BITE user comments - brianthelion
Comments by brianthelion
Changed hands after many years and a nice refurb made a good job. Beer choice and quality good but just a little concerned there are too many real ales on to maintain quality when custom quiet.
9 Dec 2014 22:06
Continues to deliver even though Amber not my personal faves but always a guest or two to keep me happy.
4 Jun 2013 16:28
Still hanging on as the last proper boozer for miles. No food just a good selection of very well kept beers. Let's hope they can resist the Brewery pressures and continue to provide Ripley with a top quality pint of the real stuff.
4 Jun 2013 16:27
Proper boozers pub despite being very smart with top quality food. Well worth a visit, beers good especially the Bathams.
4 Jun 2013 16:25
Still cranking out top beer/food/music and the sun is out too so get down to the secret garden!!!!!
4 Jun 2013 16:23
Reopened 25th May. Nice sympathetic refurb inside. Good new seating booths and decor but not significantly changed just well done. New bit is the excellent roof terrace. Old stagers may not like the new place but it does 4 everards beers and those I drank were well kept. OK its interesting food and cocktail based now rather than an old corner boozer but hey an open real ale pub is better than any number of closed ones! Another one making up a good beer circuit in and around the Jewellery Quarter.
29 May 2013 18:05
Each to their own I say. Used to be a regular Saturday drinker in the old pub so was pleased to see it re-open and even at my age I like the new place. Top quality beer on both my visits so far and even ran clean water through the pipes in between changing the Youngs Bitter on a busy Saturday lunchtime. Clearly not to everyone's taste but it's another pub back on the scene rather than one becoming a Tesco Express!
23 Dec 2012 23:39
Planning permission for a major refurb submitted be Everards. Includes some rebuilding with a much larger first floor open air, glass walled patio area. All things being equal Feb/March looks to be earliest possibility of reopening.
20 Dec 2012 22:53
No real ale on my visit but.......very very friendly and welcoming place and I drink allsorts anyway so more than happy with the beers available.
10 Dec 2012 18:02
Decent enough bar near the railway station. One very drinkable real ale on my visit and a nice enough place to lose an hour or so before heading back to the train station.
10 Dec 2012 18:01
Decent enough smaller spoons. Well kept Abbot on my visit and keenly priced as ever. Watch out can't serve booze until 11 in the mornings due to local licensing restrictions.
10 Dec 2012 18:00
Very friendly bar with a couple of well kept real ales on my visit.
10 Dec 2012 17:58
Temporarily closed but being re-opened by Everards as a project William business so worth keeping an eye on when it re-opens for business.
4 Oct 2012 15:14
Up for a football match and popped in here on the hope of some real ale. Landlord put a fresh barrel on and so after three pints and a nice cheese and onion cob off to the game. Great bar with a cracking atmosphere.
19 Sep 2012 14:04
Really can't make my mind up as to if i am just very unlucky on my occasional visits on way back to brum by train....or this really is not as good as many would have you believe. Scruffy looking place, and despite the selection of beers I have rarely, if ever had a top class pint. A fair few have been average and many below average. Maybe it is bad luck but I ain't convinced.
1 Jul 2012 23:34
Wetherspoons, Victoria Station
Good pint on my visit but London spoons prices but hey you are where you are. Nothing against it, serves a purpose.
1 Jul 2012 23:31
Not sure about this one. Good average pint but place did not feel quite right. difficult to put my finger on it. Would not leave off a beer tour but if tight for time round here this is the one I would consider missing.
1 Jul 2012 23:30
Can't believe this one not in Good Beer Guide 2012. Looks a bit foody but passed my ultimate test i.e. a spanking good pint first off on a lunchtime session, ideal temperature, great taste. Top marks.
1 Jul 2012 23:27
Good solid locals pub but welcoming to a solo stranger like me. Good banter and good beer well worth adding to any beer tour.
1 Jul 2012 23:26
The Counting House, Eastbourne
Almost empty a lunchtime, which was worrying and beer below par. Pity lovely building and garden and may be worth a risk if you are on a crawl but try a half first!
1 Jul 2012 23:25
Worth the long haul up from Town Centre (get a bus is my recommendation). Good solid pub with nice pint to set me up for the thankfully downhill walk back!
1 Jul 2012 23:24
Decentish pub but not fully convinced. Seems to be more food based than drinks led but pleasant enough and beer fine.
