Gurkha Bar, Stourbridge

The Old Bank is a must do for me on a tour of Stourbridge. I can't add to the description below and I agree the beer choice is excellent. Batham's best bitter, Olde Swan Bumble hole, Enville ale and Burton Bridge Stairway to Heaven amongst the choice of 9 on my visit. I went for the local Green Duck Glorious - and it was!

A converted bank on a wedge shaped corner site, there is a very high ceiling with beams retaining elaborate cornices, tall full height windows with folded back curtains however little else appears to have been retained apart from what looks like a strong room door in a corner next to the bar. A modern mezzanine has been added to one end, the bar back tries to mimic one of some age being rather ornate and topped with a clock but is unmistakably modern. The floor is covered in white tiles and rather incongruously the centre piece of the floor area is a pool table which must be awkward at busy times. The beer range however is excellent, nine were on handpump, Wye Valley Butty Bach and HPA, Batham's Best Bitter, Salopian Oracle, Green Duck Sitting Duck, Burton Bridge Stairway to Heaven plus Damson Porter, Enville Ale and Hobson's Old Prickly. We were rather spoilt for choice. Food is served, mainly cobs, scotch eggs and pork pies but a board advertised some soup. The conversion I felt was a bit of a missed opportunity, not nearly as grand as some bank conversions I have visited however I realise that many original features might have been stripped out prior to it becoming a pub. The sublime beer choice rescues the place for me however and it would be on my list should I return to Stourbridge.

Recently opened in the shell of an old bank, which had been empty for years, it features a large open floor area with various tables and a mezzanine at one end. There are ten handpulls plus various fizzy stuff on what could easily have been the original counter - it's huge. A decent range of beers were on offer, Wye valley, Salopian, Hobsons plus others, the pint of Butty Bach I tried was very good and, at £2.80, exceedingly good value. Well worth a visit.