please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Always very busy but it was never a scrum.
The Fullers Chiswick was a nice pint. I didn’t have a problem with the staff but they looked miserable.
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To use an Only Fools and Horses joke, the staff really should sue the charm school..otherwise a good example of what City Centre Chain has come to mean - large, hectic, dark(!). Fullers Chiswick I had on Saturday was fine, but looking around the tables I think I was one of the lucky ones.. Fine for a swiftie accompanied by a game of Connect Four (yours for just a fiver deposit)
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Rude staff (especially if you're not wearing a suit). It's good as an alleyway between the cathedral and the Wellington...
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I like London Pride but not at this place. Staff lack people skillss.
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The ESB in here is usually fairly good, the layout and decor of the pub is good, but the staff and food leave a lot to be desired. Never have I had such pathetic excuses for vegetables to accompany a pie! Nip in for a pint on the way elsewhere, but dear lord never order food there, or expect anything resembling good service.
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Interesting how different views of the same pub can read. One of my regular haunts and yep the beer does vary in quality but the worst i have had is often much better than many of the other City Centre pubs.
Always on my rounds for a crawl but don't try it on a Sunday as it closes!
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Redbug went north on the fullers trail what is this with fullers and their dishy managers !!! great pub this one has everything one would want to satisfy the needs...............
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A great and not so great pub. Reminds me of Bennetts inside with its cavernous ceiling (like Bennetts it used to be a bank). The exterior, interior and the theatre are the best things about it. Sadly, the beer is usually poor, and I have felt ill on occasions after drinking here. This goes for the lager and the bitter.
However, that hasn't been on every visit I must add, and overall it is a decent enough City Centre pub.
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Cannot be compared to the wellington. This place is far far better.Ok, the beer may not be great(but then neither is the wellington's)but the building is superb, and thankfully you don't get many people from the wrong side of the Midlands.
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Ok, this pub is spectacular inside and out. Modern drapes and relatively well kept furniture compliment the original panels, railings and light fixtures. The place even has comedy nights and live music in its own theatre. This is about the nearest thing to culture your ever likely to find in Birmingham.
Marvelling upon the fixtures and fittings, is however, where the fascination ends. The Fullers is rancid London canal swill, served by a host of dirty students. However, your near Broad Street and not in the degerate sink that is the Corner House.
Merry Xmas
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An old favourite and my regular. Its a shame that they seem to find it so difficult to keep staff. Its too common to see different staff every month. But go here for the excellent beer and lovely building. They have theatre now as well.
Sid98 - 12 Dec 2007 17:31 |
Another excellent pub -its like the Birmingham buses- you wait around for an hour and then 2 come together.The Stock and the Wellington (out the back) are superb. The price of beer is high but with Fullers you really do get what you pay for. Only one gripe stops me giving this place 10/10- watch out for short measures when busy.To be fair,they do top up but it shouldnt be necessary.Nice to be able to now breathe in oxygen in there aswell.
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the beer is good but pricy. the atmosphere used to be horribly smoky but now has been transformed so that you can see the wonderful room. Room? its like the size of a dance floor & 3 stories high. fabulous & all topped off by a theatre on the roof! never tried the food.
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I called in to sample one of the Beowulf guests in this fine pub, and had a wander round. The view over the balcony has to be seen to be believed. It is a fantastic pub to look round from ground floor level, but if you get a chance have a wander upstairs too. I had no problem with the service or the quality of the beer.
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visited mid afternoon and the staff were pleasant enough and the beer was very tasty.However its the interior of this pub which is so great.
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Can't believe such a wonderful pub can be spoilt by such unhappy and uncaring staff. Beer decent, however but if I was managing this pub I'd give the staff some training in customer service.
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I like this pub. As pointed out in many reviews the interior is great, its clean and they pore a nice pint. Only downside is expensive, but hey what do you expect when they attract tonnes of office workers every lunch time and Friday eve. I visit from time to time when touring pubs up town which is a kinda hobbey. Will stretch to 6/10
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I agree with what everyone has said about the staff, longest faces in town. Also the last time i went there i ordered food which was thrown onto the table with such force it almost skidded past me. Sadly once i started eating the food it didn't outshine the service; of the three of us eating we all thought the food to be dry and tasteless. Two of the pies came without gravy and the one that did have gravy had such a minimal amount as to render it useless to moisten up anything more than two chips. Very very poor on the food front. This is a shame as the building is a grand affair and the beers appear to be kept well and tase very nice (if a little cold)The ESB being the finest beer available. Its a shame about the staff and food as it could be a great pub.
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Not coming from Birmingham i wasn't sure what to expect but the high ceilings and grand interior didnt make up for the nasty toilets and not particularly wonderful pint.
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Gone are the days when you got glared at if you ventured over the thrreshold in anything other than a suit, now whilst most of the clientle are business types you do get people in jeans and tes shirts, although a brass plaque on the door does forbid hats or football shirts.
Unlike other reviewers, I found the staff to be pleasent enough and service was fine even on a busy lunchtime. Food is pricey and the fact that a portion of Coleslaw for your burger is not free but costs a whopping £1.50 extra did niggle me a bit.
