The Junction, Birmingham

Great location and impressive building. Huge dining area and a series of little leather seated snugs along the main bar. Quite a collection of real ales on - I went for the Timothy Taylor Landlord. A favourite. The pint was fine, even if it did have a slightly odd colour and took a while to settle down to be see through. Can't fault the place - This would be my local if I lived in the area. Some photos at bit.ly/1OLHiaR

Imposing wedge-shaped pub with some fine exterior detailing, still part of M&B but operating as one of the unbranded Castle outlets. Opened out and thoroughly refurbished inside since my last visit nearly 30 years ago, with furniture and decor comprising a mix of traditional and modern touches. Six handpumps on the counter, dispensing Doom Bar, Landlord, Pure UBU and Mad Goose from Purity, Navigation Apus and Andwell 5 Little Fishes (£3.80). Perhaps a bit upmarket for some traditionalists, but it is well worth a visit if in the area.

Good selection of ales but served too chilled for my taste.Modern open plan interior with the kitchen in the room.

This is a beautiful Victorian red brick building with lovely sandstone details such as large arched window frames on the ground floor, mullioned windows on the first and second floors, some impressive stone panels and a coat of arms in the window above the entrance. It is part of the Metro Professionals brand which is owned by Mitchels and Butlers. The interior is one long narrow room which opens out a little towards the back of the pub. As you enter, the front of the room is a modern interpretation of a traditional public bar area with a nice dark wood bar counter along the left hand wall, a large Bass brewery mirror on the bare brick wall behind the counter, chess board tiled floor immediately in front of the bar and bare wood floor boards beyond, high wood panel ceiling, half wood panel walls and red leather booths along the right wall opposite the counter. The wider area at the back of the pub is more modern and set for dining with an open kitchen counter in the back wall, a stone floor in front, a hand full of large chalk boards on the walls showing food, a couple of leather sofas and a coffee table in the back right corner. Half way down the pub, where the public bar meets the dining area is a large fire place in the right hand wall with a brass hood and a very ornate dark wood mantle piece which has two red leather arm chairs facing it. In the back wall between the kitchen and the sofas is a door which leads out to a cobbled courtyard with modern steel furniture and fairy lights dotted around. Regular ales are currently Purity Pure UBU, Timothy Taylor Landlord and Sharps Doom Bar with three changing guest beers which on this visit were Stonehenge Eye Opener, Adnams Green Bullet and Sambrook’s Wandle Ale. I tried the UBU, Eye Opener and Wandle all of which I thought were in good condition (GBG 2012 and Cask Marque). After a bit of research, I discovered that the Green Bullet is brewed exclusively for M&B! A great building (I was really surprised to find it is not listed) and pub with a decent mix of traditional drinking and modern dining areas which should please most people. The selection of beers can be quite interesting considering it’s basically an M&B pub, usually has at least one fairly local brew which I appreciate. I found the public bar to be clean and comfortable. This was previously a bland O’Neil’s but is now one of the better pubs in Harborne and therefore one of the first pubs I would visit again if in the area.