Enjoying the best of both sides would be a nice way of starting to describe Pure Bar & Kitchen .The brand new bar in Colmore District is definitely a success.
I have visited the place in the first weekend of its opening and it was nearly impossible to find a seat or a space. And that’s not a complaint at all! The vibe was amazing and it was exactly what I expected for a Saturday evening in one of the funkiest new places in Brum – packed and loud.
On the other hand, it’s also good to have a beer or two, sharing some spiced nuts and good conversation with friends without having to shout, so I have chosen a Monday afternoon to go to Pure again, where I could find many seats available to enjoy some outstanding food and a couple of craft beers.
I have to say that around 1pm, Pure Bar & Kitchen was already packed again but this time with people in suits which make me believe it’s definitely very popular place in the financial area of Birmingham.
The facility is pretty modern with a bit of industrial style. There is an area of “unfinished” in the place, but it doesn’t bother us at all.
There is a big empty space downstairs where you can find a tasting room and the toilets. By the way, the toilets deserve to be carefully checked. It can be very confusing to which one is for the ladies or gentles. Clever and tricky.
The kitchen is right in front of you, open to anyone else check their orders and watch the chefs preparing amazing food.
Beer time. No Carling or Stella, I’m afraid. There are 21 types of draught beers in the menu. They do German, Belgian, English and many other nationalities also available in bottle.
And with the weather improving, you feel comfortable (not guilty!) asking one of many types of draught ones in the menu. I had my eyes on Original, a German wheat beer with aromas of Banana cloves and spices. Exactly my taste. A winner!
For my own delight, it was playing Ela é Carioca, by Tom Jobim, an iconic Brazilian song that I just expect to listen to in really special places. I have accepted the suggestion of a friend who really understand about her beers and Saddle Black was my trying in the first visit to the bar, but this time the experiment was further!
Actually, I would say it was until the other side of the world, in Japan and I couldn’t resist a bottle of Hitachino Nest. It’s classic Japanese beer. I have tried the Red Rice one, a nice mixing of sake with hints of strawberries. 7.0%. Strong and with a cute bottle. I think we really scared the girl who was serving us when we didn’t let her take the empty beers back.
By the way, staffs are really helpful at Pure. Serving tables or behind the bar, they are always nice and friendly, especially if you are in doubt about which beers to choose.
In the middle of my beer tasting there was pause for some soft drink. Again, in love with the bottle and taste of Fritz-cola.
Food is something I was intrigued about. The menu is pretty much what you can find in a traditional British pub, but with Simpson’s chef signature. The kitchen is open at 5pm for main courses but the bar food is available all day long. So you can try a pork pie, sausage rolls and other worthy appetizers.
I went for the mini beer battered fish with chips and mushy peas, aka classic fish and chips, and I could describe it as a really tiny and tasty portion. Chips with skin, not soggy at all. Love it. My friend asked for the Brewers Grain Risotto and it was approved for him, a vegetarian expert.
The average food and drinks experience at Pure Bar & Kitchen is not cheap. The greater thing about craft beers is taking time and enjoying a few, instead of many. Whether on a busy weekend or a quiet afternoon during the week, it’s possible to enjoy the best of both sides at Pure.
Published April 1st 2014 here.
