The Sly Old Fox, Birmingham

Official site of The Sly Old Fox - theslyoldfox.com

Official site of The Sly Old Fox - theslyoldfox.com

Very busy on my early Friday evening visit. Reasonable choice of beers including Butty Bach, Proper Job and Doom Bar. I tried the Proper Job and another I can't remember. Both were in good shape. Happy to call in again.

Visited on Sunday with family. It was pretty busy but we managed to find a small table in the front room. There is a larger room to the rear but this looked more set up for dining with its layout of tables and chairs and was completely full. Apparently had a refurb a couple of months ago, and looks smart and welcoming from the outside. At the bar were five hand pulls, one of which was off and the others were Doom Bar, St Austell Proper Job, Wye Valley Butty Bach, and something else I can't remember. All the pumps had the big solid metal pump clips so assume they are permanent fixtures rather than rotating guests. The real ale seems to be kept well even if nothing out of the ordinary. Hot drinks are also served. According to their Facebook page their jukebox survived the refurb. Nice to visit for one.

This pub advertises itself as a theatre bar which means that it gets busy pre/post performances at the Hippodrome and Symphony Hall nearby. The front bar is like a small tap room with stained glass windows all around and a few dining style tables. The back bar is much more of a lounge with several sofas and comfy chairs. The walls are covered with theatre posters as you might expect. There are at least 10 handpumps but I've never seen all of them in use. On Wednesday at about 8 they had Tetley Bitter, St Austell Tribute and Old Speckled Hen which are regulars plus a couple of guests on in the front bar Goffs White Knight and Hanbys Wem Golden Honey. The Goffs was a well kept pint, drunk whilst talking to the friendly and chatty staff who were pretty efficient as well. It's been in the GBG since 2000 and quite rightly.