Good Old Birmingham Pubs

Lad in the Lane

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Restaurant | "It Really Is A Lads Pub!"

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I popped out for a drink at lunchtime today and ended up in one of the oldest pubs in Birmingham, The Lad in the Lane. Ale has been served on this site for over 600 years and although the name of the pub has changed many times, the original pub building has remained in part. The Lad in the Lane is basically a pub, it serves a limited range of food but is really the kind of place where you stop off for a drink rather than a meal. I've never eaten here (apart from one moth-eaten old cob about ten years ago), but as a pub it's great. It has a predominantly male clientele – in fact today I was the only woman in the place apart from the barmaids! The atmosphere in here is great; it gets a bit r...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on October 11, 2011

Lad in the Lane
22 Bromford Lane
Erdington, Birmingham B24 8BU

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The Tennis Courts

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Restaurant | "Game, Set And Match"

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While by no stretch of the imagination is The Tennis Court pub an upmarket place, it's still a pub I love and visit regularly for a variety of reasons. This is the kind of place you can visit and feel equally at home whether you're simply popping in for a few drinks or out for a bite to eat. The Tennis Court is cheap. This is attraction number one. Everything is well priced, not just the beers. I had a J20 (notoriously expensive in pubs) which cost just £1.69 and was nicely presented in a tall glass with lots of ice and garnished with slices of orange, served with two straws this made a lovely change from just being handed a bottle of J20! The spirits are priced similarly to other pubs, al...Read More

While by no stretch of the imagination is The Tennis Court pub an upmarket place, it's still a pub I love and visit regularly for a variety of reasons. This is the kind of place you can visit and feel equally at home whether you're simply popping in for a few drinks or out for a bite to eat.

The Tennis Court is cheap. This is attraction number one. Everything is well priced, not just the beers. I had a J20 (notoriously expensive in pubs) which cost just £1.69 and was nicely presented in a tall glass with lots of ice and garnished with slices of orange, served with two straws this made a lovely change from just being handed a bottle of J20! The spirits are priced similarly to other pubs, although you can buy 125ml glasses of half decent plonk for much less than you'd probably expect to pay.

Food in The Tennis Court is fantastic. The menu is extensive enough to cater for everyone, but not so much that it takes you an hour to decide what to have. The emphasis really is on steaks, they offer a variety of sizes and varieties which are generally served with chips, peas and tomatoes. You can also choose from the staple 'pub grub' with lasagne, scampi, fish and gammon all being offered along with many more options including starters and vegetarian options.

I always have steak when I eat here because it's so wonderfully cooked. The steak is always a lean cut with just enough visible fat to keep the meat moist while cooking and is obviously fresh and of good quality. The chips are chunky and cooked without using too much fat, and this is made obvious by the lack of grease on your plate when you've finished eating. The peas and fresh grilled tomatoes are always full of flavour and a lovely accompaniment to your meal. A range of special steak sauces are available, I'd heartily recommend the Creamy Pepper Sauce which is (as the name suggests) very creamy and deliciously peppery – just the thing to add a bit of a kick to your steak.

Because the meal I usually choose is absolutely huge, I don't tend to order a starter and rarely manage a dessert. I will, however, sometimes share a Combo for Two with Mark as a snack when we're just drinking in the pub. This fantastic plateful of munchies is very reasonably priced and consists of breaded mushrooms, garlic bread, fries, chicken goujons, coleslaw and loads of other 'bits' which I can't think of at the moment. It's a bargain though, and perfect for a munch between drinks.

The dessert menu is pretty good. If you decide to eat here then do try the Apple Pie & Cookie Dough – apple pie filling topped with crumbled cookie dough similar to that used in Ben & Jerry's ice cream. This dessert is delicious; the tartness of the apples is complimented perfectly with the sweet and sugary cookie dough mixture – I could have licked the bowl it was so perfect!

The Tennis Court is one large room which is used for both drinking and eating, you simply pick a table anywhere in the pub and place your food order at the bar telling them where you're sitting. Easy. The layout of the pub makes it an ideal location for disabled visitors; the doorways are ultra wide and ramped and there's plenty of room for a wheelchair or mobility scooter to get around inside. The small beer garden at the back of the pub is accessible to both disabled and able-bodied visitors, as is the large car park with designated disabled parking directly in front of the entrance.

One promotion worth looking out for is their on-and-off 2 meals for £6 offer, which makes eating here even cheaper - I have never actually used this promotion so don't know the full details, but if you ever find yourself visiting The Tennis Court it might be worth looking out for.

To find The Tennis Court you need to drive into Birmingham City Centre and follow the signs towards North Birmingham and Great Barr. It's a straight run into Perry Barr and you need to drive as far as the huge Perry Barr One Stop Shopping Centre, at the main junction do a U-Turn (you're allowed!) along Walsall Road (A34) and The Tennis Court is located roughly 200 yards down the road on your left.

