Cocktail Bar Brindleyplace
The Book of Siam at Siamais
Siamais is a cocktail bar Brindleyplace drinkers can use without booking dinner. The bar in Oozells Square pours a 20 drink signature list called the Book of Siam, with cocktails from £11.50 to £13.25, and stays open until midnight on Fridays and 1am on Saturdays. The ICC, Symphony Hall and Utilita Arena are all within five minutes.
A cocktail bar Brindleyplace regulars use without eating
The name Siamais comes from Siamese twins, meaning two. The idea is two nights out under one roof: a Thai restaurant and a full cocktail bar sharing the same room. You do not have to eat to drink here. Come in, take a seat at the long back-lit bar or on the terrace, and order from the cocktail list.
Walk-ins are welcome whenever there is space. On Friday and Saturday nights, and on any night with a big show at the arena, it is safer to book. Table bookings carry a £5 per person deposit, which comes off your bill on the day.
You will find us at 6-7 Brindley Place, Oozells Street, B1 2HS. Oozells Square is just behind the main Brindleyplace square, on the Ikon Gallery side. It is quieter than the canalside bars, which many people count as a point in its favour.
The Book of Siam: our signature cocktail list
The Book of Siam is a list of 20 house cocktails, priced from £11.50 to £13, plus one sharing drink at £25. The site describes them as hand-crafted and theatrical, which is fair: one arrives under a layer of flavoured air, another comes with fire and smoke. These are the ones to start with.
- 1941, £12.50: the house signature. Briottet lychee liqueur, elderflower liqueur and apple.
- Toffee Old Fashioned, £12.50: Toki whisky, Mozart dark chocolate and caramel.
- Botanical Bliss, £12: The Botanist gin, Thai basil, grapes and elderflower liqueur.
- Lychee Margarita, £13: Rooster Rojo tequila, lychee liqueur, lime and a raspberry sugar rim.
- Biscoff Daiquiri, £12: Havana Especial rum, cream and caramel.
- Spiced Monsoon, £12.50: Havana 3 year old rum, Old J spiced and cherry rums, melon and orange.
- Dragon's Embrace, £12: Havana Especial rum, Velvet Falernum and dragonfruit.
- Tequila Cloud, £11.50: Rooster Rojo tequila and cream, served with air.
- Bang Pai Falls, £25: the signature sharing cocktail, served with fire, smoke and overproof tiki rum.
Classics, spritzes, mocktails and the rest of the bar
Behind the signatures sits a list of 14 classics. The Pornstar Martini is £13 and made with Stoli vodka, butterscotch, pineapple, passionfruit and Prosecco. The Espresso Martini is £12.50, with vanilla or caramel versions on request. There is a Smoked Old Fashioned at £12.50 with Maker's Mark, a Mai Tai, a Bramble, a Lychee Martini and a Long Island Iced Tea at £13.25, the top of the cocktail price range.
The spritz section covers an Aperol Spritz and Bellinis in peach, strawberry, raspberry or lychee at £11. Non drinkers order from the Koh Mak list, named after a quiet island in the Gulf of Thailand: eight mocktails at £7.95, including Thai Milk Tea with tapioca pearls and the Electric Broccoli, made with mango, lychee, apple and kale.
There is also wine by the glass and bottle, Champagne, and draught and bottled beer. Siamais does not run discounted drinks hours, so the price on the menu is the price all night.
Pre and post show drinks for the ICC, Symphony Hall and Utilita Arena
Siamais is two to three minutes from the ICC and Symphony Hall on foot and about 5 minutes from Utilita Arena. That makes it a practical meeting point before a concert. Get everyone to the bar an hour before doors, have a round, and walk over together.
If you want food first, the pre-show menu is £30 per person for a small plate and a large plate. It was built for ICC, Symphony Hall, Utilita Arena and Rep audiences who need to be out by a set time, so tell your server when your show starts.
After the show, the bar is open until 11pm Sunday to Thursday, midnight on Friday and 1am on Saturday. Symphony Hall concerts usually finish in good time for a nightcap. Arena shows finish later, so Friday and Saturday are the nights when a post-gig drink is realistic. There is no cloakroom, so keep coats and merchandise with you.
