THE ARETSI BAR · BIRMINGHAM

Poured with care.
Served with
the menu.

A handmade bar that arrives with the kitchen, run by the same team.
Clear prices. No VAT added.

See the packages How licensing works

CHEF IOANNIS Executive Chef & Founder · 25+ years · Michelin-standard background

CRAFTED WITH CHARACTER. SERVED WITH CARE.

No VAT added to any price
Bartenders & glassware in every package
Licensing arranged for you
Handmade bar built in our own workshop

KITCHEN AND BAR, AS ONE

One team.
One plan. One call.

Most events book a caterer and a bar company, then hope the two meet in the middle. Ours are the same team.

The first glass is poured as the first canapé leaves the kitchen. The wine is chosen with the main course in front of us, and the fizz is on the tables before the speeches begin. You deal with one person, from the first call to the last glass.

And the bar itself? Chef Ioannis built it by hand in our Birmingham workshop: scorched timber, barrel wings for the canapés and our name carved into the front.

HandmadeBuilt by the chef who cooks your food
Food and drinks pairedPlanned on the same menu
One contactFrom enquiry to clear-down
Built for gardensCanopy, barrels and wings, styled to your venue

The handmade Aretsi bar in scorched timber with a carved Aretsi front panel, blue canopy, barrel wings with canapés and prosecco on ice — Handmade in our workshop: scorched timber, barrel wings and a carved front.

DRINKS PACKAGES · 2026

Choose your package.
We’ll send the drinks list.

Every price is per guest, with no VAT added, and includes the bar, bartenders, glassware, ice and garnish, setup and clear-down, and delivery within 10 miles. Pick a package and we send you its full drinks list.

Silver

The Welcome

The first hour, done beautifully

from £14 / guest

2 drinks per guest on arrival
Prosecco, Greek white or rosé, chilled Mythos, or our signature cocktail
Mocktails and soft drinks always on
Glassware, ice, garnish and a bartender

Minimum 30 guests

Chef’s recommendation

Gold

The Celebration

Arrival to toast, all taken care of

from £34 / guest

2 welcome drinks on arrival
Half a bottle of wine per guest with the meal, Greek or classic
A glass of fizz for the toast, poured as the speeches begin
Water and soft drinks on every table, with table service

Minimum 40 guests

Platinum

The Open Bar

Four hours of a proper bar

from £45 / guest

4 hours of beer, Greek and house wines, prosecco and house spirits
3 signature cocktails, including our Mastiha spritz
Mocktails and soft drinks throughout
Full bar team, the bar styled to your event

Minimum 50 guests

Alcohol-free, done properly.

Every package can be poured without alcohol: fresh mocktails, botanical spirits, the same glassware and garnish. From £9 per guest for a welcome, or £24 for a four-hour bar. Ideal for dry weddings and family celebrations.

Food and drinks, one booking.

5% off any drinks package when Aretsi does the food, and dry hire drops to £295. Or take The Reception: Silver drinks with 6 Silver canapés per guest, £30 per guest, minimum 30 guests.

DRY HIRE

Your drinks. Our bar.

You buy the drinks, we do the rest: our bar, two bartenders for four hours, glassware, ice and garnish. We send a shopping list sized to your guests, so nothing runs out. No corkage, ever. From £295 when Aretsi does the food.

from £395per event, no VAT

THE COCKTAIL LIST

A sample of what our bartenders pour, shaken fresh at the bar and finished with real fruit, herbs and ice.

THE FINISHING TOUCHES

Fresh garnish. Real ice. A little theatre.

Every drink is finished by hand at the bar, with fruit cut on the day, herbs from the garden and crystal-clear ice. Then comes the dry ice, so your bar opens in a drift of cold mist.

Cocktail garnishes on blue linen: lime, orange and lemon wheels and twists, cucumber ribbons, mint, basil and thyme, berries, passion fruit, edible flowers, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, cardamom, juniper, clear ice cubes and dry ice pellets

Citrus & herbsLime, lemon and orange wheels and twists, cucumber ribbons, mint, basil and thyme.
Berries & flowersStrawberries, raspberries, blackberries, passion fruit and edible flowers.
Winter spiceCinnamon, star anise, cloves, cardamom and juniper for festive and warm drinks.
Ice & dry iceClear ice in every glass. Dry ice mist around the bar, never in your drink.

An Aretsi bartender double-straining a cocktail into a coupe glass at sunset, with guests by the sea behind — Shaken fresh, strained twice, poured at the bar.

