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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
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Detail Pages
The Red Lion, Birmingham
Birmingham
B18 6NG
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Red Lion
Situated just out of the centre of the Jewellery Quarter, as the previous reviewer says, this pubs has changed hands since my last visit which was almost 10 years ago. Last time I was here on a Saturday evening and it was busy. This time was a mid-afternoon Saturday visit with the pub feeling much more relaxed.
A corridor on the right-hand side of the pub leads to both the front and rear rooms. As on my previous visit, I stayed in the front room without visiting the other one. Although this time we were able to bag seats. A group of blokes were about to leave as we arrived. They had been watching a Six Nations rugby match on the TV, but they were also discussing football with a Derby County fan sat at the bar.
3 handpulls were all clipped with Joule's beers - Shropshire Hop, Pure Blonde & Slumbering Monk. Their Eden Haze & Day Dream were on keg.
A decent traditional pub but there are better in the Jewellery Quarter.
On 12th March 2025
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3040 recommendations about 3038 pubs]
Delboy 20 left this review about The Red Lion
Now a Joules pub with 3 of their beers on in the bar. I went for the Best Bitter which was a decent pint.
Still an attractive boozer with decent ale. Well worth a visit.
On 1st February 2025
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1821 recommendations about 1692 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Red Lion
A friendly little 2 bar traditional local, with a courtyard drinking area out the back. There are some good heritage touches, including good tiling and a splendid Banks's mirror. Just Davenports Gold on handpump, with a clip-reversed Landlord, but the pub has just been bought up by Joules who will be introducing a range of their beers shortly. The Davenports will remain however. A refurbishment is also planned, but hopefully sensitively. Nice enough to visit now, but potentially even better.
On 10th February 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3641 recommendations about 3576 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Red Lion
Really good boozer - both modern feel and traditional feel - decorated to a high standard.
Central bar splits a front bar and a back lounge.
Bathams amongst the beers on.
Recommended.
Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2OWZD7W
On 10th August 2018
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1563 recommendations about 1543 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Delboy 20 left this review about The Red Lion
Another decent pub in the Jewellery Quarter. 4 ales on although I didn't look beyond the Bathams bitter! As Train man says below the price was way over the top at almost £9.00 for 2 pints! It was a good pint to be fair but you would need to re-mortgage your house for a session in here!
On 24th December 2017
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1821 recommendations about 1692 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
train man left this review about The Red Lion
£4.45 for Bathams Bitter? They have got to be joking! We didn't stick around for the new barrel to go on and, at those prices, won't be back to try it.
On 3rd July 2017
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 412 recommendations about 411 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about The Red Lion
This 2 roomed pub is quite nice and a comprehensive review is below. The ales today were Butty Bach, Knock On, Bathams Best Bitter and Moonshine by whoever.
On 25th February 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Red Lion
This smart two bar pub is run by the Urban Art Bar group who also operate the excellent Lord Clifden, just a five minute walk away. I popped in here early on a Saturday evening and found the place doing a roaring trade with both bars packed and a good, mixed clientele. You enter into a short passageway with the front bar to the left and the rear bar through a door at the end. The front bar was so busy I gave up trying to get to fight my way in, but did have time to note a few limited seating options around the perimeter, a dartboard and a juke box. The rear room has a Saloon Bar feel to it, with the angular dark wood servery on the front wall, button backed banquettes around two sides and a few other tables with low stools plus some limited, but much needed, vertical drinking space. A fireplace stands on the end wall with an elaborate mantle whilst beautiful cut glass Banks's Brewery mirrors cover the rear wall and part of the left hand side. The doors have some fine frosted glasswork with a modern lion motif picked out and one such door led out to an elaborately tiled rear corridor which connected back to the front bar as well as the toilets and garden. A TV screen in the rear room was showing muted live football coverage with a selection of clichéd Christmas tunes playing over the sound system and there was a large group of young lads in all wearing ridiculous 'ironic' Christmas jumpers, it being that time of year.
There were four ales on handpull at the bar - Salopian Firkin Freezing, Phoenix Christmas Kiss, Lion Heart GPA and Batham's Bitter. I'd never actually had a pint of the latter before, so I jumped at the chance and enjoyed a good pint served in fine condition by the friendly bar staff. I didn't eat here, but I did see some of the food coming out of the kitchen and it looked fantastic.
I really enjoyed my time here and thought it was a great example of a thoughtfully modernised traditional pub. Had things been a little quieter, I would have liked to settle down and maybe try a few more of their beers, as I suspect this is the sort of place you could easily lose a few hours. Another fine pub to include on any crawl around the Jewellery Quarter.
On 19th January 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3350 recommendations about 3350 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Red Lion
Old style bar and lounge serving 4 real ales and "craft keg".
On 1st August 2015
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2933 recommendations about 2866 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Red Lion
A traditional twin-room pub, with a compact public bar at the front and a comfortable lounge to the rear. Refurbished sympathetically, with a few modern decorative features from owners UAB. Background music. Reasonable-looking menu, with plenty of specials on the board too. Rear patio beer garden. Two handpumps on each counter (with additional clips helpfully displaying what is available in the other one), dispensing Santa's Dark Side and Pud (£3.70) from Naylors, Kingbird(?) and Butty Bach. Well worth seeking out.
On 17th December 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8679 recommendations about 8678 pubs]