Tonight Josephine - Birmingham
12 Burlington Arcade, Stephenson St, Birmingham B2 4BL, UK
Best Wine Bars in Birmingham
Birmingham’s wine culture blends international styles with English sparkling and small-producer imports. This directory highlights 5 wine bars — from lively city-centre hotspots to intimate neighborhood rooms — helping you find Tonight Josephine, The Cocktail Club, Txikiteo, Alvar Bar and Madeleine across the city.
5 venues
4.6 avg
The Cocktail Club - Cocktail Bar in Birmingham
31 Temple St, Birmingham B2 5DB, UK
Txikiteo
53 Frederick St, Birmingham B1 3HS, UK
Alvar Bar
85 Albert St, Birmingham B5 5JE, UK
Madeleine
Colmore Row, Birmingham B3 2BS, UK
Wine Culture in Birmingham
Birmingham’s wine scene reflects the city’s multicultural palate and industrial reinvention. From the polished bars around Colmore Row to experimental pop-ups in Digbeth, the city balances classic Old World varietals and a strong appetite for New World producers. You’ll find everything from English sparkling and Bacchus-led whites sourced from nearby Worcestershire and Gloucestershire vineyards to Spanish Albariño and Rioja Tempranillo alongside Italian Sangiovese and Nebbiolo.
Over the past decade local bars have embraced natural and low-intervention wines, while established venues continue to showcase traditional favourites like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. The influence of tapas and Basque pintxos — visible at spots such as Txikiteo — encourages wine-by-the-glass menus, tasting flights and food-pairing approaches that highlight Birmingham’s diverse culinary scene. Whether you’re after a refined tasting or a lively wine-and-tapas evening, Birmingham offers a wine culture that’s both accessible and adventurous.
Where to drink wine in Birmingham
Birmingham’s wine bars are clustered across distinct neighbourhoods, each offering a different mood. The city centre and Broad Street host animated, late-night venues and stylish city-centre bars where you’ll find Tonight Josephine and The Cocktail Club among the livelier options. Head to the Jewellery Quarter for intimate, boutique wine rooms and independent shops that pair well with canal-side walks.
For a more bohemian evening, Digbeth combines creative bars and event spaces with eclectic wine lists; Harborne and Great Barr provide quieter, community-focused spots ideal for relaxed tastings. The Mailbox and Brindleyplace offer canalside seating and refined lists for English sparkling and classic pairing menus. Madeleine and Alvar Bar represent the kind of modern, food-focused wine bars where curated small-producer imports sit alongside local English bottles — perfect for discovering new grapes like Albariño, Garnacha or small-batch Pinot Noir.
What to Look For
A great Birmingham wine bar balances an interesting by-the-glass list, knowledgeable staff and food that complements the wine. Look for venues offering tasting flights — these are the fastest way to sample English sparkling versus traditional Champagne-style bottles, or to compare old- and new-world styles side by side. Bars that rotate small-producer wines and showcase natural, organic and biodynamic labels make it easy to explore beyond mainstream names.
Consider atmosphere: some venues are cocktail-driven with a strong wine list, while others are wine-first with small plates designed for pairing. Practical perks matter too: a clear corkage policy, reservations for weekend nights, and seasonal outdoor seating along Gas Street Basin or Brindleyplace. Finally, seek out staff or sommeliers who can recommend local pairings — for example, asking for a wine to match Birmingham’s famous Balti can lead to surprising and delicious combinations.
When do wine bars in Birmingham open and close?
5 of the 5 wine bars listed in Birmingham publish their opening hours. The median one opens at 4 pm and closes at 12 am on a typical trading day.
Sunday is the day that catches visitors out: 4 venues in Birmingham (80% of those with published hours) trade on Sunday, against 3 on Monday. 3 open seven days a week.
5 addresses stay open past 10 pm, which matters if you are buying after dinner rather than before it. The Cocktail Club - Cocktail Bar in Birmingham closes latest, at 2 am.
At the other end of the day, Alvar Bar opens earliest, at 12 am.
These hours come from each venue's own Google Business Profile as read in March 2026. They are regular hours: public holidays, August closures and harvest-season changes are not reflected, so call ahead for a specific date.
What the ratings in Birmingham actually say
The 5 rated wine bars in Birmingham carry 4,666 reviews between them. The mean rating is 4.56 out of 5 and the median is 4.7, and 3 venues hold 4.5 or better — 60% of the list.
Tonight Josephine - Birmingham carries the highest rating with a review base large enough to mean something: 4.8 from 2,848 reviews.
A five-star average is worth less than it looks on a venue with a dozen reviews, which is why the ranking above is sorted by rating and review volume together rather than by rating alone. The rating also measures the visit, not the cellar: service, queueing and the state of the room all land in the same number as the wine selection. It is a starting filter, not a verdict on what is on the shelf.
Birmingham compared with the rest of United Kingdom
Birmingham accounts for 5 of the 136 wine bars we list across United Kingdom, spread over 10 cities.