FROM OUR TABLE TO YOURS

A little taste of Greece.

Alongside the classics, we pour what we grew up with.

Mastiha spritzThe island liqueur of Chios, with prosecco and soda.
Greek winesCrisp Assyrtiko from Santorini, rich Agiorgitiko from Nemea.
Ouzo & MythosOuzo with lemonade, long and cold, and ice-cold Greek lager.
A Greek toastRaise a glass of ouzo and say “Yamas!” instead of “Cheers”.

SERVING ALCOHOL, PROPERLY

The licence, handled.

Alcohol can only be sold where there is permission to sell it. It sounds complicated, but for you it is one form and a little notice. Here is how it works.

Hotels, halls & venues

Your venue is licensed

We serve under the venue’s own licence, with their agreement. We speak to the venue for you and confirm their rules on timings and outside bars.

Homes, gardens & marquees

Your venue isn’t licensed

The council needs a Temporary Event Notice, known as a TEN. We prepare and submit it for you, and the council fee is included in every drinks package. A TEN covers events of up to 499 people.

Dry hire

You bring the drinks

If you buy the drinks and give them to your guests free, no licence is needed. If drinks are sold, or included in a ticket price, that counts as a sale and a licence is needed. We’ll tell you which applies.

What we need from youThe venue address and your event times, at least three weeks before the date. If the venue isn’t licensed, ask the owner whether it has hosted other licensed events this year: each venue has a yearly limit.
Why three weeksThe council needs ten clear working days. Later notice can sometimes be arranged, but it can be refused.
On the nightOur bartenders follow Challenge 25 and won’t serve anyone under 18 or anyone who has had too much.

NO SURPRISES

What’s in the price.

Included in every package

Our handmade bar, set up and styled
Trained, uniformed bartenders
Glassware, ice, fruit and garnish
Setup before your guests arrive, clear-down after
Delivery within 10 miles of Birmingham
Licensing arranged, including a Temporary Event Notice where needed
Public liability insurance

Add-ons, if you’d like them

Extra hour on The Open Bar£7 / guest
Extra bartender£45 / hour
Espresso martini hour after dinner£6 / guest
An ouzo toast+£3 / guest
Champagne instead of prosecco for the toast+£10 / guest
A signature cocktail created and named for you£75
Prosecco or mocktail wall on arrival£150
Printed drinks menus and bar sign£45
Extra glassware for the tables50p / glass
Delivery beyond 10 miles90p / mile
A guest-pays bar for the eveningon request

No VAT. We are not VAT registered, so the price you see is the price you pay.

BOOKING IS SIMPLE

Three steps to your bar.

01
Tell us about your event
Your date, venue, guest numbers and the package you like.
02
We send the drinks list
A tailored list and a clear price, with food if you’d like it. We handle the licence.
03
We confirm seven days out
Final numbers are locked a week before. Then you simply enjoy it.

GOOD TO KNOW

Before you
book.

The questions we are asked most.

Why don’t you show the full drinks list?

Because every event is different. Pick a package and we send you its drinks list, shaped around your menu, your guests and the season. We reply quickly.

Can I book the bar without your food?

Yes. The bar works on its own, but it is at its best alongside our kitchen: book both and you get 5% off the drinks package, and dry hire drops to £295.

Can guests pay for their own drinks?

Yes, on request. Many hosts pay for the welcome drinks and the toast, then open a guest-pays bar for the evening. Ask us and we’ll quote for your event.

What happens if the drinks run low?

On The Welcome and The Celebration we pour to a set allowance per guest, so there is no surprise bill. On The Open Bar, drinks are unlimited for the four hours. With dry hire, our shopping list is sized so you don’t run out.

How many bartenders will we have?

Around one for every 50 guests, and more when cocktails are flowing. We staff for short queues, not for the minimum.

Will the bar suit my venue?

It is made for gardens, marquees, courtyards and function rooms with level access. Tell us your venue and we’ll confirm the space we need, or suggest a simpler counter for tight spaces.

Where do you cater?

We are based in Birmingham and serve across the West Midlands, London and Wales. Delivery within 10 miles is included; further afield we quote for travel.

LET’S MAKE AN OCCASION OF IT

Your event.
Let’s talk.

A few details are all we need to start a conversation. Tell us what you have in mind.

0121 794 9816 [email protected]

OUR HOME

Unit 7, All Saints Industrial Estate
All Saints Street, Hockley
Birmingham B18 7RJ

Poured with care.
Served with
the menu.

One team.
One plan. One call.