Lord Clifden

Sitting prominently on the main road through the Jewellery Quarter, this is a multi-roomed pub with a large beer garden at the rear, although I never made it here as the weather wouldn't allow, sat in the room in the central area where natural light doesn't reach. Not the most eclectic selection of beers on my visit back in 2017 - I ended up having a cask ale called after the pub and have never found out who brewed it so my rate is permanently in limbo on that one.

Visited on 11th June 2016. Large pub with several rooms and a huge beer garden. Bit of a strange layout as the rooms seem quite small and a door with a key code makes toilet access more challenging. Beer range is similar to sister pub the Red Lion. 4 Budvar taps and a Dortmunder Pils plus other euro keg, 4 cask beers on from across the UK. All in good nick. Beer prices are pretty steep. Tried the food and had a fish finger sandwich that was enormous and a generous helping of fries. Food was great value and better priced than the beer. Decent stop off and only 5 mins from Jewellery Quarter station. Not a must visit, but decent enough if in the area.

I’m shocked I never rated this place, but as I sit here in the bar I should pen a few words. An Urban Art bar not too far out of the city centre and close to the Jewellery Quarter. Quite recently refurbished and not the worst place in the world to take a beer it is more of a night time place for younger kids than a drinking place for older Ratebeerians. They do have a decent selection of cask ales but the quality is suspect. The wifi works fine tho and I have no complaints about the music :-)

A lovely pub in the Jewellery Quarter. Four casks plus some good keg (Duvel and four Budvar offerings). Atmosphere a bit too bland for me but the beer makes up for it. Definitely worth a stop if in the area. 

The Lord Clifden can boast that it probably has the best beer garden in Birmingham, though it’s become a little more cluttered over recent years and lost the "secret garden" feel it used to have. Its been opened up and now it’s all about seating and roof covering in an effort to pack more people in. The garden is also the location of many mini-festivals and BBQs over the year. The pub itself has a smaller room to the right when you walk in and and then the bar area further on which expands into a larger seating area and access to the earlier mentioned garden. The place is decorated with an "urban art" theme which somehow works very well with what would be a rather traditional decor. The food is also of good quality. The only thing that lets this venue down is the drinks offering, in any other city in the UK this would have, at least, a few decent craft offerings, but basic cask (Wye Valley etc.) is about all you can expect here. Could easily transform itself to higher things with select bottles in fridges and a couple of craft-keg options but sadly I think the staff lack the knowledge to pull it off.

We happened upon a mini beer festival at the Lord Clifden. It was being held in the large enclosed garden at the back and very nice it was too with an impressive range of beers on offer. The pub has lots of character but we didn’t really make the most of it as it was lovely just to sit outside, listen to the live music (the same two chaps who’d been at the Wellington the night before) and soak up the atmosphere. It was, as some people would say, "cool". A place to be recommended. (Visited 7 July 2013).

I visited here Monday 18th March 2013. The beer range was a little limited perhaps but only when compared to some today. I went for a Urban Rotten ale which sported a great picture of Johnny Rotten in best snarling mode, it was fine enough but there was Wye Valley HPA which to be honest would have probably been the better choice. The pub is on quite a busy main road and close to a large Ethiopian and Eritrean restaurant called The Blue Nile which looked interesting, though not sure what Powdered Peas (one of the ingredients on the Veggie menu) would be like. Back to the pub. As you enter there is a small corridor with the lounge bar leading off to the right, I never looked for any other bars so cannot comment on them, the lounge bar sort of opened out/widened at the back but I would guess much like the Wellington this could get a bit crammed at busy times owing to how the place is laid out. Good bar, and worth visiting when you go to others such as Red Lion and Rose Villa Tavern also in this area.

Nice pub. Good atmosphere with cool beer garden. Problem is the beer range was poor when I went, struggled for a sampler to find anything good at all. Didn’t taste food but it looked really good.

Fantastic pub in Hockley, can get a bit too busy for my liking on the weekend but that only proves how good it is. Wye Vally HPA is available and it is always on top form.

2017 rate - 56. The beer choice has gone downhill since last visit, a little soulless too.
2012 rate - 70. A very pleasant pub on the edge of the Jewellery quarter. We enjoyed the Urban Art theme going on and its relaxed atmosphere. Reasonable range of beers, I went for a house beer, which was decent enough. The leading pub in a much improved area, definitely worth a visit.