Digbeth is a great place to visit in Birmingham if you enjoy pubs, bars or street art. Most roads in the area have more colour than the regular street, with a high concentration of street art towards the legendary Custard Factory.
The area primarily comprises old repurposed industrial buildings. They use many of these for the creative or entertainment sectors. The railway viaduct runs through the area too. They constructed this with blue brick and very photogenic and a great canvas for street art.
Things to see & do in Digbeth Birmingham
Digbeth is usually a thriving area with a great selection of things to do in the evenings, including many bars. My favourite thing to do is to enjoy a walk, seeing the street art and visiting a few bars in the area.
Funfair
Digbeth also has a funfair that is open every day of the week. This has about 25 rides with options to suit different tastes. Digbeth Funfair is home to a Ferris wheel, some high or fast rides, and also something for younger visitors.
See the Street Art
The area of Digbeth is a great place for a walk around because of the top quality street art and graffiti on display. Most roads in the area have more colour than the regular street, with a high concentration of street art towards the legendary Custard Factory. It is also known as the Creative Quarter for good reason.
Many companies locally have graffiti style murals. This includes pubs and entertainment venues. Zumhof Biergarten is one such place. They serve a fantastic range of beers from the continent and locally.
Nortons is an Irish Bar in Digbeth and their garden is fantastic for street art murals. Street art is unofficial, and independent visual art created in public locations for public visibility. They associate street art with the terms “independent art”, “post-graffiti”, “neo-graffiti”, and guerrilla art.
A suggested circular walk in the Digbeth area of Birmingham, taking in some more prominent areas for street art. Note that the area when this joins the canal is great for seeing the city skyline.
Big Birmingham Bake, a fun night out
The Big Birmingham Bake is a fun night out where teams compete in a baking competition. They supply all the equipment and ingredients and instruction. This is a splendid night out with a difference. They also have a bar serving a nice selection of drinks.
The concept is simple: pairs compete to cook the tastiest and most aesthetic versions of the day’s cakes. The climax of being a winner announced at the end. Our night was doughnuts and discovered we could make endless flavours and designs. It delighted me to win.
The venue has many cooking workstations for each of the teams. These all have a hob, cooker, mixer and ingredients already weighed out ready to compete. Emma, the host and her helpers, introduced the concept. The host then provided help throughout the process and made the whole even feel fun.
Explore The Digbeth Branch of the Birmingham Canal
A fun thing to do is to walk along the Digbeth branch canal and see what’s about. The Digbeth Branch Canal towpath is also a hotbed of street art and tagging. This runs from Bordesley Junction to The Warwick Bar stop lock and Banana Warehouse.
The Birmingham canals don’t stop here, but the great graffiti art does. The walking onwards in either direction is great.
Beer Central Festival
Beer Central was a new and enjoyable beer festival in the Digbeth area, set in an old warehouse. There are loads of producers of beer and other drinks at the annual festival. This includes some local breweries serving fantastic beer.
There were well over 100 drinks to try on my last visit to the beer festival. On entry you get a complimentary testing glass to try the drinks. Overall, Beer Central is a fantastic thing to do for a night out in Digbeth. To find out when the next beer festival is, see their website.
Golf Fang
Another of the popular things to do in Digbeth is to visit is Golf Fang. They are an indoor crazy golf course with 18 holes. The venue has amazing decor throughout and is rather colourful with lots of bright lights. Golf Fang also has a bar serving drinks while you play. You can purchase various fun packages on their website.
Roxy BallRoom
The colourful Roxy Ballroom in Digbeth is a great venue for “Social Gaming”. Visiting is one of many fun things to do in the area. There are options for games to enjoy at Roxy Ballroom, including beer-pong, curling, pool, shuffleboard, and karaoke. Overall, Roxy Ballroomis a great place for a fun night out.
Pubs, Bars & Restaurants in Digbeth Birmingham
The local area has many options for pubs, bars and restaurants, including some that are pet-friendly. These tend to be fun places to visit and make for a great night out.
The Old Crown, the oldest pub in Birmingham
In the heart of the arty area of Digbeth is The Old Crown, a community pub. The Old Crown calls the oldest non-religious building in the city home. The building dates back to 1368. Despite its age, the pub is all very stylish inside.
To top that, they have an enormous beer garden to house visitors, some with covered seating. They have a great selection of draught beers, including Heineken and Camden Hells. Overall, this is a very nice pub, easy to find on the main road.
Stag at The Custard Factory
In The Custard Factory, in Digbeth, is Stag. This is a great place to visit for a drink, coffee or even a haircut. Stag started off as a barbershop and has developed to become a barber, coffee shop and cocktail bar. The venue is nice and has an outside seating area in an urban setting. On draught are some interesting pints including Camden Pale, Stag also has a great selection of cocktails.
Zumhof Biergarten
In the heart of Digbeth, near to the Custard Factory, is Zumhof Biergarten. Zumhof Biergarten is a Bavarian and Czech inspired bar that serves some great beers. They also sell great food in the former warehouse they call home.
Guests can enjoy beers, including their signature Pilsner Urquell from The Czech Republic. They have some locally brewed options and German favourites like Erdinger or Löwenbräu.
The Anchor
The Anchor is a free house pub that is rather a nice place to visit with the dog. They are renowned for serving great beer, including many real ale options. They have a comfortable venue with both inside and outside seating. In my experience, they are very dog friendly. The clientele seemed rather friendly on my visit, as were the staff. The Anchor beer menu is pretty comprehensive, from nice refreshing lagers like Estrella Damm to some interesting craft beer options.
Rico Libre a Tapas Restaurant
On Gibb Street near the Greenhouse is Rico Libre, a Spanish-style tapas restaurant who serve great food and booze. They currently serve food in the new alfresco dining area, which is a rather pleasant touch. They have options for both Spanish wines and beers, including Estrella Galicia.
For food, you can choose a variety of tapas options to share. They served these in batches to enhance the dining experience. They also have specials, where I found some delicious pigs cheeks, a fantastic dish that is apparently the chef’s speciality. Overall, this is a great place to visit for a meal and a great option for date night.
Robertos’s a Nice Bar
If you like strong or Belgian beers, then Roberto’s on Gibb Street in Digbeth is a great bar to visit. They have many options for Belgian beers, including the Bruxelles Blanche and a draught Belgian Pilsner. This is a great place to visit, especially in the summer, to enjoy their seating on the street.
Nortons Digbeth an Irish Pub
Nortons is an Irish bar with a great selection of beers, including Guinness, Kirin and Camden Hells. They have a great vibe inside and in there outside seating area. Nortons often have Irish music playing. They also serve food, including pizza. Over all a great venue for an afternoon beer or an evening out.
Digbeth & Street Art in Birmingham Photos
Some photos of the Digbeth area of Birmingham including so fantastic examples for the street art of the area.
The iconic greenhouse building that is part of the Custard Factory on Gibb Street.
The Digbeth Branch of the Birmingham canal network is a lovely walk and also has some splendid views of the city’s skyline.
Some unique decorative features of the area, some artwork is fantastic, other get very political.
The Courtyard of the Custard Factory on Gibb Street, home to a few entertainment venues and the lovely Stag bar.
The water feature on Gibb Street, a fantastic place to sit out and also admire the street art in the vicinity. There are a few bars and eateries overlooking this area and is a social hub of the area.