The Trocadero, Birmingham

The comments of Roger Button below are still relevant. It looks like a grand traditional pub from the outside, something perhaps lacking in this very central area, just off New Street. However, I expect it has got better, there are a few features inside, such as the glazed roof at the front of the bar, but its a little bit more boring than you would imagine, light wood boards up to a dado rail and then floral wallpaper with the odd mirror. The front window now opens up to the street in good weather, and there are various stools and normal pub chairs around tables. They now have Taylors Landlord and Bombadier as real ales, which were good. Food menu appeared good value for the City Centre, some cheap 'favourites' and things like chilli for £4. Overall I thinks its improving, but with a little way to go, and hopefully will continue in that direction because it could be a special Brummie boozer.

Trying to find a traditional style pub in Birmingham City centre when you have a few hours to kill is more difficult than I had imagined so when my eye first caught the elegant mosaic façade of the Trocadero, I was mildly excited at what delights the pub would offer. The first impressions were not good. No Ales for starters, just run of the mill kegs and lagers many of which were on cheap promotions making it a place for quantity drinking rather than quality drinking. The pub appears to have been extended in both width and length at some stage since its days as a fire station. The rear is probably the most interesting with its sofas, chessboard tiled fireplace and mock Tudor vaulted ceiling. The rest of the pub is a diet of multiple TVs, game machines and mixture old modern art and old local pictures. Overall, a bit of a disappointment and my search for the definitive classic pub in Brum city centre must wait for a future visit.

Only ever visited it once but for right reasons. It was the pub that I saw England win the Ashes in 2005. I had a tear in my eye and everyone raised their glass to honour England cricketers. Seriously I cant remember what do it look like as I was pretty drunk at that time! Will visit it again when sober