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Disappointment of the week with Tris39
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Victoria, Birmingham
Birmingham
B1 1BN
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Victoria
After a mediocre visit here a few years ago I ventured back in based on a couple of recommendations and continued GBG listing. The layout is the same but I think a bit of work has happened inside, I don't recall the plum coloured button back bar frontage for example. Anyway, five pumps all on; Purity Mad Goose, Wye Valley HPA and Butty Thwaites Wainwright and Titanic Plum Porter which wasn’t as good in taste as I've had elsewhere though I suspect brew rather than bar as it was cool and lively (NBSS 3). Anyway, it still didn't do much for me as a pub, feels a bit ‘gloomy Sunday’ and the atmosphere was a bit down at the mouth.
November 2014
An impressive edifice (even if grey sludge paintwork mutes some of it) and the interior is pretty decent as well, retaining some period features such as the moulded ceiling, leaded stained windows and wrapped bar layout. The right side is more loungey with sofas and tacky tattoo-style wall illustrations. The dark colours and dimmed light might strike some as being somewhat oppressive. Awful rap through the speakers completely spoilt the ambience. An interesting note is that there are shelves above urinals to place your beer, should you feel the need to take it with you. The ale selection was pretty good; Thornbridge Sequoia, Tyne Bank Silver Dollar, Butty Bach and Hand-drawn Monkey Red (which sadly, just like so many other pubs that day, was over-vented and flat but at least had some taste). Friendly barmaid who seemed perplexed by me only having a half. Overall it was worth a quick visit but with the superior-in-every-way Craven Arms two minutes away, I doubt I’d be looking to prioritise this one again next time. 6.5.
On 21st July 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Victoria
Nice makeover of a Victorian Theatre Bar by the Bitter and Twisted Company.
Lovely decor inside and good ale - a well kept Salopian Golden Thread.
Worth seeking out.
Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2pxONu4
On 22nd March 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1338 recommendations about 1324 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Victoria
An unmapped quick visit caused by a train detour and a half hour wait at New Street. Not a bad pick at all, a split level place with three distinct areas, the main room with the beer pumps has curved banquettes with the seats being leather, arched leaded windows with different stained glass inserts, the bar counter had a purple padded front. Drawings over the bar feature various Victorian contraptions, the décor in the rear room is rather more risqué with a French slant. An ornate ceiling has support from fluted columns and piers. Some of the old bell pushes remain on the seat backs.
The pub was heavily made up for Halloween which to me is a minus, but a sign of the times I suppose.
Three on with two unclipped, Hobgoblin Gold, Silhill Blonde Star and Birmingham Gold Brummie at a London wince inducing price of £4.40. Tables had cocktail and whisky menus.
On 31st October 2017
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Victoria
Still as Pub signMan describes, quite dark inside, its what I would call a proper pub but there were a couple of negatives, the music was far too loud and the floor was one of the stickiest Iv'e ever encountered. The beer tried was Manchester Brewing Getting Caught in The Rain, which was exactly what happened upon leaving the establishment. A decent pub and worth another go.
On 8th October 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Victoria
Just a short walk from New Street station, this is a large street corner pub with several rooms around a centrally positioned servery. You enter into a small angular space with the servery directly opposite. This area has dark floorboards, wood panel-effect wallpaper and walls painted in subtle pastel shades, with some large stained arched window along the front. Seating is in the form of comfy button backed banquettes and standard chairs and there is a good amount of standing room in front of the unusual bar counter with its padded frontage. Heading to the right, you move down into a lower lounge area with its own servery where all the handpulls can be found. The room here has tile and wooden flooring, long padded benches, a mix of lincrusta and retro-patterned wallpaper and some more of those fine stained glass windows, shaded by some huge, heavy drapes. This room felt a lot more homely than the first and was decorated with some promotional posters, a portrait of Queen Victoria and an odd painting of two men which had two real bowler hats suspended above it on wires, so that when viewed from the correct angle, it appeared as though the men were wearing the hats. To the rear, there is a third room with some more comfy seating options underneath some large paintings of what might best be described as popular tattoos - for example, one is an image of a woman sat inside a martini glass.
On handpull, there were five ales available - Anarchy Blonde Star and Antichrist Black IPA, Blackjack Devil's Bedpost, Celt Bleddyn and Purity Mad Goose. These options didn't entirely marry with the list of available ales in the front bar, so it might be best to wander down into the right hand bar to check the full range. Keg brews included offerings from Weird Beard, Kernel, Northern Monk and Beavertown and there was a good craft bottle range as well. My pint of the Devil's Bedpost was decent enough, but probably just past its prime.
I've been meaning to visit this pub for ages but never seemed to find a way to include it on a crawl, so I made a special effort to go out of my way to visit this time and I was very pleased I did. I found the pub to be a well presented and comfortable place to enjoy some of their interesting beers and was surprised to find that it wasn't far busier than it actually was. I'd say this is one of the best options on this side of New Street station and I'm sure I'll be back before long.
On 20th May 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Mark Davey left this review about The Victoria
Several hand pulls on the bar, but only 2 brews available. We all opted for a half of Mad Goose by Purity and beat a hasty retreat. Not the greatest pub in town, probably won't be back.
On 28th April 2016
- rating: 5
[User has posted 292 recommendations about 276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about The Victoria
I saw 4 cask ales available and all were expensive. Take away the rip off prices and it wouldn't be so bad. Descriptions are elsewhere. The Thornbridge Baize Chocolate Mint Stout was a lovely drink. And so it should be at these prices.
On 30th September 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Victoria
The exterior has been smartened-up considerably since my last visit over five years ago, but the interior is still a bit off-putting - slightly rustic and rather gloomy, with some rather strange decor. Three small bars on slightly different levels. Loud, but generally interesting music. Five handpumps, one dispensing the regular Wye Valley Butty Bach, another dedicated to Thornbridge beers, and three guests including Tiny Rebel Loki-Lite All-dayer IPA (£3.80). Very close to New Street station if you want to nip out for a quick pint whilst waiting for a connection.
On 16th March 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about The Victoria
Called in on Friday, and I hadn't been in here since it got so many real ales on, so was pleasantly surprised by the choice, but oh dear. Do people really need the loud music blasting at them in the early afternoon. The bar from the street was empty apart from our group of 4, but there were a few people in the other bar area. We had 2 beers which were served fine. One from Tickety Brew Brewery Jasmine Green Tea 3.8% and Beerd Monteray 3.9% It was the most expensive beer I had on Friday costing £3.85 for two halves of beer under 4%. Maybe being a theatre bar raises prices.
On 17th November 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Soup Dragon left this review about The Victoria
A very ornate Victorian 'Bitters n Twisted' curving corner pub and eatery. The pub is in grey predominantly (hiding the moulded stonework), with green around the doors and gold decoration. The interior has a couple of rooms, as well as an upstairs area i believe. The back room i have never really seen, but the main room curves in an L-shape around the bar and up a few steps. The decor is purple and patterned wallpapers, with a wood floor and a terrible fake wood effect up the steps. The art is a little wierd - from men with giraffe heads to Victorian prints and there is a somewhat strange collection of lampshades - 1970s Co-op style - hanging down. There was no TV that i saw and the music general and at a soft level. The service was friendly and the clientele were all dining and very loud! Beer; usual tap stuff with the Freedom range and four handpulls including; Butty Bach, Joules Pale Ale, Pontypridd Otley and a decent enough Thornbridge Dirty Harry. A place i have visited several times over the years, and never realised i hadn't reviewed it. Always worth popping into, although i can't make-up my mind on the decor.
On 16th June 2013
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3067 recommendations about 3062 pubs]