1 Jul 2012 23:22
Top pub for locals and tourists alike. Only one I visited twice and beer first rate both visits. Food only at certain times and days but looked value for money and a good standard. Cracking locals boozer but welcoming to tourists who like a good pub. highly recommended.
1 Jul 2012 23:21
Cracking pint and very friendly staff. Food looked good value too and a really busy boozer. Worth a visit.
1 Jul 2012 23:19
Quiet afternoon time visit but unlike others a cracking pint on a red hot day. Had a good feel this place. Nice one.
1 Jul 2012 23:17
Empty pub despite the sunny weather i.e. ideal for drinking. Yet another pub struggling to cope with beer temp on a hot day and at �3.50 for Harveys Best not good enough.
1 Jul 2012 23:16
Nice enough pub near Devonshire Park. Lots of interesting playbills on the walls but on a really hot day the beer not up to snuff. Maybe just unlucky.
1 Jul 2012 23:14
All I can review is what I see on the day of my visit and on that day the pub was spotless. Unluckily my guide dog is a rottweiler and we know where you live!! Take care only joking and totally agree with your other postings on the pubs nearby especially the Brown Lion comment. Cheers
22 Apr 2012 23:56
First in as doors open at 10.30 and it passed the test after a false start i.e. beers not turned on and I suspect the one I finally got was nearer the end of the barrel than the start but nevertheless more than acceptable. Staff friendly and keen so all in all a good start to my day.
22 Apr 2012 23:53
Went here as Smugglers still not yet open (so bugger them off to Lancaster next).Thought Morecambe was very quiet then went in here and found about half of the population all eating/drinking and generally being happy with what was on offer. Food is as is for a spoons and my beer was spot on at a keen price so all in all a nice one.
22 Apr 2012 23:52
Nice place but agree with previous poster as it seems to think of itself a bit more than a pub with food but my beer was good and the food a little above average for a pub (in price also). Lovely setting though and well worth a visit.
22 Apr 2012 23:50
For me this has a bit of an edge of the Water Witch down the tow path. Large selection of beers all of which seemed to be being enjoyed by a friendly crowd of locals and other visiting beer guide devotees. Food looked fair. Prices not cheap but give me quality like this anyday although CAMRA members do get 10p per pint off so drink loads and get a free pint!!
22 Apr 2012 23:48
The Yorkshire House, Lancaster
Odd place but a welcoming atmosphere and clearly a big music venue. Reminded me of my band days many years ago so a big plus for me for such a pub to have real ale and good real ale at that. Bet it has cracking live music nights followed by brilliant buzzy ears and hangovers the following day!
22 Apr 2012 23:45
Absolutely soulless and dead as my last stop on a Saturday afternoon crawl. Beer ok and guess things must get more interesting when the place fills up but doing a good impression of a library when i was there.
22 Apr 2012 23:43
The George and Dragon, Lancaster
Not bad and a nice enough bar on my Lancaster crawl. Seems more of a local than some of the other pubs and that's no criticism more of a complement.
22 Apr 2012 23:42
and 6 months after the last review nothing changes, GBG still says 12 opening on Satuday but board outside says 1pm. Oh well such is life back to Lancaster where the real ale scene much improved from my last visit many years ago.
22 Apr 2012 23:40
Could be soooooooooooooo much better with just a little effort but not bad and much more an old area locals and businessmens lunchtime bolthole than many of the others in the Quarter.
29 Mar 2012 16:21
Proper boozer but in an up to date way. Spotlessly clean, great drinks choice and food but much more of a drinking house than its "sister" pub the Lord Clifden..which is good! Highly recommended.
29 Mar 2012 16:20
Beers too cold for my liking but interesting pub and food not bad at all. Worth a go.
29 Mar 2012 16:19
Don't get the rave over this place. Does not look finished and I really don't think the Tower beers are quite there yet. Still always likely to get better here and worth keeping tabs on it.
29 Mar 2012 16:18
Consistent and reliable for both food and beers and anything else you like really. Tardis like inside with large garden which the frontage does not suggest. Well worth trying.
29 Mar 2012 16:16
Good as part of any City Centre crawl or day out. Lots of choice.
29 Mar 2012 16:15
The Old Joint Stock, Birmingham
Getting to be one of the best quality beer condition pubs in the City. Expensive and service can be hit and miss but beer worth the downsides.
