 people. Lots to choose from on the cocktail menu and I love that *all* of them can be made into mocktails. No more boring fizzy apple juice for the non drinkers.
Some truly lovely folk behind this place (same food gang as BA-HA) on front and back of house, and I wish them all the luck. It’s a great pre-theatre location and there’s also a happy hour Wed – Fri from 5pm to 8pm when cocktails are just a fiver. Laaaaavely.
Open Wed-Sun, see their page for times. There’s lots of space inside and a small handful of tables in the sunshine (albeit next to Queensway) if you’d rather be outside people watching.
In the words of Guns n Roses: Welcome to the Jungle. Oh shut up, that’s a great link. If you’re interested to see more there’s a video on my Instagram here.
Jungle Bird, 20 Suffolk Street, Queensway, Birmingham, B1 1LW
(P.S despite the rumours, this isn’t in the old Island Bar space – walk 15 seconds to the left of that and look for the sign)