Giffard Arms, Wolverhampton

I thought the Giffard Arms was closed until I peered through the window and spotted the barmaid sat at the serving counter than runs up the right. This is a rock metal pub with coffin shaped tables, dark red walls, and many bats, I’m sure Ozzy is very proud. There’s a game of thrones chair adjacent to the bar, but more conventional seating is found under the front window, up the left opposite the counter and in the rear. The two other customers during my recent Thursday evening visit were ploughing their hard earned into the jukebox that was playing music of the night, not really my thing. Premium keg was available alongside Beavertown’s Neck Oil from the moody teenage goth who was working the bar while tucking into a box of McNuggets… Rock On!!!

The Giffard Arms hasn't changed much over the years and long may it continue. Still the place for rock music in Wolverhampton. No ale on but a great jukebox!

Having read the previous two reviews prior to coming here I was fully expecting to find in here a geezer called Mocata summoning the Goat Of Mendes. It's a novelty place for sure and my old Black Country beer guide claims it was built by Mitchell & Butler in 1929. Some of the older punters are more into syrups than Satan and I also noticed several examples of died hair which weren't blue rinses. Although the heavy rock music was blasting out at least there were no TV screens that I could see. I spotted two hand pumps only one of which was used and had Robinson's Trooper (£3.50) which was in reasonable nick but is a pretty dull beer. I would have thought that Abbeydale Black Mass or Brunswick Black Sabbath would go down well here. I must admit I found this one had a better atmosphere than the ersatz Spoons over the road.

A good old eccentric boozer. Very gothy with dark scary bats, skeletons, demons and scary images adorning the walls. A big Dennis Wheatley type mumbo jumbo chair dominates the centre of the pub though I was too scared to sit in it. I was expecting to hear the Devils music being played incessantly but thankfully no Cliff Richard, Stryper, St Winifred's School Choir or praise-the-lord country crap was being played. Rubbish unscary Ozzy though was, which was disappointing. No real ale that I could see.

I was pointed here with the words it's a bit like the Yorkshire House in Shrewsbury, this is true but it's more gothic horror than Dungeons and Dragons fantasy. Deliberately dark and with skeletons, dragons, coffin shaped table tops and a large throne for some Lord of Darkness or other it looks the part. The customers are not of the blood drinking Satan worshipping type I was expecting, most looked like they would be called Kevin, even the Hell's Angels lookalikes were probably off-duty hairdressers in Death's Head T-Shirts. Lots of fun except for the beer and the poor service.

Official site of the Giffard Arms - www.thegiffardarms.co.uk