The Tennis Court
Walsall Road
Perry Barr
Birmingham
B42 1TY
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on October 23, 2011

The Tennis Courts
Walsall Road
Perry Barr, Birmingham B42 1TY

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Sportsmans Rest

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Restaurant | "Have A Rest At The Sportsman's!"

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A nice place to have a few drinks during the day is The Sportsmans Rest in Kingstanding. It's one of those pubs where, although they serve a small selection of bar snacks, you go for a drink rather than to sample their culinary delights. The Sportsmans Rest is split into two rooms; the bar and the lounge. At one time the bar would be the haven of the smokers, but since the ban came into force it's a much nicer place to sit. The high ceiling and large windows make this room seem much bigger than it really is and gives it a bright and cheerful feeling throughout the day. The pool table and dart board are nice touches to help while away your drinking time and there's always someone there to g...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on October 23, 2011

Sportsmans Rest
20 Cooksey Lane
Kingstanding, Birmingham B44 9QN

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Anchor Inn

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Attraction | "Drop Anchor Here For An Hour Or Two!"

The Anchor Photo - Anchor Inn, Birmingham, England

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Back in 1797 the area that is now the Digbeth district of Birmingham was the home of a ring of inn's and watering holes which surrounded the industrial section of (a much smaller) Brum. The Anchor Inn is one of the few pubs which has survived the centuries and still remains a focal point today – although it's been rebuilt a couple of times, the pub is in the same spot as it was all those years ago.I used to be a bit of a regular here as The Anchor is far removed from the pretentious pubs of modern day Birmingham, being traditional looking and totally unspoiled by the passage of time. It's a lovely looking pub, really it is. A reddish brick building which is completely in fitting with the s...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on October 25, 2011

Anchor Inn
308 Bradford Street
Digbeth, Birmingham B5 6ET
+44 (121) 622-4516

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Golden Hind

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Restaurant | "I've Struck 'Gold' With This Pub!"

The Golden Hind Photo - Golden Hind, Birmingham, England

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I remember The Golden Hind from years ago and it was an awful pub which seemed to cater for the criminal element of Kingstanding's society, so I was pleasantly surprised when I noticed from the exterior how much more upmarket it now looks. It has recently come under new ownership and the changes throughout the pub are phenomenal; gone are the rickety tables and broken stools, replaced by a soothing décor and comfortable surroundings. A new menu has also replaced the older style 'chips with everything' version and there's a wider variety of drinks behind the bar. The interior of the pub itself is very spacious with the bar being separate to the lounge/dining area, while the bar...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on October 29, 2011

Golden Hind
Kingstanding Road
Birmingham, England B44 8JR

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Asbury Tavern

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Restaurant | "Have A Meal And Watch The Match"

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A great place to have a meal, or just a drink, in Great Barr is the Asbury Tavern. I love it because the both the food and atmosphere are fantastic, and my fella loves it because here he can see all the Pay Per View football matches on the umpteen TV sets dotted around the pub. The pub itself is very open plan inside with tables and chairs seemingly arranged to give the best view of the TV's, it works nicely though because the tables are set out at an angle to the screens meaning there's plenty of room around each table. The aisles are nice and wide too so there's no elbowing other diners/drinkers as you make your way to the bar. The menu is typically pub food, all very reasona...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on December 2, 2011

Asbury Tavern
Newton Road
Birmingham, England B43 6QU

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The Kingfisher

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Restaurant | "The Best Thing About Baby Clinic!"

Some of the locals Photo - The Kingfisher, Birmingham, England

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As luck would have it, my son's baby clinic is located just across the road from one of the friendliest pubs in our area. The Kingfisher is a nice place for a quiet drink and has an interesting menu for both daytime and evening meals. Because baby clinic falls slap bang in the middle of lunchtime, me and Mark will often pop in afterwards for a bite to eat. The pub itself is a large stand-alone building which is separated into a decent sized bar and large lounge. The bar has plenty of seating by way of comfortable benches along the walls and sturdy chairs and stools arranged around the tables. Tables are laid out to give plenty of room in the middle of the bar and this gives a nice feeling ...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 3, 2012

The Kingfisher
Birdbrook Road
Birmingham, West Midlands B44 9TS

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The Navigation Inn

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Restaurant | "Navigate Your Way Here!"

The Navigation Photo - The Navigation Inn, Birmingham, England

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I've not visited the Navigation for ages so was pleasantly surprised to see that it's been refurbished both inside and out pretty recently, and the pub has also made itself into one of those Two-for-One eateries that seem to be springing up all over the place just lately. For those of you unfamiliar with Two-for-One pubs, you basically eat with a partner or friend and the cheapest meal you choose is free - here at the Navigation this offer is available constantly seven days a week, including for Sunday lunch which is unusual as most places tend to offer cheaper meals during the week and then drastically bump up the price of their Sunday roast in a blatant attempt to pick up some of the profits they've...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 3, 2012

The Navigation Inn
1 Wharf Road
Birmingham, England B30 3LS
0121 458 1652

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