Sunday trading in Birmingham runs in line with the national picture — 80% against 76%.
Both columns are computed from the same rows that build these pages, so the national figure moves whenever a city's listing does.
| Measure | Birmingham | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Venues listed | 5 | 136 |
| Mean rating | 4.56 | 4.64 |
| Open on Sunday | 80% | 76% |
| Median closing time | 12 am | 11 pm |
Where to look next from Birmingham
This listing is short on purpose: Birmingham has 5 wine bars that publish enough public information to describe honestly, and we would rather say that than pad the page. A short list usually means the trade here runs through supermarkets and restaurants rather than specialists, not that the city drinks badly.
Other wine venues in Birmingham: 19 wine restaurants, 15 wine shops, 12 wineries and tasting rooms. In a city with a thin specialist trade, the restaurant list is often where the interesting bottles actually are.
The nearest larger listings in United Kingdom are Edinburgh (18), Bradford (17), Sheffield (17), London (17), Bristol (15). Each is a separate page with its own hours, ratings and map.
Bottom line
Birmingham has 5 wine bars on this list, averaging 4.56 out of 5 across 4,666 reviews. The median address opens at 4 pm and closes at 12 am; 4 of the 5 with published hours open on Sunday.
If you only have time for one stop, Tonight Josephine - Birmingham is the highest-rated address with a real review base (4.8 from 2,848).
Ratings, hours and price bands here come from public venue profiles read in March 2026; they describe how an address is reviewed, not how good its wine list is. Confirm hours before travelling for a specific bottle.
Buying wine in United Kingdom: age, tax and trading rules
Selling alcohol to anyone under 18 is an offence under the Licensing Act 2003 in England and Wales, and retailers operate Challenge 25 on top of it, so expect to be asked for ID well past 18.
The United Kingdom taxes wine harder than anywhere else in this directory, and it taxes it by strength. HMRC's rate from 1 February 2026 is £30.64 per litre of pure alcohol for wine between 8.5% and 22% ABV, which is £2.87 of duty on a 75 cl bottle at 12.5% ABV, before 20% VAT is added on top of the duty-inclusive price. On a £7 bottle that leaves very little for the wine.
The Sunday Trading Act 1994 caps shops over 280 m² in England and Wales at six continuous hours of Sunday trading between 10 am and 6 pm. Smaller independents are exempt and may open all day, which is why a specialist wine shop is often the only thing open on a Sunday evening. Scotland is outside the Act entirely.
Sources: HMRC — Alcohol Duty rates (GOV.UK) · Sunday Trading Act 1994 (legislation.gov.uk) · Licensing Act 2003 (legislation.gov.uk)
Local Tips
01
Book ahead for weekends
Popular spots in the city centre and Jewellery Quarter fill quickly on Friday and Saturday nights. Reserve a table in advance, especially for Tonight Josephine and The Cocktail Club.
02
Try English sparkling
Ask for English sparkling from nearby producers (Worcestershire/Gloucestershire) to taste how local chalk and clay sites rival traditional Champagne styles.
03
Pair wines with local cuisine
Don’t miss pairing a glass with Birmingham’s Balti or small plates at tapas venues like Txikiteo — ask staff for red or aromatic white recommendations.
04
Enjoy canalside seating in summer
Choose bars near Brindleyplace or Gas Street Basin for outdoor tables and relaxed evenings by the water when the weather’s good.
FAQ
This directory highlights 5 wine bars in Birmingham, including Tonight Josephine, The Cocktail Club, Txikiteo, Alvar Bar and Madeleine. There are also many restaurants and pubs with strong wine lists across the city, so the broader wine scene is larger than the five curated venues listed here.
City centre and Colmore Row offer polished, late-night wine bars; the Jewellery Quarter has boutique, intimate spots; Digbeth is creative and experimental; Harborne provides quieter, community-focused venues; and canalside areas like Brindleyplace and the Mailbox serve refined lists with scenic seating.
Yes — many Birmingham wine bars feature English sparkling and still wines made from Bacchus, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir sourced from nearby Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and other English vineyards. Bars often pair these with local cheeses and small plates, spotlighting the growing quality of English producers.
Yes. Several wine bars and independent shops host tasting evenings, masterclasses and producer showcases. Check venues’ event listings for scheduled tastings, or keep an eye on local event listings in Digbeth and the Jewellery Quarter where pop-ups and themed wine nights are common.
Expect typical city-centre pricing: glasses usually range from affordable options around modest £5–£7 for house pours to £8–£14 for premium or rare bottles by the glass. Tasting flights and bottles for two will vary — many bars offer good-value mid-range selections alongside higher-end bottles.
Many do. Venues like Txikiteo focus on Spanish-style small plates and pintxos, while other bars pair cheeses, charcuterie and seasonal small plates with their wine lists. If you have particular dietary needs, check menus or call ahead — most places are happy to suggest pairings.
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