Queens Tavern - A Birmingham Gem!

The Queens Tavern was built from 1894-95 by James & Lister Lea at the corner of Essex Street and Inge Street in Southside. Now a pub in the Gay Village, with several name changes.


Where is The Queens Tavern?

The Queens Tavern (now The Tropicana) is at 23 Essex Street, Birmingham, BB5 4TR

 

In brief

One of the pubs in Birmingham designed by James & Lister Lea, it was built in 1894-95. It has had a few name changes in recent years, including Queen Elizabeth (2013), Priva (2014) and more recently The Tropicana Cocktail Bar (from 2020). It is within the Gay Village, Chinese Quarter and Southside.

Queens TavernQueens Tavern - Essex Street (March 2011). Photography by Elliott Brown

 

Queens Tavern - history

Located at 23 Essex Street, the Queens Tavern is a short distance away from the Birmingham Hippodrome via Inge Street.

It was designed by James & Lister Lea and built during 1894-95.

The pub in the Gay Village, and Southside, still had the Queens Tavern name by 2011, but it said Twenty Three Essex Street on it at the time.

Queens TavernQueens Tavern - Essex Street (March 2011). Photography by Elliott Brown

 

By 2013, the Queens Tavern had been renamed to the Queen Elizabeth, named after our Queen Elizabeth II (pub sign with an old stamp style design).

Queens TavernQueens Tavern - Essex Street (January 2013). Photography by Elliott Brown

 

About a year later in 2014, the gay pub had been renamed to Priva.

Queens TavernQueens Tavern - Essex Street (May 2014). Photography by Elliott Brown

 

By the autumn of 2020, another name change, this time to The Tropicana Cocktail Bar

Queens TavernQueens Tavern - Essex Street (October 2020). Photography by Elliott Brown

 

Contact details

The Tropicana

23 Essex Street

China Town

Birmingham

B5 4TR

Telephone: 07466 903193

Project dates

11 May 2022 - On-going

Passions

History & heritage, Food & drink, Classic Architecture

Contact

Your Place Your Space

Jonathan Bostock

0121 410 5520
jonathan.bostock@ yourplaceyourspace.com