The Vine

Refurbished, great new menus, great food. Beer is good, Internet fantastic and free!

Try as I might I have never really warmed to The Vine — when it first opened it had a rather nice extension (or lean-​to as my Nan might’ve put it) at the back which over looked the garden and seemed quite a popular choice for people wanting food. But in later years and in recent visits the food seems to have declined a bit and the people who head there seem to be more interesed in the cheap drinks on offer here. And certainly if you’re after cheap drinks then its probably one of the best places to head in the High Street. The last couple of times I’ve popped in it’s been eerily quiet with just a couple of regulars and the noise of the fruit machines for company. I have heard they do a very popular disco at the weekends and it seems to be the place to head for a slightly older crowd in the evenings who are perhaps attracted by the spaciousness of the place — unlike The Junction and The Plough I think I’ve always managed to have a sit down here (which is a good thing obviously). It’s an okay pub but it lacks a certain something and I wonder if the closure of nearby bingo hall has maybe affected its trade.

There are a number of pubs along the Harborne High Street and this is a little further down the south end, away from the main bustle of the high street itself, but still on the Harborne Road.
It’s ok, more or less. Nothing to write home about and with nothing to be said against it — it’s just one of those fairly standard pubs that serves its mainly local punters and gets one with it. I’ve nipped in and out of this place for a fair few years, usually on the occasions when we’re out doing the Harborne crawl. If you’re looking for a place to spend a whole afternoon or evening then there are better places you could use, but equally you wouldn’t go too far wrong if you stayed here. The drinks are on the reasonable side of cheap and the interior is your standard, welcoming boozer. All in all a solid 3-​star pub — no more, no less.

With so much competition on the Harborne high street, it is somewhat predictable that some pubs will prosper and others will not.
Despite being one of the earlier pubs to grace Harborne, The Vine isn’t one of the more successful establishments on the high street, but by no means should this put you off.
A typically English pub, The Vine is very spacious and open planned with enough seating to satisfy anyone who decides to head on in. The drinks are very reasonably priced and as part of the ‘sizzling pubs’ branch, typical pub grub is expected.
Various offers are on throughout the week, including Beer & Burger Night on Monday, with a choice of burgers and drinks at £4.99 as well as Curry Nights on Tuesday & Thursday offering any one of seven curries with a drink for £5.99
Overall, despite not being as unique as some of Harbornes pubs, The Vine is still an ample destination for anyone who fancies a drink and a meal with friends or family.

Just to note that the map shows quite the wrong location for this good food pub (which, by the way, has a good car park) — it’s in the away from city end of the High Street, roughly opposite Henry Wong’s, and close to the Bingo Hall.

The Vine is one of the earlier pubs on the infamous ‘Harborne Mile’, which is a run of Harborne’s best 14 pubs, and is quite hard to leave if you’ve started here. It’s main advantage has to be space, it is very open plan, with ample seating, which hence provides the pub with a relaxing atmosphere. They now have 2 pool tables, and due to the cheaper drinks, on weekends it is not unusual to find lots of students inside.
It’s quite dark and shaded inside, and the only disadvantage of this pub that I can think of, is its location. It is situated right at the rear end of Harborne High Street, but its well worth the journey– ⁷⁄₁₀