Well kept beers served from a central bar - not very disabled friendly though as enterance to the pub is up three steps
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It was very much a flying visit in here after leaving the Wellington to catch the bus. The interior was very impressive and reminded me of the Abbotsford Bar in Edinburgh. Had a quick half of Gales Winter Warmer which was quite good. I did not experience any problems getting served and fancy eating here the next time in Birmingham.
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Fullers London Pride was in fine form on my visit last week and yes the interior is marvellous and this is still one of my favourite Ale and Pies, but unfortunately I have to agree with the previous contributor about staff attitude - being served by someone with a long face who would clearly rather be elsewhere - and who is not afraid to show it - is simply not good enough.
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Great place, great pies and good beer.
Unfortunately I've had to revise my rating downwards after consistently being confronted by bad service. Slow at best and miserable, rude and couldn't-care-less at worst. To the management: sort out your staff! A smile wouldn't go amiss.
In the manner of a school report: shows excellent potential, must try harder.
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Our Birmingham mini MILD trail included this Joint as we expected to get either a London Porter or a Gales Festival MILD. Both have now been taken off in favour of yet another bitter, worse than that the Wellington was jam packed to overflowing so finished off our Wellington MILDS in the Joints adjoining courtyard before going in. We were spoken to very rudely for doing so. Not a good advert so our previous high score has now been knocked way down.
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Followed Carl Chinn on his recent pub crawl into this place from the back door of the Wellington. Very impressive and palacial interior. No MILD here but the draught Fullers London Porter was an excellent alternative. Thanks to Carl for introducing me to this pub a brilliant find I would never have thought of entering otherwise. It adds another dimension to the variety of MILDS on offer at the Wellington.
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I remember it as a bank. Nowadays glad to find that one can withdraw several pints of Chiswick. An excellent addition to the facilities of the second city.
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Looks forbiddingly smart from the outside, but don't
worry, they let anybody in! The full range of Fullers'
(IIRC it is their northenmost outpost). Prices above
average for brum, but look at the palatial interior!
Left out of the GBG one year over a silly storm-in-a-teacup.
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Great pub, definetly not your average! Nice ales, and the pies are delicious! Staff are pretty warming. Although most people appear to have come from work in their posh suits, dont let that put you off.
This is one pub to show off to your friends when in birmingham..
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Terrific pub. Good beer and nice interior. I think it used to be a bank. Now the only think you can bank on is the beer! ha ha ha....Seriously though. go there, sit in a corner, smoke a pipe and whine on about the good old days. You rock.
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Well, living in Fullers territory, I just had to pop in here when working in Birmingham last week.
For those familiar with the Fullers Ale and Pie concept, this is one of the better ones. The Fullers London Pride was on moderate form only and, interestingly, I noticed that most of the other customers - mainly suits - were trying the new Fullers Discovery beer ( a beer for people who aren't beer drinkers, if you get my drift ).
In conclusion, I was slightly disappointed this time round, but this is still a "must visit when in Birmingham" pub, in my book
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Set in an extremely impressive old bank, lots of shiny objects and things. Not all that cheap, but the beer is good (all Fullers) and the pies are rather nice too. Nice posh setting and pleasingly different from your average pub.
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Once great pub, improved recently after years of decline. Decent food, decent beer, better surroundings if a bit shabby these days.
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Full of Suited business people who are rude. Prices are high, service is dire (unless you like constantly waiting). Not recomended unless your ignorant and wear a suit...
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A great pub that keeps it's large selection of beers well. The only Fuller's pub in the country that is based north of Bristol. Decor is nice and there are a couple of rooms at the back that are nice and cosy. Totally let down by its obscenely expensive prices (for Birmingham) and, to a lesser extent, the questionable service with a smile.
Stuart - 24 Jun 2004 14:19 |
Great building and decent beer. The size takes away some of the ambience and the food is very pricey and there are better alternatives in a much improved Birmingham centre for pubs
Geoff - 10 Apr 2004 07:30 |
A "real" real ale drinkers pub.
Let down by its high prices.
The ESB is a delight.
Sid98 - 5 Apr 2004 22:53 |
Busy Pub popular with Office workers & next to the Cathedral. Beer good but bit overpriced,(2 wetherspoons within walking distance) the Chiswick & Beowulf ?are worth checking. Worth visiting to view the interior.
bg - 25 Mar 2004 20:58 |
Smart and large. Prices on the high side though. Have only been at lunchtime when its busy with suited and booted business types
Colin - 24 Mar 2004 11:08 |
Great beer Fullers London Pride and ESB, really well kept. Great Building, used to be a Bank. A bit noisy and busy on Friday nights, but for good reason.
Tasty Food as well.
Moose - 10 Mar 2004 21:39 |
Agree with Andrew (29/1). Well worth a visit.
John - 8 Mar 2004 12:57 |
A Fullers "Ale & Pie" house. A large pub that used to be a bank. It is truly magnificent and has won an award for the design which I describe as "Romanesque". There is an upstairs balcony area. It has a central bar and serves all Fullers beers as well as Hoegaarden on draft. Food is good if a little pricey. Well worth a visit if only to take a look and have a glorious pint of ESB!!!
Andrew - 29 Jan 2004 11:07 |
