The newest addition to Birmingham’s vibrant and ever-expanding food and
drink scene opens this week promising cocktails, culture and kitchen take
overs!
And visitors to 52 Gas Street, which opens this Thursday, will recognise the
iconic location of the bar, alongside the city’s canal network, as the home of
former city nightspots Bobby Browns and the Opposite Lock.
The bar began life as a gun factory and then as a stables servicing the canal
before its’ best known period of history as the place where celebrities
including footballers and pop stars would flock for a night out.
Whilst plans to eventually open a club again upstairs remain on the back
burner for now, the investors behind the project are focused on providing
something new and unique with the bar catering for both locals and visitors
alike.
And in keeping with the current trend sweeping the city for pop up restaurants,
52 Gas Street will welcome a host of different street food vendors over the
coming weeks who will literally take over kitchen each month offering different
food options.
The idea is that the public will then vote on which food they like best and this
will then determine the vibe
for the venue going forward.General manager Phil Hurst said as well as giving independent street food vendors a chance to showcase their specialities in a restaurant environment,
he hoped to tempt people to try lots of new and exciting menu choices.
And he said variety would also be the spice of life when it came to the bar’s
new cocktail menu with mixologists working on lots of new and tantalising
cocktails as well as creating a twist on more traditional recipes.
He said: “This site has always written history from the gun-making days to
the days when regulars Duran Duran used to visit the Opposite Lock. “Then in the 1990s though to 2003 Bobby Browns was synonymous with the
“IT” crowd and the venue of choice for models and footballers.
“Here at 52 Gas Street we like to think that we are ever-evolving, in tune with the culture and demands of the city that we’re here to serve, and offering lots of unique and different ideas to those people may be used to.”
Phil said the bar had already installed large TV screens showing the Guinness
Six Nations Rugby games live and was taking free table bookings for those
wanting to secure the best seats in the house.
He said it would also be the place for after work gatherings and social
occasions offering discounted drinks every evening from 5-8pm except
Saturdays.
He added 52 Gas Street would also offer speciality cocktails all created by
master mixologists and would be well stocked with everything from the latest
flavoured gins to hard to find whiskies and even craft beers.
In the future the bar hopes to recreate the old jazz scene of the James
Brindley bar with jazz-themed open mic nights.
Phil added: “Our philosophy is ever-evolving. We’re only just beginning and
there’s so much to look forward to. We aim to establish a place in this city for
everyone to come and enjoy, a place in a perfect location for a perfect group
of people.”
