The VillaTalk Good Pub Guide

[sidcow]

14 minutes ago, Spoony said:

Visiting brum soon. Help me plan a night out please. 3 lads in their 30s but might as well be in their late 50s, none single, like a drink, will have just come from the footie, won’t want any form of dancing or loud music, want a nice meal before pints and a late one in a relatively lively setting. Live music would be a bonus. A DJ playing Mr Brightside will result in a very fast escape from the midlands. 

Legs Eleven. Jobs a good un. 

[chrisp65]

18 minutes ago, Spoony said:

Visiting brum soon. Help me plan a night out please. 3 lads in their 30s but might as well be in their late 50s, none single, like a drink, will have just come from the footie, won’t want any form of dancing or loud music, want a nice meal before pints and a late one in a relatively lively setting. Live music would be a bonus. A DJ playing Mr Brightside will result in a very fast escape from the midlands. 

 

 

[Mark Albrighton]

8 hours ago, Spoony said:

Visiting brum soon. Help me plan a night out please. 3 lads in their 30s but might as well be in their late 50s, none single, like a drink, will have just come from the footie, won’t want any form of dancing or loud music, want a nice meal before pints and a late one in a relatively lively setting. Live music would be a bonus. A DJ playing Mr Brightside will result in a very fast escape from the midlands. 

Jewellery Quarter is a safe bet.

The Pig & Tail, The Church, The Rolling Mill. One of those would be fine for food.

You have the Rose Villa, Grain & Glass (whiskey bar, other drinks are available), Red Lion, Button Factory, the Rock n Roll brewery (not joking, that one IS closed by 9pm). Loads of choices.

Never been, but the Jam House had a lot of live music. Or, just round the corner you have the actress and bishop pub which I believe has live music on the weekends.

Plenty of boozers to choose from, generally a more relaxed vibe.

[sidcow]

1 minute ago, Mark Albrighton said:

Jewellery Quarter is a safe bet.

The Pig & Tail, The Church, The Rolling Mill. One of those would be fine for food.

You have the Rose Villa, Grain & Glass (whiskey bar, other drinks are available), Red Lion, Button Factory, the Rock n Roll brewery (not joking, that one IS closed by 9pm). Loads of choices.

Never been, but the Jam House had a lot of live music. Or, just round the corner you have the actress and bishop pub which I believe has live music on the weekends.

Plenty of boozers to choose from, generally a more relaxed vibe.

 

[sidcow]

Would start at The Queens Arms in Newhall Street on your way to The Jewellery Quarter as a decent stop off on the way from Town, and also add The Jewellers Arms and Red Lion to the pub list. 

[Xela]

Another option is around the Colmore Business District. 

The Wellington, The Colmore, Purecaft Brewery, Old Contemptibles and Old Joint Stock, along with a few others. Plenty of food places nearby as well. Sun on the Hill has music on. 

Benefit there is you are very close to New St or Snow Hill, depending on your exit route. 

[villa4europe]

Jam house is quality, not been there in a long time but previous visits they still had a dress code, collars on shirts no sports trainers etc the church and the clifden both stay open to 1 or 2am

but yeah between the JQ post and the stretch between new street and snow hill thats the best 2 places in brum for a beer

if live music does become a need then have a look at the sunflower lounge

[Xela]

2 more people arrested for the Crooked House fire. A 34yo woman, and a 44yo man, from Leicestershire. We all know they are the new owners. 

Arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent or being reckless as to whether life was endangered. Been bailed. 

[sidcow]

8 minutes ago, Xela said:

2 more people arrested for the Crooked House fire. A 34yo woman, and a 44yo man, from Leicestershire. We all know they are the new owners. 

Arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent or being reckless as to whether life was endangered. Been bailed. 

Always follow the money. 

[AlwaysAVFC]

57 minutes ago, Xela said:

2 more people arrested for the Crooked House fire. A 34yo woman, and a 44yo man, from Leicestershire. We all know they are the new owners. 

Arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent or being reckless as to whether life was endangered. Been bailed. 

It's not say they won't get away with it in the end, but the arrogance  (presuming it was them) that they would get away with it is amazing. On the face of it, it looks so brazen.

