The Junction, Harborne

Been a couple of times in the afternoon. Good range of (pricey) beers, continental lagers, some decent real ales (Purity ales for eg). Ambitious OTT menu, which claims to be tasty pub food though I don't recall seeing squid soup in many boozers. Naff decor which will date in a few years and then the pub will be overhauled to look like a retro 2009 pub. Staff were bored and listless. The sort of pub-not-pub designed for people who are disappointed by the poor range of olives and meagre selection of croissants offered in other pubs.

23 Feb 2011 23:23

Kay's Bar, Edinburgh

Popped in to see whether the pub could be as nice on in the inside as it is on the outside. It was even better than expected. Cosy, warm. Fire crackling, some regulars purring at the bar. A range of well-kept ales served by kindly, bar man (wide of moustache, twinkly of eye), a large selection of malts along the shelf. A step back in time but without any of the faux-period relics and corporate-wide nostalgia you find in many other pubs. A gem.

23 Feb 2011 22:59

The Prince of Wales, Moseley

A long standing venue on the Moseley drinking scene, the PoW has undergone some odd personality changes in the last few years. It was refurbished a while ago and seemed to have ambitions of becoming a deli-dining-hog roasting pub - with limited success. The back room became a formal dining room and stood empty. Now refurbished and with an extended bar, it seems to have improved. A wide range of good beers on tap and a buzzing crowd, who may have jumped ship from the similar pub-not-pub The Fighting Cocks. Popular garden area out back with covered seating area. And serving staff who collect empties and bring refills. How continental. Shame about the prices, which are certainly above average. This might explain the lack of barflies, bums, red-nosed academics and dissolute old soaks that made it such an institution.

15 Sep 2010 16:08