The room, the terraces and the music
The interior is a through-the-looking-glass take on old Siam. Expect teal velvet chairs and booths, gold birdcage booths, hanging birdcages and lanterns, a hexagonal tiled floor and a long back-lit bar. The gold birdcage booths are semi-private, so ask for one if you are a small group or on a date.
Outside there are heated, covered terraces, so sitting out with a drink is not limited to July. They are a good spot for an early evening Aperol Spritz before the restaurant fills up.
Music changes through the week. Monday to Thursday it is chilled and conversation comes easily. At weekends the soundtrack moves to soulful house, deep house, remixes and dance classics, and the bar feels more like a night out. It stays a bar for sitting and talking, not a club, so if you are after a dance floor, Broad Street is around the corner.
Opening hours, dress code and door policy
The bar keeps the same hours as the restaurant. The dress code is smart casual: no sportswear, though smart trainers are fine. We operate Challenge 25, so bring photo ID if you are lucky enough to look under 25.
On age limits: Monday to Thursday, under 18s are not admitted after 8pm. From Friday to Sunday, Siamais is over 18s only all day. The venue has disabled access and facilities, and there is no cloakroom, so travel light on show nights. If you want to look around before you visit, there is a Matterport 3D virtual tour of the whole space.
- Monday to Thursday: 12pm to 11pm.
- Friday: 12pm to 12am.
- Saturday: 12pm to 1am.
- Sunday: 12pm to 11pm.
- Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.
Other bars in Brindleyplace worth knowing
People searching for bars in Brindleyplace usually want a plan for the whole evening. Ours starts with family: our sister venue Lulu Wild, a Chinese restaurant and bar, is a short walk from us on the estate, and the two work well as a drinks-then-dinner pairing in either order. We are part of the same independent group, Enchanted Ventures, along with Aluna at The Mailbox, which is about 10 minutes away along the canal.
For something more casual, Slug and Lettuce sits at The Water's Edge on the canalside. Beyond the estate, Broad Street is a 3 minute walk for late bars and clubs, and the city's specialist cocktail bars, such as Fox and Chance on Pinfold Street, are a tram ride or a 15 minute walk back towards New Street. Our guide to the best cocktail bars in Birmingham covers those in more detail.
Reserve a table or a booth
Walk-ins are welcome when there is space. For Friday and Saturday nights, book.
Or call 0121 643 3993.
Questions people ask
Can I just have drinks at Siamais without eating?
Yes. Siamais is a cocktail bar as well as a Thai restaurant, and drinkers are welcome without ordering food. Walk-ins are fine when there is space. On Friday and Saturday nights, book a table, which carries a £5 per person deposit that is taken off your bill.
How much are cocktails at Siamais?
Cocktails at Siamais cost between £11.50 and £13.25. Signature drinks such as the 1941 and Toffee Old Fashioned are £12.50, the Pornstar Martini is £13, and mocktails are £7.95. The Bang Pai Falls sharing cocktail, served with fire and smoke, is £25. There are no discounted drinks hours.
What time does the bar at Siamais close?
The bar closes at 11pm from Sunday to Thursday, at midnight on Friday and at 1am on Saturday. It opens at 12pm every day. Siamais is closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.
Is Siamais close to Utilita Arena and Symphony Hall?
Yes. Symphony Hall and the ICC are two to three minutes from Siamais on foot, and Utilita Arena is about a 5 minute walk. Many guests meet at the bar before a show. A £30 per person pre-show menu with a small plate and a large plate is available if you want to eat first.
What is the dress code at Siamais?
The dress code is smart casual. Sportswear is not allowed, but smart trainers are fine. Challenge 25 applies at the bar, so bring photo ID. From Friday to Sunday the venue is over 18s only, and from Monday to Thursday under 18s are not admitted after 8pm.
Does Siamais have outdoor seating for drinks?
Yes. Siamais has heated, covered terraces, so you can sit outside with a cocktail for most of the year. Terrace seating is popular on warm evenings and before arena shows, so arrive early or mention it when booking. Tables outside cannot be guaranteed at peak times.
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