29 Mar 2012 16:14
The Old Contemptibles, Birmingham
Steady if not spectacular but decent enough beer/food/decor. Worth stopping off to try.
29 Mar 2012 16:13
Slowly but surely getting to where it ought to be. One to keep an eye on.
29 Mar 2012 16:12
First rate old fashioned boozer with great qualityand quantity pub meals.
29 Mar 2012 16:11
Been taken over early June, same people who own the Victoria and Jekyll and Hyde in Town. Keep on eye out as refurb. currently underway!
10 Jun 2011 14:35
New kid on the block and making a good start and deserving of more custom. Decent selection of beers and reasonable price basic bar snacks makes this a nice pub on any crawl.
10 Sep 2010 20:25
Another member of the over-rated real ale pubs though not a bad effort but beer often excessively cold.
10 Sep 2010 20:23
Still by far the best real ale in Ripley whatever the good beer guide might say. No food no juke box just a proper pub..enjoy!
10 Sep 2010 20:22
The Moss Cottage Hotel, Ripley
Changes hands more often than a used fiver and best avoided for now.
10 Sep 2010 20:21
Not a bad selection of ales but can be a bit hit and miss but worth a visit just in case.
10 Sep 2010 20:20
Stunningly average beer but the place has a good buzz at weekend evenings.
10 Sep 2010 20:19
Not overly impressed and was expecting more. Pint of titanic decidedly average and food not much different. bit of a soulless feeling about the place, go back to the Swan next trip!!
15 Apr 2010 22:49
Fine pub and a great pint, pity i only had time for one but the quality was top class..will be back another day.
15 Apr 2010 22:47
Two very well kept pints on my midweek mini tour of Stone. Typical spoons but quality of beer very high especially as both i had were the first ones out of the pumps that morning.
15 Apr 2010 22:46
Classic old fashioned and friendly back street boozer. Sadly one of a dying breed, nice welcome from the long standing landlady and a good drop of beer.
25 Feb 2009 23:06
Always go here for the from the jug Bass, anything else is incidental. Proper boozer/landlord, enough said. Watch the opening hours though no all day stuff here..and in my sad opinion much better for it!
10 Aug 2008 19:59
Beer good but far too cold. intersting building and will try again next time i am in manchester. Worth a visit but not quite sure what rating to give it after my first visit.
10 Aug 2008 19:57
Drinkers pub in a very quiet backstreet area near Victoria Station and the Arena. Decent pint.
10 Aug 2008 19:55
Proper pub which gave a very warm welcome on a very wet day. The perfect place to hide from the rain with very good quality at a fair price. Recommended.
10 Aug 2008 19:52
Brigantes Bar and Brasserie, York
Lost a couple of hours of my life yesterday awaiting the train choas to subside (it didn't!) enjoying several pints of superbly kept real ale and a nice sunday lunch. Lovely.
28 Jul 2008 13:31
The Tennyson Arms, Scarborough
Totally agree with last poster, good clean friendly boozer and beer was above average on my visit.
28 Jul 2008 13:28
The Old Scalby Mills, Scarborough
Thuoght it might be a brewers tudor tourist trap..wrong tried three beers on a very hot day (and by try i mean pints) all in tip top condition despite most others drinking lager/pop also a nice beef sandwich..lovely and highly recommended (pub/beer and food!).
28 Jul 2008 13:25
North Riding Hotel, Scarborough
another of the top rated pubs on my holiday, good beer nice locals type boozer, recommended.
28 Jul 2008 13:23
Good choice and quality of beer for a sppons just a pity it's the usual dire situation when waiting to get served.
28 Jul 2008 13:22
Proper pub, great staff, lovely beer, amongst the best of the 20 odd pubs visited on my holiday...nuff said.
28 Jul 2008 13:21
A tad above average if you like Sam Smiths (I do) �1.41 a pint on the main front staggering value.
28 Jul 2008 13:19
Above average selection of beers, good quality too. Recommended.
28 Jul 2008 13:18
Nothing special despite hype in other guides. Average pint.
28 Jul 2008 13:16
Well a lot of handpumps but only one warmish real ale on the other day. Can't see why this place has rave reviews on other sites just looks like a touristy trap to me but perhaps i hit it on a bad day who knows but even the lager was off!!!!
28 Jul 2008 13:14
Well I did go back (see earlier review)but did not stop as no customers and a lot of attitude so until things change avoid at all costs and do yourself a favour and come along the road to the Lord Clifden. 4 real ales and great food.
