Vertu

Vertu is an A-​OK bar/​restaurant. It’s not somewhere you rush to, or really take someone to be wowed. It has your usual bar selection of drinks including local ales in the bottle fridges as well as on tap.
Food is average but cheap so does the job when you’re a bit peckish and don’t want to spend too much or walk to far if you’re in the neighbourhood (I work and live just around the corner).
Vertu’s biggest selling point however, is it’s roof top terrace. It’s a sun trap. It gets the sun pretty much all day until it sets and when it’s hot it can be soooo nice to sit up there (or stand when it’s super busy) and have a nice drink soaking up the rays in the JQ.

This used to be my go to place for a crackin Sunday Roast in the JQ. However we visited again the sunny Sunday just gone and sorry to say that it won’t continue to be. Whilst Veru is a stunning venue with its bare brick interior and great roof terrace which is THE most awesome sun trap (seriously pack your factor 30 if you’re heading out for a long session in the sun) there is recently something quite lack lustre about heading here for anything more than a refreshing beverage.
Quality of sevice or product that aligns to the paid is always my main steer when assessing the Unilocal for my r3eviews and from that standpoint for me this is where Vertu fell down. I’ve had better way better dinners for the same price tag and additional bug bear was that the specials board still displayed a deal that was no longer on offer.
The chicken portion was a good size but really dry (particularly so considering it was on the bone), the cauliflower cheese was tasteless as was most the other veg on the plate. Whilst the Yorkshire Puds were a good size, it was difficult to enjoy them on a plate nearly bereft of gravy.
Credit to the staff, they are friendly, polite and welcoming but as my raison d’etre is food, this really now lets Vertu down which is a shame as this used to be its asset. My advice, go for the terrace, stay for the drinks, but head somewhere else for something to eat.

I have had held my 30^th and my Wedding Reception here. On both times the staff were helpful and really accommodating. They dressed the ground-​room really well and nothing was too much trouble for the team. Thank to all the bar-​staff including Paul and Hannah (Managers) & Chris (assistant Manager) apologies for not learning the bar –staff’s names. Great selection of beers and ales.

I remember this place being built and it’s a curiously square and characterless building outside, but inside it’s pretty nice with some quality behind it. The first time I went in I just left as it was so disorganised they couldn’t even get me a menu for Sunday lunch (this was around 12.30!!) and so I had zero hope the food or subsequent service would be any good.
But I went in again today and I’m not really sure exactly why. I was heading elsewhere for lunch and on a whim I thought I’d see if things had improved. I’ll be honest and say it was just as empty as last time, not usually a good indicator, and I was having some doubts. But the first member of staff I encountered was very friendly and wanted to help, so I thought may as well grab some scoff.
I ordered Thai Chicken curry and sticky style rice, with bread and butter pud and a cuppa. Well the food was Ok, about par for the course for around £16 all in. I scoffed the lot but it wasn’t that memorable truth be told. But the bread and butter wasn’t traditional style, i.e. no raisins but instead some yuk chocolate chip stuff. Not really what I expected. Maybe they need to be more descriptive in the menu as I’d have prefered something else had I known. The tea was Twinings, so OK.
Service was overall not too bad. The first woman was really good, the bloke a grump and the time between main and dessert was a bit too long given a slow lunchtime. I liked that they had a selection of papers to read … shame one was the Daily Mail! I got the feeling of a place with all the foundations there but let down by a curious lack of passion or invention. I think an average score is fair but they could do better.

One of my more favourite bars in the Jewelry Quarter.
The staff are always great and the vibe is fun when it gets busy. I used to go here when they had live musicians in on weekends but not sure if they do that anymore.
Even better now is they have a patio on the roof so a great place to go for an after work drink.

I like this place a lot. I’ve only ever visited during the day and it’s a great stop off when mooching around the Jewellery Quarter. A friend and I stopped by to replace lost fluids, a cold pint of Carling for £2.50 and a Guinness for my pal for the same price and for some sustenance; I had the Hot Smoked Mackerel, warm mackerel fillets served with a salsa verde of herbs, capers, gherkins, drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil. It was very nice, though I could have done with a larger portion. Matey boy went for the Lamb Kofte Salad which came with flat bread and Tzatziki. It looked equally as tasty and I didn’t hear any complaints from him. The service was good, friendly and welcoming. It was 12.30pm and the place was beginning to fill with lunch hunters. Seating comes in the shape of a comfy area with leather sofas, two or three booths seating up to six comfortably and café style table and chairs. I noticed the place hosts live music in the evenings and has diary full of events over the coming months.

Vertu is a bit of a strange one really. They obviously had the best intentions, kitting it out in all those decadent furnishings and the menu ain’t half bad, but the venue as a whole still feels a bit weird. Every time I go there it’s pretty much empty and I’m really put off by the kind of characters they get hanging around out the front on the ol’ al fresco seating. I wouldn’t be surprised to walk past one day to see a shirtless skinhead outside, drinking a can of Nurishment, with a pitbull on a chain. Just imagine that, juxtaposed against the jacquard print upholstery and chandeliers…
I’ll no doubt pop there again at some point to sample their food; it was too hot and stuffy to eat in there the other day (I don’t think they have any air con); but it’s a bit annoying to have to keep waiting ’til the weather is just right and the bar is full of normal looking people.

Vertu is a great space with room for a quick drink, a sunday roast or a dance. One thing I would say is that the few times I’ve been there I’m never sure who the place is aimed at. I’ve been there is a big group and we seemed to be the ones that packed out the place whilst there was an odd mix of older people with a couple of way too young kids to not be in bed.
Haven’t eaten here but they seem to do good offers on food and drink combos. They are always promoting sports events and as a bar it’s a pretty decent place to have a drink or two and the building is a cool old brick box.

At last the Jewellery Quarter has a decent looking bar! Decent looking certainly, but in my experience food takes quite a while to come (45 minutes last time — think they forgot). If you need somewhere nice to take a client in the Jewellery Quarter, this is it.