The Wellington, Birmingham

Visited earlier this month, very busy around 4pm on a weekday afternoon. Too many hand pulls to count from my vantage point (I just about managed to get a seat) but it looked like some may have been dedicated to ciders. It didn't feel that friendly in terms of service, which was also an issue on my previous visit four years prior. My Froth Blowers Piffle Snonker was OK, if unexciting. This is an old traditional pub and has already been well described (and does not appear to have changed since) but the unfriendly service means I will probably give this one a miss when I am next in Birmingham. I was glad to sup up and leave.

This traditional pub was supposed to be the highlight of a brief stop in Birmingham, but it was too busy to get a seat! Still, it just felt ‘right’. Some call the decor dated but there are very few traditional pubs in the centre of Birmingham, which is mostly dominated by corporate soulless bars. So the old school carpet and banquette seating felt like a breath of fresh air. great range of ales as expected and I enjoyed my pint of 4T’s stout. I’ll be back for sure and my rating may be upped to a 10.

Quite a dated interior with carpeting, but 15 ales displayed on a TV screen, all numbered to avoid confusion. I didn't actually have a drink as it was a bit early and I'd done much vital research the night before. One point of note, is that this was easily the most expensive pub of my 10-hole crawl, with prices that are the same as - in one instance a fair bit higher - than destination London ale houses. In close proximity to the station, this is a must-visit when in town.

An institution of a pub and one not to be missed. On this visit the 18 handpumps were pretty well all in use, as ever with a good range of ales with a concentration on local brews, plus a couple of ciders. I don't quite approve of ordering by numbers, but I suppose it saves confusion.