Birmingham is home to some of the best pubs across the whole of the UK, in our biased opinion anyway, but what ever happened to the good old days?
The days when a pub was a pub, you just had a drink or two, maybe a couple of games of darts or pool. There are plenty of exciting venues and activity bars now operating in Birmingham that offer an 'immersive experience'. As great as some of these new concepts are, we all want to go to an old-school Birmingham pub now and then.
We've traipsed around the city looking for the very best of traditional Brummie pubs, the simple old-school pubs where you can get a pint, have a good time, and maybe enjoy a bit of live music.
So, take a look below for 13 of the very best old-school traditional pubs of Birmingham ranked definitively.
The Roost pub in Small Heath is located on Cattell Road and is loved by Birmingham City fans. The boozer is especially busy on match days and is a proper old school venue that's the perfect locaton for a pre-match pint. The pub even attracted Ed Sheeran back in April 2022, when the pop star came to see Brummue rapper Jaykae. The pub also has a brilliant selection of beers and ales. Head down to The Roost at the weekend to enjoy some live music
6. The British Oak, Stirchley
The Oak has stood as a proud institute of Stirchley for nearly 100 years and remains a strong favourite for locals in the area. It’s also the pub to be for live sport for residents and they have beautiful fireplaces. It's the variety at the Oak that makes it a real standout. They serve everything from cocktails to classic pub grub. They also some of the very best burgers on offer in the city that are produced by the Original Patty Men - who have long been champions of the Birmingham street-food scene, and their burgers are the stuff of legend
7. The Victoria, John Bright Street, city centre
The city centre pub is great for live music and locally brewed ales from the likes of Wye Valley, Purity, Attic Brewery and Burning Soul as well as a range of craft beers. The Victoriana decor makes it one of my city centre favourites. hosting a pub quiz. It's also one of the best pubs for cask ales and whiskey selection
8. The Wellington, Bennetts Hill, city centre
A specialist real ale pub that is loved by beer fans far and wide. It only opened in 2004, but it really is a ‘proper’ old school pub and is popularly know as the Welly, taking pride in its drinks offering.
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.