26 Mar 2008 13:26
Great news, open again after a very smart refurb but beer and food just as good as before with the pub looking really really good, get there ASAP and enjoy.
13 Mar 2008 23:03
Most consistent beer in Birmingham with some good back up in terms of the food. Check pub hours though as not as extensive as many these days. Near metro station which is also useful.
25 Feb 2008 09:02
Current changes taking time to bed in so i'll put my recent visit down to (in)experience but no excuse for how flat the beer was served. Will try again soon to see of things settled down.
25 Feb 2008 08:59
Not quite as good as i hoped it would be as the beer selection was not particularly good and all of them were average rather than anything better. Still worth bieng on a beer crawl of the City though which perhaps says more about the City real ale scene than anything else.
25 Feb 2008 08:57
Does exactly what spoons pubs do everywhere, make of that comment what you will!!
25 Feb 2008 08:54
Offers the best selection of real ale for many a mile although most are micro's which you may not have seen before. This can be a problem for those who like certain "brand" beers and does tend to make the pub more of a real ale fanatics outlet but non the worse for that. love the fact that they do not do food but let you eat your own and provide plates/cutlery etc.
Bit like marmite really you'll either love it or hate it, personally it'll do nicely.
25 Feb 2008 08:53
The Old Joint Stock, Birmingham
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!
25 Feb 2008 08:50
Disappointing to say the least, for traditional substitute tip, yeah some very nice tiling etc but really a sh** ho** is what it is so don't bother as the beer was not very good either.
25 Feb 2008 08:47
The Old Contemptibles, Birmingham
Not a bad refurb and beers ok but not exceptional. well worth adding to your crawl list however.
25 Feb 2008 08:45
Went in last Friday night as my local the lord Clifden not quite finished its refurb yet and what a pleasant surprise. Ropewalk obviously seen a refurb too new furnishings and decor plus 3 real ales on handpump. Everyone else on lager/wine that i could see so not hopeful but my pedigree was in tip top condition..welcome back, give it a try.
25 Feb 2008 08:44
Proper town centre pub vastly improved by the increased range of real ales recently introduced. Use this pub before one of the last real town centre boozers ends up as a fizz only food pub (please God no!!!!)
12 Dec 2007 15:58
My local(so a biased review)and gradually getting top form real ale out consistently which for a former fizz palace is to be commended. Top class steaks and other food available lunchtime and early evening plus a decent sunday lunch. Due for sympathetic refurbisment soon which should see even better things for this Birmingham pub.
12 Dec 2007 15:55
Old world pub and nice to see an authentic article rather than a brewers tat copy!. excellent beer and a very welcoming open fire. Lovely!
12 Dec 2007 15:52
My favourite pub on my Bath pub crawl. Very friendly staff and a faultless pint of Bath Gem in the cleanest pint glass i have seen for many a year. Nice atmosphere and food looked a big hit. Very highly recommended.
12 Dec 2007 15:51
Impressive range of drink and food which accounted for the pub being packed on a very wet saturday. Raven beers rather nice and the food looked good especially the pies. Recommended.
12 Dec 2007 15:49
Probably the least impressive beer on my Bath pub crawl but thats a relative thing as all the other pubs were well above average so maybe I'm being a little harsh. Nice welcoming pub and enjoyed my lunchtime snack and as with all the other pubs heartily recommended.
12 Dec 2007 15:47
First port of call on my Bath pub crawl and a very good pint in a homely town centre boozer. Very busy for just gone 11 on a Saturday morning but easy to see why it was so popular. Well recommended.
12 Dec 2007 15:45
Another pub from the 7 pub crawl of Bath and as with the others a very friendly welcome. beer good if a little cold and food also looked of high quality although as in most of the other pubs seriously priced when all I wanted was a basic snack. Again as with the other pubs visited on my crawl a solid recommendation
12 Dec 2007 15:44
A warm welcome on a very wet day from one of the seven Bath pubs I visited on 8th December. very high quality Palmers bitter and although the food looked good it was pricely but then so was most of Bath. Nice pub though and would recommended.
12 Dec 2007 15:41
Back to brianthelion's profile
Rock and Roll Brewhouse, Birmingham
Limited hours for the brewery tap but so good you have to go. Eclectic is an understatement!
9 Aug 2018 20:57