The Hollybush, Wolverhampton

A huge Marston’s Family restaurant pub built in 1937, the frontage is symmetrical with a wide central porch that has quite nice supporting pillars and front facing wood plank covered gables at either end. The interior originally had four rooms but is now a massive U shape open plan space around the large central pine wood panel serving counter. I discerned that the area in the front left corner of the building is a poor excuse for a bar area which is probably also used for dining most of the time anyway, to differentiate it has a pale wood floor and a few high backed arm chairs with low coffee tables positioned around a nice fire place in the left wall. There is a large indoor soft play area in the back right corner of the building. The other two quarters are large dining areas with modern patterned carpet and quite nice Georgian style wood panel walls, but the look is somewhat spoilt by the indescribably crap sculptures dotted around (see Soup Dragons review below), the front right area has a large fire place in the back right wall which extends slightly further right than the play area behind. The pub has a patio area and a large car park at the rear. Regular ales are currently Banks’s Mild, Marston’s Pedigree, Wychwood Hobgoblin and Brakspear Oxford Gold. I tried the Mild and the Oxford Gold which were both in good condition in my opinion. Interesting to note that the pub had the same beers on when Soup Dragon visited which either means the pub maintains the same selection or we just missed each other by no more than a couple of days. I usually ask which are regulars and guests if I don’t visit regularly myself but I forgot on this occasion . . . typical. Primarily a foodie place for families with easily bored kids and short attention spans, the size and décor do nothing for me but the place has its uses for family occasions at a reasonable price and the beer selection isn’t too bad by Wolverhampton standards (which are not high). I would return for an evening meal with the family but it’s not suitable for a social drinking session with friends.

A huge detached Marston's foody pub with beer garden area. The pub is a winged-corridor type, with projecting wood-clad gables at either end and a central corridor that is in white and has large glass windows. It also has a portico. The interior is just a large open plan space, where at one end there is a kid's zone for the under 5s and one for the over 5's (that one has the video games and grabbing machines). The place is in cream, coffee, red, dark red and patterned wallpapers with the usual arty art and strange sculpture to inspire conversation - well, it did with us - ME: "What actually is that?"; MATE: "Dunno"; ME: Beer's OK isn't it?"...... It is a food orientated place, and it was busy enough, but everyone that i saw was eating - i couldn't really define a bar area. The service was good and the music was charty, but soft. Beer; usual tap stuff with Banks's MILD, Hobgoblin, Pedigree and a decent Oxford Gold on handpull. A family food place, where i didn't feel comfy just drinking, although the service and beer were a plus.