[sidcow]

8 minutes ago, AlwaysAVFC said:

It's not say they won't get away with it in the end, but the arrogance  (presuming it was them) that they would get away with it is amazing. On the face of it, it looks so brazen.

I expect they thought they'd get away with it because they've done it before and got away with it. 

[Xann]

We had a day drinking in Cambridge recently, it was a good day.

It's managed to hang on to some nice places, including tiny old boltholes the likes of which are in short supply elsewhere.

The two outstanding pubs to visit.

The Elm Tree is a proper cosy little pub of old, but with much better drinks. It's a time capsule, if you're looking for one?

Then there's the Cambridge Blue. Were you to do a wander? Do the CB last. It's a beergasm and cider orgy.

We stayed for three, could've stayed all day. The selection is fantastic.

You walk in to face a bank of glass fridges with the bottled drinks. A good initial gawp.

The bar proper is around the side. At this point you're really struggling at what to drink first for all the right reasons?

Nothing wrong with the pub itself either. Nice old place, garden and there was a sizeable marquee when we were there.

[Xela]

This was my favourite pub I popped to in Worcester. 

The Cardinal's Hat - Worcester's oldest pub.

The Butty Bach was immensely quaffable.

[sidcow]

58 minutes ago, Xela said:

This was my favourite pub I popped to in Worcester. 

The Cardinal's Hat - Worcester's oldest pub.

The Butty Bach was immensely quaffable.

Did you try The Dragon Inn?? Owned by Churchill Brewery. I was there in the summer before the races. Good pub. 

[Xela]

10 hours ago, sidcow said:

Did you try The Dragon Inn?? Owned by Churchill Brewery. I was there in the summer before the races. Good pub. 

I didn't mate. I got too comfortable in the ones I did go to!  

[Mark Albrighton]

20 minutes ago, Xela said:

I lose track of what happens in Digbeth, as I'm far from a regular visiter, but I thought the Rainbow pub shut years ago, followed by the bigger venue because of drugs?

I'm a bit out of touch now with the nightlife. 

Answering you here. 

Yeah it had closed, I think the last time I was out investigating the pubs it wasn’t open. 

I just happened to be watching a documentary about the real Peaky Blinders and Carl Chinn referenced the rainbow so thought I’d check in to see it’s current status.

I’d recommend it. Similar layout to the Big Bulls Head I think, an echo of it anyway with a dining area behind the bar. It certainly caters for food, but it’s also a music venue as well. I’d go again.

The Rainbow, The Old Crown and The Ruin are my favourites in that area. 

[VILLAMARV]

MrsVM is off to a conference at Edgbaston soon. Anyone got any shout outs for drinks in the area afterwards?

[blandy]

On 17/10/2023 at 07:41, VILLAMARV said:

MrsVM is off to a conference at Edgbaston soon. Anyone got any shout outs for drinks in the area afterwards?

When I used to knock about round there we'd get a taxi to Harborne, where most of the pubs are decent (white horse, Plough etc). Or there's the Moseley Arms in the other direction.

[AVFC_Hitz]

On 17/10/2023 at 09:41, VILLAMARV said:

MrsVM is off to a conference at Edgbaston soon. Anyone got any shout outs for drinks in the area afterwards?

A walk up Salisbury Road into Moseley, maybe. 

[sidcow]

Just been to The British Oak in Stirchley. 

Going back to recent discussions about rip off pubs and pubs not being able to survive. 

Even on a night like tonight with terrible, terrible weather it was pretty full. 

The beer was excellent value, just over £11 for 2 pints of HPA and a J20 type thing.  That's going to be £15+ of anyone's money in most places. 

They'd got a load of bar staff so you never waited for long. 

They had a singer/guitarist in the covered area. 

Massive screen with Rugby in the huge Marquee. 

Decent music in the main pub. 

Obviously it's worth going there purely for for the Original Patty Men burgers irrespective of the pub itself. Such brilliance in a burger. 

It just made me reflect, the formula really isn't that difficult. 

Reasonable prices, easy to get beer, good quality beer, different areas offering different things = a busy pub with happy punters and money being made. 

Essentially when pubs close they've got some or all of that wrong.  Good pubs thrive, they don't close. 

Edited October 20, 2023 by sidcow