You may come away from this bar with a bargain!
That moment when you’re eating dinner and all the food is gone but the conversation and wine is still flowing- that’s sobremesa. And this Spanish custom has inspired one bar based in The Custard Factory to offer exactly that to its diners.
Sobremesa’s dining concept is incredibly chilled, serving refreshing drinks of cocktails, beer, wine and coffee, as well as delicious vegan burgers and small plates from Brummie plant-based business, BA-HA Vegan. Pick at and share their tapas dishes such as smoked ham style croquettes, Padron peppers, cauliflower wings and patatas bravas with homemade spiced tomato sauce, chipotle chilli and mild spiced mayo, then simply relax.
The bar’s name, Sobremesa, literally means “upon the table” in Spanish, but it can also mean a lifestyle and tradition that involves spending time relaxing post-meal to drink coffee or another beverage of choice. Or to just continue hanging out chatting at the table after eating.
According to the Digbeth bar, they say the ritual is “a consequence of the heavy Spanish lunch, often made up of a first course, second course, and dessert”. And we are most certainly not mad about that- any excuse to chill for longer.
As you sip on cocktails, nibble at nachos and have a good catch-up, you’ll find yourself surrounded by an array of antiques. Sobremesa is brimming with quirky and marvellous objects from local retailers, Ridding & Wynn, who you’ll find just before you enter The Custard Factory’s courtyard.
And the uniqueness of this bar doesn’t stop there. All the items decorating Sobremesa are available for customers to purchase, so not only will you leave the bar satisfied food and drink wise but with a bargain or special item to call your own. From funky wicker coffee tables and matching chairs to palm tree-shaped lamps and disco balls, who knows what you may find.
Plus, what’s so exciting is that the décor of Sobremesa is ever-changing due to sales of antiques and brand new pieces being introduced. So the next time you visit it may look a bit different or appear like a brand new bar!
We may not have one word in the English language to describe this post-meal chatter but once you take a trip to this Digbeth bar, you may end up adopting a bit of Sobremesa to your own life.
Sobremesa, The Courtyard, Custard Factory, Gibb Street, Digbeth, B9 4BF