Earlier this week I headed to the fabulous new Cocktail Bar and Restaurant, Jungle Bird located next door to The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham.
I am very excited about the venue choice as I’m often found at the Alexandra Theatre and the thought of being able to pop here for a drink and some food pre (or post) show, fills me with real joy.
Those who know me, know I LOVE bright colours. Hence the Small House Big Trips colour being a bright pink and yellow. The more colourful, the better and Jungle Bird matches that. You can imagine you are on holiday in this venue. Vibrant, exotic jungle vibes. Bright blues, oranges and pinks as stand out features and yet a more subtle feel to the wooden table and the luxurious looking chairs which are a velvet gold. An upmarket jungle. Picture a tropical paradise, greenery draped from the shelves, the bar covered in a wall of flowers/leaves. Plants on each table, spread around the restaurant floor.
We were greeted at the entrance with a cheery smile and taken to our seat in the window overlooking the lovely theatre and John Bright Street. The menu was explained to us, including the happy hours cocktail menu which at £5 a cocktail is amazing!
The menu has something for everyone. It isn’t pages long, in fact it is 1 page long (Jungle Bird is about quality and not quantity) but it has an array of dishes to suit every taste and also every price budget.
Burgers, Mac and Cheese, Salad, Sweetcorn Fritattas – you name it, they have it.
So, what did me and my sister choose?
Coastal Cakes – Golden seafood cakes with nori, jackfruit shreds and herb potato served with crushed pea, lemon and parsley and fresh mint (gfo) £7. You get two fishcakes in the portion (think the size of a roll of sellotape). A lovely crunchy golden crumb coating, with a soft textured potato, herb and jackfuit shreds inside that tasted delicious.
Tempura Florets – Lightly battered cauli and broccoli florets served with a creamy satay sauce, crushed peanut, pickled shallots and sesame (gfo) £7. Absolutely delicious and quite possibly my favourite dish of the evening and if I could eat cauliflower and broccoli that way, I’d be eating it every day. It was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and the sauce was to die for. Yum indeed. Loved the addition of the black sesame on top and the brightly shredded veg. With 4 in this portion, there’s plenty to go round.
Sweetcorn Fritattas – Fresh corn fritattas served with fresh chilli, charred corn, smoked chipotle sauce, coriander and fresh lime (gfo) £7. The dish that everyone quite rightly raves about. It is like sunshine on a plate. Warm and comforting and so moreish. It is these that I think everyone should add to their order if they visit Jungle Bird.
Holy Smokes – Homemade croquettes made from creamed potato, smoked cheese, wilted spinach, served with roasted garlic cannelloni puree (gfo) £7. Forget the traditional fluffy croquettes you may have had before, these are circular balls of creamy goodness. Cut into the crispy exterior of the croquette to expose a creamy, gooey interior. Moreish but equally incredibly filling. A small side choice for those with a big appetite.
Sweet Potato Fries – salty, sweet and crunchy. Possibly the best sweet potato fries I’ve ever tasted.
Before we ate our mains we had eyed up the dessert menu, but we admitted defeat and couldn’t fit anything else in after our food.
We loved the drinks menu and could have easily worked our way through them.
We chose our drinks off of the happy hours cocktail menu where every drink is £5. It is worth noting that if you are not an alcohol drinker, you can ask for any of the drinks to be made minus alcohol. Perfect for drivers who don’t want to miss out.
Sometimes you can have a cocktail/mocktail and be left a bit disappointed. All style over substance, but these cocktails are great and I’d be more than happy to come back to just have some drinks with friends.
Everything about this restaurant and bar is great. The quality of the food, the presentation, even the quirky plates and serving bowls. I loved them. The water jug was a particular favourite of mine and I now want to get one for at home.
Current opening hours are;
Wednesday – 5pm – 12pm
Thursday – 5pm – 12pm
Friday – 5pm – 1am
Saturday – 12pm – 2am
Sunday – 12pm – 10pm
Mon – Tues – closed
Food served til 10pm
Happy Hour is Weds – Fri from 5pm – 8pm
Bank Holiday may vary.
For more information, check out their website here.
Disclaimer: We were invited along to Jungle Bird, all thoughts and opinions are entirely ours. We pride ourselves on our honesty.