Schooners

You walk into Schooners and immediately understand why King's Heath keeps this place packed. It's the kind of bar that doesn't try too hard: wood-panelled walls, the sort of lighting that actually lets you see your drink, and a counter where the regulars know each other's orders. The crowd here skews genuinely local—you're rubbing shoulders with King's Heath residents who've been coming for years, not Instagram scouts hunting the next angle. What makes it work is the straightforward execution: good beer selection, honestly mixed cocktails, and staff who treat you like you belong whether you're a first-timer or a fixture.