Undoubtedly my favourite Brum bar in the Jewellery Quarter is 231 – The Lord Clifden B18 6AA.
It is one of those places that covers all bases as I have been here with Mrs BB for food and a late night drink and she loved it whilst I have been here with a group of drinking buddies and they enjoyed it as much…if not more!
All of which was quite handy really, as we rolled (not literally) into the boozer on Great Hampton Street, in the Hockley area of Birmingham at the end of a particularly lively stag do, to celebrate the impending demise of a good man!
It’s a multi-award winning place and I would probably sum it up as traditional, quirky, hip and lively all in a melting pot of beer, cider and good food.
Bearing in mind, we had been out for a while at this stage then The Lord Clifden at around 7.30pm was just what the doctor ordered.
There was a fantastic beer garden for a city centre boozer; a great array of beer alongside the opportunity to play table tennis against the Romanian equivalent of Desmond Douglas.
As you walk in there is a quieter bar with bench seating and sport on the TV before a livelier lounge area with a huge army of beers on and then the outside area also has Sky Sports TV’s, a table tennis table, DJ decks and just really appeals to me whatever time of day I go there.
The fact it has previously won ‘Best Entertainment Pub’ in the UK back in 2015 along with GBG in the same year gives you some idea of the quality of this place.
The fact is classed as an Urban Art Bar is more a nod to street art and there are classic breweriana and artefacts all over the place.
It is a pub that changes its theme as the evenings and weekends approach with a bit of dance, house, reggae, funk and soul which fits in with their #UAB Collective vibe.
Anyway, suffice to say, it was standing room only inside and the beer garden was reasonably full, which is where we made a beeline for.
I’ve got a couple of West Brom supporting pals and this is often their pub of choice before (and after) enduring 90 minutes at The Hawthorns and, as I mentioned earlier, it covers all bases.
We sat down by the table tennis gurus and whilst I would admit we weren’t in prime tip top condition, we got absolutely destroyed in every game we played.
There was a bloke in a blue vest who, at first glance, would have been the potential weak link but he was red hot! None of our party of four (by that stage) could get anywhere near him…
…so after a drubbing for the best part of an hour was time to return to the very tasty Backyard Brew beer.
I can’t recommend this place highly enough and if you like sport it is on all over the pub but doesn’t seem intrusive.
There are further posts to come from earlier in the day but, as Thursday nights go, you’ll struggle to find many, if any, better boozers in Brum.
Life After Football 
Amazing pub – never seen an outside TV under it’s own roof before – pub innovation at its best…
And does it really have a bus stop actually in the beer garden (probably misunderstanding that photo – but that’s what it looks like)…
…doesn’t look big enough for the bus, but what do I know…
…all too much for someone conditioned to genteel dining pubs…!
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Unfortunately there is no bus stop in the beer garden but one and a train station nearby! It’s a great place and they’ve got it just right… always good fun and you can find chic or pub characters within five yards of each other 🍻🍻🍻
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“It is one of those places that covers all bases ”
Not too many can make that claim.
“to celebrate the impending demise of a good man!”
Makes sense. After all, single women are always complaining that the ‘good’ men are all taken. 🙂
“all in a melting pot of beer, cider and good food.”
But not literally. 🙂
“a table tennis table”
Not directed at you but it does seem somewhat redundant to say table tennis ‘table’. 😉
“(by that stage) ”
(chuckle)
“you’ll struggle to find many, if any, better boozers in Brum.”
It certainly looks top notch. Love the beer garden layout.
Cheers
PS – “The fact is classed as an Urban Art Bar”
I think ‘is’ should be it’s.
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Is should be it’s…good spot!! Yes I’m not sure what to put instead of table but it does seem a word too many! Only drawback is they werrwer serving slushy cider on tap!!
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