Pitcher & Piano Birmingham

You're right on the canal at Brindleyplace, watching office workers decompress over Aperol Spritzes whilst a pianist works through crowd-pleasers on the baby grand. The interior spans multiple levels with enough booth seating to actually get a table on Friday nights, and the cocktail list goes well beyond your standard Pitcher & Piano fare – their Espresso Martinis are properly made, not the syrupy nonsense you get elsewhere. The food's better than it needs to be for a chain bar, with sharing platters that work brilliantly for groups fresh from the nearby cinemas or Utilita Arena. Weekend brunch draws the Mailbox crowd looking for bottomless prosecco sessions, whilst weekday lunches see a steady stream of professionals from the surrounding offices. When the weather's decent, bag a spot on the terrace – it's one of the better canal-side drinking spots in the city centre.