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Recommendation added: 12/11/2006 01:05
By: dewberry (YSUK rating +816)dewberry has been thanked 15 times for this contribution
"A Birmingham pub that I'll always have a soft spot for is the Yard of Ale on busy New Street. It was here that I really found my drinking feet as a (decidedly underage) teenager, and I always make a point of popping in for a quick drink when shopping in Town.
Part of the attraction is the fact that the Yard of Ale is located underground and has wide, steep stairs leading down to the pub itself. This is unusual for a City Centre pub as the fashion now seems to be light and airy bars, rather than the wonderful push and shove darker atmosphere in here. As it's below ground level there's no natural light so the pub is constantly lit artificially, which can be slightly disorientating when you've spent a few hours in there and you come up the stairs blinking because it's still sunny outside whereas you were expecting it to be night-time!
The pubs interior is small but every available space is used cleverly. Seating is in a traditional pub style; rows of tables and chairs along all walls with plenty of tall standing tables and bar stools dotted throughout the floor area. If you're used to drinking in trendy wine bars then the Yard of Ale will definitely look like a dive to you, but if you appreciate the importance of these 'character' pubs then you'll love the place as much as I do. It's just a pub, and doesn't pretend to be anything else.
The bar is always well stocked with a wide variety of lagers and beers plus the full range of top brand spirits. I love their Carling Cold which always tastes much fresher than in the nearby trendy bars and they also sell Magners cider in bottles which is becoming increasingly popular in Birmingham pubs. You can also choose from a selection of alcopops and soft drinks, or alternatively good quality coffee is served.
The Yard of Ale is much, much cheaper than neighbouring bars and restaurants with a pint of lager costing £2.09 and a good range of promotions which regularly includes the most popular spirits being reduced in price to just £1.95 for a double. I'll usually take advantage of this offer to have a few glasses of Jack Daniels without breaking the bank, while my fella is always impressed at the Kronenbourg 1664 costing under two quid a pint!
Because this is a pub not a restaurant, the Yard of Ale don't serve much in the way of food. You can buy the usual pub snacks; crisps, nuts and a small selection of cold ready made sandwiches are available at reasonable prices. During the day however the staff don't seem to mind if you take your own food in from one of the local fast food outlets, although this isn't possible at night.
The pub is popular with groups of young men who have realised how much cheaper it is to come and watch the footie on one of the big screen TV's in here than it is to go to a trendy sports bar on Broad Street. There's also a regular group of older customers who have obviously been drinking here for years and know all the staff members by name. It's usually a lovely mix of people and there is rarely any trouble, they do employ burly doormen at night which probably helps keep the atmosphere calm but generally this is (and always has been) a fairly trouble free pub.
It can get quite crowded at night but it's one of those pubs where this just adds to the fun. Pubs these days are so spacious that it's almost hard to remember what it's like to have to elbow your way to the bar, the Yard of Ale is stuck in a time warp in this sense as it's sometimes so busy you literally have to wave cash to get the barman's attention 80's style!
Staff are brilliant. There are never many on duty at any one time, but the bar is always manned and there are usually very few empty glasses and full ashtrays on the tables. They're a pretty young team and are friendly, always managing to remember your last order and say 'same again' which makes me feel part of the community.
Because of the underground location of the Yard of Ale, it's not suitable for wheelchair users unless you have a couple of strong arms to lift you down the stairs. I vaguely remember the outdoor unloading area at the back was used to allow wheelchair access, but I doubt current health and safety regulations would make that possible now. Children are not allowed in the pub at all and because of the smoky atmosphere I can see why. Talking of smoking, although the ventilation is good it can get quite muggy inside at night which is due to the fact that there are no external doors on the lower level meaning the smoke really doesn't have anywhere to go. As a smoker this kind of atmosphere is acceptable, although my mum (who is severely asthmatic) can't stand sitting in here for more than a few minutes.
Thanks to the cheapness of booze in the Yard of Ale, my partner and I can have a couple of hours in here and spend less than fifteen quid – even a full night on the lash will probably only set us back around £30, which is brilliant by Birmingham standards. The pub keeps traditional opening hours of 12noon – 11pm, closing at 10.30pm on a Sunday making it a perfect pre-club venue.
Worth a mention is the fact that this pub was once called The Tavern in the Town and was one of the pubs bombed by the IRA in 1974, this is not a fact made obvious in the pub however with no memorial or plaque to attract ghoulish visitors.
Finding the Yard of Ale is easy if you know how. Set on one of the main shopping streets in the City Centre and just around the corner from both the Bullring and New Street train station, it's easy enough to get to although you'll need to keep your eyes peeled for the narrow pub sign which will herald your arrival at the pub. The best way I can describe it is get onto New Street (which you won't need directions for as it's signposted from every possible direction in Town) and head for the massive Odeon forecourt. Then walk down the road in the direction of the large Pizza Hut sign, all the time looking above your head for the Yard of Ale sign. Easy. New Street is a pedestrianised area of Birmingham so there is no car park at the pub, and indeed no car access at all. The best way to get here is by train and get off at New Street station, or catch any one of a multitude of buses which will drop you at nearby Corporation Street.
Yard of Ale
New Street
Birmingham
B2 4PA
Tel – 0121 6167901"
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