Aston Tavern, Aston, Birmingham

When is a pub not a pub? When you have to press a buzzer to gain entry? When the door is answered and they say it has no beer? This despite the A Board outside saying open. A note in the loos suggested it is going to members only soon. So maybe this isnt a pub any more. A huge and nicely decorated interior with more Chesterfields than you would find in a stately home, under similarly high ceilings. The beer lines were being cleaned in prep for a game in two days time. Yes, all the lines. So a first ever Koppenburg Mixed Fruit Cider. I'd like to say I have tasted the future but all my teeth have fallen out.

Mostly a boutique hotel and daytime 'coffee & cake' establishment, but also some kind of members bar before Villa home games. However, it does still operate as a pub on some other occasions such as concerts in the football stadium, and there is a courtyard seating area beyond the bar. Almost drunk dry when I finally managed to find the place open on the evening of the Bruce Springsteen show, with just Carling (£4.65), Guinness and Aspalls cider still on. Altogether a schizophrenic sort of place.

As Soupy says below this pub was shut for years. I used it quite often in the late 80's and early 90's but I haven't been in since the refurb. Very popular on matchdays when you can expect a small charge to enter!

Official site of Aston Tavern - www.astontavern.co.uk