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Disappointment of the week with Tris39
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Detail Pages
Drop Forge, Birmingham
Hockley
Postal town: Birmingham
B18 6BL
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about Drop Forge
A spiral staircase is to be found to your right as you enter this place. The interior is made up of bare brick walls which give it a warehouse feel. A metal staircase is to the left. Its all a bit trendy for my liking though it did have 4 real ales consisting of Banks Amber, Purity Ubu, Oxford Gold and one I've forgotten.
On 26th February 2016
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about Drop Forge
Conversion of an industrial building that it's nice to see being used rather than knocked down. 4 real ale taps(3on) and food served.
On 1st August 2015
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Drop Forge
This large bar and restaurant is housed in a converted industrial unit, close to the Jewellery Quarter train station. The conversion has resulted in quite a smart look, but the large, open plan interior means that it all feels a bit soulless and impersonal. You enter into a large bare boarded, exposed brick walled room with a raised seating area to the front and a slightly lower bar area at the rear, with the servery to the right of the back wall. A few brick and metal pillars do their best to break up the space a bit, but it's a large room offering a vast mix of seating options, including button backed sofas opposite the bar, high stools around ledges on some of the pillars, tub chairs and banquettes in an alcove to the right of the bar and some comfy armchairs arranged around a few small tables. The raised space at the front was set up more as a dining area and had formal table and chair arrangements, also seemingly available on the mezzanine level that looks down into the main bar area. Some steps in the far left corner lead down into a slightly cosier looking lounge, but this space was empty on my lunchtime visit. The main part of the pub is lit by a large skylight, that acts as a good focal point, although arguably the pub's most interesting feature is a sizable piece of forge machinery that takes pride of place behind a glass screen. Other than this, there is very little in the way of visual distraction around the room, leaving the place feeling a little bland and perhaps losing some of the connection that might have been established with such an interesting building.
I found four ales on at the bar - Woods Shropshire Lad and Honeyed Ale, Jennings Sneck Lifter and Purity Ubu. I tried a pint of the Honeyed Ale for £3.50 and found it far too cold, with a very thick, almost impenetrable head and not in the greatest condition. The staff seemed quite polite and industrious, but didn't appear to be interested in engaging in conversation.
I thought this place was an interesting concept with quite a bit of potential, but I didn't really warm to it. It lacks a bit of personality as far as I can tell and a poor pint didn't help to win me over either. I might consider a return to try a meal, perhaps when the place is a bit busier, but I would drop (no pun intended) this one from future Jewellery Quarter crawls.
On 2nd March 2015
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about Drop Forge
A bar restaurant housed in a former industrial building which still has some of the old machinery in place, including the actual drop forge. An unusual layout on various floor levels including a roof terrace, reflecting its former industrial use and probably the insertion of a mezzanine floor. The raised area at the front, beside the machinery, is furnished with tables and chairs while the lower levels have sofas and Britannia tables in odd alcoves. No problems with serving casual drinkers there are 4 hand pumps - two with Marstons stable beers and two from micros. The quality was good and the bar was in the GBG2013 but not 2014s.
On 16th September 2013
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3269 recommendations about 2978 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about Drop Forge
The Drop Forge is a newish pub that is in an old industrial building, situated quite close to the Jewellers Arms.
Once inside there is a largish main room with the bar facing,the room is bare boarded and had chesterfield settees and leather chairs with lots of cushions scattered about for seating,the front area was raised and had normal tables and chairs,this was very busy with diners on my Saturday dinner visit,there was another area to the left which was down one step,i did'nt look in this area.
There were four real ales on the bar,i had a drink from Malvern Hills,the clip said MHB,probably their bitter,this was a very nice well kept beer,the other beers were Cotleigh Barn Owl,Hobgoblin and a beer called Owlzthat which was on a hand written clip.
The pub had a nice laid back atmosphere and was quite busy,my only gripe is about the seating,they might look nice but they are not comfortable.
Pub visited 17/8/2013
On 17th August 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gary Reading left this review about Drop Forge
I'd like to review this pub but as it was closed for a "private party" on a Saturday night I can't. It looked stark!
On 21st April 2012
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 7 recommendations about 7 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Drop Forge
Popped in looking for one of their regulars from Malven Hills and to my disappointment someone had finished it off. Lucky sods and it's one of my favs. Still, the other ales were in great shape. Will be back to have a good go myself at the M Hills.
On 2nd November 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about Drop Forge
Rather nice light and airy refurbished building on two levels in industrial Hockley, well described below. The forge working can be seen behind a glass screen on the lower level, this area also having a few steps down at the end to a further relaxed space.
Lots of low seating and scatter cushions (you get the idea) its a little arty farty, but I like the place, I found it a relaxing drinking hole rather than a pretentious bar that it could and I guess was close to being. Its also a two minute walk from Jewellery Quarter station and acts as a fine first stop on a pub crawl from here to the City via St Pauls and this area is increasing good for beer/pub fans.
The Malvern Hills beer was excellent.
On 28th June 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Soup Dragon left this review about Drop Forge
A terraced restaurant and bar, housed in an undressed brick former Victorian factory building. There is a nice rooftop patio area.
The interior has two floors. The lower is an open-plan modern room, in undressed brick, dark grey (blackish) and white, with a wood floor. There is a mix of sofas and food tables, with the far end seemingly given over exclusively to the sofa and an array of cushions! The gallery is in light grey and white ceiling, with wood floor and is given over to tables for food really - though we just had a drink. The the art is interesting - normally i would go off on one about crappy abstract pictures, but here there are tasteful posters of classic book covers and slightly saucy pictures of 1940s women - the kind that would have got painted on the side of B52s in the war - different. The music was easy listening and at a decent level and i didn't see a TV. The clientele was mix, from families to a strange Gothy bloke/woman, but many were eating and drinking wine! The service was more than good, clearly a pride here.
Beer; continental lagers with Brakspeare Gold, Purity UBU, Hobgoblin and a decent Malvern Hills Brewery MHB on handpull
Just to correct my good friend Staaly (whom i bumped into on the day of my visit), this is styled a restaurant and bar - restaurant first and i think that shines through a little more than the bar. It does however deserve to be on this site, as it has four real ales and continental lagers - and you can sit at a sofa rather than table. Not fully my thing, but there is a sympathy with the refurbishment to the original building and i for one will pop back in.
On 8th February 2011
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3067 recommendations about 3062 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
General Staal left this review about Drop Forge
The Drop Forge is described as a bar and restaurant.
The pub is inside an old Victorian factory. The exterior is typically Victorian. The interior is modern and open plan with leather sofas and comfy chairs. There is a balcony level which appears to be used as the restaurant. The bar food looked and smelled very nice, but neither I nor Mrs Staal tried it.
There were continental lagers available - no Carlsberg or beer of that type were on view - and Guinness.
There were four real ales on - Hobgoblin, which was very nice, a beer by Malvern Hills Brewery, which again was a very nice, smooth bitter, Brakspear Oxford Gold, which was very nice and Purity UBU, which I did not try, simply because I personally do not like Purity.
The staff were very friendly; the young chap behind the bar who seemed like the manager was very knowledgeable about his beer. The waiting staff were polite and personable.
The clientele were young and trendy, but several of them were regulars, the bar staff knew them personally.
It was quite quiet at 5:00 on a Saturday, but they were setting up for some big parties in the restaurant. And the atmosphere was relaxed.
Definitely one to add on to a Hockley pub crawl. Good luck, Drop Forge! Keep up the good work.
On 17th January 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 142 recommendations about 125 pubs]