Gosta Green, Birmingham

This is a huge Scream pub in the middle of the Aston University complex which is aimed fairly and squarely at the student market. You enter into a huge L-shaped room , the front part of which is essentially a vast open space for vertical drinking with just a few high tables and stools in a row between some pillars opposite the bar. The servery runs along the rear wall and has a brick and plain panel counter with a mirrored bar back. raised seating areas can be found to either side - the left one has benches and smart chairs under large front windows, a big mural and a cash machine whilst the right hand side sees tub chairs around a pool table next to a bare brick wall covered in black and white portraits. Past the right hand side of the bar, the room extends to the rear and then doglegs to the right. Some standard tables and chairs can be found immediately beyond the bar as well as a couple of sofas, table football and a couple more pool tables. Thick brick pillars, plain walls and another large mural characterise this space and there are numerous TV screens and a big pull down screen, all showing the afternoon's early Premier League fixture with the commentary audible. On top of all this, there is also a beer garden, but I didn't get around to exploring this. A student friendly menu is available and I opted to try something from its hipster friendly list. I ended up with a pulled pork jacket potato, which I thought would be pretty easy to get right, but it was grim and I deeply regretted ordering it. The prospect of finding any ale here seemed pretty slim, so I was surprised to see Purity Mad Goose and UBU available with Taylors Landlord due to come on soon. I had a pint of the Mad Goose but this was almost as unpalatable as the food, so all in all, not a very successful visit. The staff were probably the high point, with a cheery barman engaging me in conversation from the moment I walked through the door. I may well have been unlucky with my dodgy pint and disgusting food, but it certainly soured my feeling towards a pub that was already struggling to win me over. No doubt if I was living on campus here, I would waste many an hour inside this bar which gets a lot right from a student bar perspective, but I really didn't warm to the place and will happily leave it to the revision-dodging locals.

Large interior, all open plan & laid out to accommodate the local uni students, pool tables, tvs etc. Its smart & trendy & all ok. 3 ale hand pumps but only two beers on my visit & the Purity UBU was rather cold.

An impressive detached corner late Victorian/Edwardian brick building, known throughout my younger days as the Pot of Beer. The interior is open plan around a large bar, with Sky TVs and several pool tables. The service was basic - ran by students for students and a beer stock to match; in other words no real ale and not even keg MILD - lagers and bland keg bitter. I left.

Students pub near Aston University. Good ale, lousy parking.