The Castle, Wolverhampton

Large Marston's pub with a staple-shaped bar and a dining area on the other side of the main entrance. Modernised interior with standard furniture but surprisingly light decor. Various food offers, with quiz, pool and live music nights advertised. Total of seven handpumps on the counter, but only Pedigree (£2.60) and Hobgoblin Gold available.

A large detached white painted brick pub and eatery with a part wood facade, with green brick extension and patio area. The interior is a generic style gastropub really. It is open plan, with a central serving bar area. It does however, unlike some places, seem to have three areas. The main food (and cavery) area is the area that you enter the pub. Around to the right seems to be a more lounge kind of space, where there are a few TVs, which had the Sky football on. As you follow the serving bar around you pass a pool table in a small segregated area on a raised level, then you hot what would be the traditional bar area, which had a large screen TV with the footy on. The decor remains the usual kind for this place; pastel greens and blues, with white, and red and a white ceiling. The pictures on the walls are a mix of arty bistro stuff and old photos. The place does a cavery and budget menu, but i didn't eat (i didn't see anyone eating) so i cant comment at all on that. The service was fine and there was a good mixed clientele. Beer; well, usual keg taps, with Banks's MILD and Bitter now on handpull. The Bitter was fine. Whilst it remains a generic gastropub kind of place, my last visit, the first for a year, was an awful lot better than the last one. The people running it are clearly doing something right.