The Old Irish Harp, Mill Green, Walsall

Official site of The Old Irish Harp - www.oldirishharppub.co.uk

Official site of The Old Irish Harp - www.oldirishharppub.co.uk

This looks like an old Georgian farmhouse converted into a pub, with extensions. The interior is quite traditional, with bare brick. It is divided up into larger and smaller areas. However, the majority of the place is given over to food. The 'bar' area is tiny and centred around the door. Most uncomfortable on a freezing cold night. The majority of tables had 'Reserved' notices on them. To be fair, it was very busy. And the food looked good and the menu was interesting. I wouldn't mind coming back to eat. But this is really not a place to just come to drink. Except perhaps mid-week. Beerwise they had the usual stuff, with three real ales - Jennings Cumberland Ale, Pedigree and Banks's Bitter. I had a very nice pint of Bitter - but then Mrs Staal and I moved on.

A fantastic detached old (18th cent?) brick building, with some white render, with several extensions added over the years, with a beer garden. Tales of highwayman using the place in the past are abound. The interior is strange. It has two areas; the first is an L-shaped room, all decked out for food - the Tavern Table as the restaurant part is called. The other 'area' is a nesting of ante-rooms; the former kitchen etc, also all laid out for food - there didnt seem an actual area to sit and drink. The decor has old beams, but the red, white, grey and other coloured walls of the pubco type (this one is Marston's own). There is also wood panel, and a nice former kitchen fireplace, with lots of different pictures, photographs and prints on the walls. Service was friendly and clientele mixed and busy, as these places seem to be these days. Background music was easy and at a decent level. Yes, there were twigs in a vase, with lights on - seemingly a little out of place. Beer; tap stuff, with no MILD. Banks's Bitter, Pedgiress and a decent Jennings Worlds Biggest Liar on handpull. As pubco places go, it was fine and the beer was fine, i just resented having nowhere to sit that was free from menus.