The Lord Clifden, Birmingham

This pub looks nothing on the outside and its on a busy industrial street from Birmingham to the Black Country. However, once you are in here its totally different. There are two rooms and an outside patio area. Its hard to describe as its a traditional working class boozer, but with an arty atmosphere. Its actually the best of both & carries off its re-furb by Urban Pubs without being naff, trendy or pretentious. A real excellent balance. Its something that shouldn't work, due to its age, seen-better-days location but it very does, a lot of effort in what I would imagine a risky venture. It was busy with a very mixed clientelle - black, white, posh, scruffy, male, female. It just seems to have hit all the right buttons for different people. I expect this has built up a reputation quite quickly in various circles by word of mouth. beer quality was excellent, four real ales including Bathams & Wye Valley HPA, but I had an Urban Ales Bostin, which was as different and as pleasent as the rest of the place. Their leaflet inside advises it has 'individual character and quality....without being pretentious'. Exactly right. Excellent.

A small terraced, now cream painted pub, that hides a long, narrow interior. There is a big beer garden that has table tennis and table football. The interior has two rooms, the smaller bar, i never seem to go into. The lounge is where food is served. The decor is grey,black, red and wood panel, with the main decoration being supplied, like its sister pub, the Red Lion, with urban art pictures (things like Churchill with green hair). Service is fine and the place is always buzzing with a mixed clientele. I have eaten here in the past and found it pretty good as well. Beer; tap stuff, with some Continental lagers, with Ansells MILD, On handpull there is Wye Valley HPA, a strange non-Bathams tasting Bathams Bitter, if that makes sense, as well as a few guests; the last i had were Sarah's Rid and Sid Vicious. Another must pub really, the MILD is excellent, as are most other things - its the strange tasting Bathams, one, if not my favourite bitter, which at this place tastes somewhat unique!