The Red Lion, Birmingham

The Red Lion is a well presented pub, very smartly done. 3 ales on including Wye Valley HPA and Purity Mad Goose, both of which were fine. I would happily call in again.

Although describing itself as a 'Tapas Bar & Kitchen, this very much looks a feels like a pub. The two-part bar with side and rear rooms has been refurbished in a plain semi-modern style, with perhaps a third of the tables set aside for dining. Real ale definitely remains a feature, with Pride, Tribute, Purity Mad Goose (£3.80) and Sharp's Sea Fury available from four of six handpumps.

Formerly the Pepper Mill, it has now returned to its original name of the Red Lion. It is an end terrace pub/eatery, with rear area. The pub is at least Victorian and looks like two buildings that have been knocked through - with its two doors and differing styled roofing and windows. It is in white render. It has two rooms; that to the left is a restaurant area, which i didn't really see. That to the right is the bar/lounge. This room curves around the bat that faces you and is on two levels, with a small side area. The decor appears to be two-tone grey, with some green and a mainly tartan carpet. There is a TV, which wasn't on. There were not really any pictures and a few books are scattered about. The music was soft and mixed. The service was friendly. Beer; usual taps with Kosel, Sargus and another continental lager, with 5 handpulls; Young's London Gold, Thwaites Lancater Bomber, Rev James, Robinson's Trooper and one i failed to note in a schoolboy error way. The Trooper and the unlisted were very good. This was a real find beer-wise and I could cope with the decor, definitely one i would return to.

What on earth is happening here! Two roomed pub, public bar and lounge. Its had some money spent on it inside. However, its like somebody had some money, but not any idea on how to spend it. The lounge is on the right as you come in and the service bar runs between the two rooms. The service bar has been modernised in light wood & whilst looks clean it lacks any kind of tradition & just looks modern. In front of the window is a bench seat and a modern new long table that is too high. On the opposite side of the room is a raised area with a four foot serarating wall in the same modern light wood as the bar with bench seating again facing a large screen tv. This has the effect of making that part of the room unwelcoming. There were three gents sitting in there, backs to the rest of the room as you would have to do, sitting watching horse racing and, even though there were only three of them and they were not intimidating people at all, personally I would not have wanted to go up there to sit as you would have to walk through them in order to sit down because of the modern arrangement of the wood wall. Then there was a child, presumably belonging to one of the three horse racing fans, the other side of the wall throwing herself on the floor, presumably becuse she was bored sensless. Also in the lounge is an area to the furthest side set out for dining, hidden by pillars. The decor is just, well, how do you describe it, kind of modernised but its like somebody has bought this and that and I'll put that here and this there, but not actually looked at if any of this will work together in a room! Then, the cook came out through the lounge and left the building. So, after finishing my drink, I went to leave the pub the way I came in, as you do, but the door was locked. The lady behind the bar advised, yes, thats locked, you will have to leave via the public bar. I'm not sure if this was because the pub was closing for the afternoon, there was no sign of this elsewhere? So I had to leave going round the service bar and through the bar. Ok, fair enough you think, but.. on entering the public bar there is a group of gents sitting filling the rest of the room in a perfect circle. It appeared there was some kind of ritual going on. On entering the room the circle went quiet as I made my way to the egress. I left, not quite knowing what on earth that was about. Beer, well there was no real ale. I had a keg John Smiths, and ok keg is keg its like McDonalds, you know exactly what you're going to get, but this was a bad version of keg. I would love somebody else to review this pub cus I don't know whether its just me??! I have been in worse pubs in terms of run down holes, but this one is somewhat bizarre? Help!