The Wellington

This is a fab pub for the real ale lovers
The outside is inconspicuous and it is subtly tucked away near the top of Bennetts Hill. The inside I like walking into granny’s living room!
The range of ale and cider is fantastic. The staff are friendly and knowledgable.
You can order by number rather than name using the legend displayed on the to at the end of the bar.
The place has a very friendly atmosphere and although politely quiet the place has a calm buzz about it.
If Rebus ever visited Birmingham, he would come to this pub!

As traditional pubs go this is one of my favourites, with a huge selection of ales and also great whiskey choices behind the bar. It is worth asking what they have in with the barrels regularly changing and something new may be unlabelled or unfamiliar. It has a great feel with a really relaxed vibe that will take you away from one of the busiest parts of Birmingham. They don’t do food but you can bring your own, and most takeaways and deliveroo will deliver to the pub itself so you can have restaurant quality food in the pub itself.

The Unilocalers I know brought me here and after hearing so much about it, I decided to investigate for myself.
Like most things in Birmingham its an oldish building with a fairly old type of customer. There are groups of younger people here too.
You can bring your own food and they even provide you with knives forks and plates! Great for if you want to have takeaway delivered! (Actually they just got a 5^th star for doing that.)
If you live in a small town you probably wonder whats so unique about this venue. It’s probably just like any old man pub in a small town. The staff are friendly and there’s lots of ale on the digital screens to choose from.
You can even take a walk around it on google maps! Check it out.

The Wellington is as close as you are going to get to a traditional boozer in the centre of Birmingham these days. A lot of the bars and pubs around its Bennetts Hill location have been transformed into modern eateries and diners but this place still has a lot of the charm and character I imagine it would have had 20 years ago.
The selection of ales here is really excellent, there are so many to choose from I would recommend asking one of the very knowledgeable bar staff for advice. They seem to know a lot of the lines and have a real passion for them. There had to be around 15 ales on offer when we visited so the help on what to choose was very much appreciated!
If you are looking for a first date spot this is probably not the place for you but if you are looking for a good value place with a relaxed vibe to have a few ales with your mates then this is the perfect place!

They say you never forget your first time, and whilst I’m not entirely sure they were talking about visiting pubs, I certainly do remember my first time at the Welly — and it has never failed to impress since.
The décor of this place is classic, timeless, traditional British pub. A beautifully wooden bar and back shelves commands a presence in the centre of the room that draws you in. The vintage pictures of Birmingham hanging on the wall help you to genuinely feel at home in this place — there is an atmosphere that simply says «come in, have a drink, take your time», even when it gets busy (and on a Friday and Saturday night it gets rather busy).
Up on the first floor you will find an additional bar, a bookable room, and the garden terrace — a rare treat in the city centre and something that fills up exceptionally quickly when the sun even looks like it’s about to come out. Up on the second floor is another, larger bookable room — so if you’re thinking about having a function, this is the place for you.
There is no food offering here, but you are instead more than welcome to bring your own food along, and they’ll even provide the crockery and cutlery! I’ve seen pizzas delivered to this pub before now without people batting an eyelid, just be aware of the people around you if you bring a particularly pungent food along.
Onto the important things though — the drinks. The whisky selection in The Welly is a genuine sight to behold. Split across the two bars (scotch downstairs, bourbon and international upstairs), there are bottles that even seasoned whisky drinkers will not have experienced. The whisky menu has been carefully cultivated to offer a superior range of options, and considering the rarity of some of the bottles, the prices are for the most part rather reasonable.
The headline attraction however is the ale. The downstairs bar features an incredible 16 handpulls, with at least 10 of them almost constantly rotating with guest ales. You’ll notice some brands there (Purity, Oakham, Wye Valley etc), but there are also many many offerings from smaller, lesser known breweries from across the country. In order to keep track, there is a beer board displayed on LCD screens throughout the pub and online through their website, showing beer, brewery, ABV and price (typically very reasonable prices indeed, from £2.90 to £3.70ish). Keep half an eye on this board because odds are a new beer will come on at some point during your visit. As a side note, order your ales by pump number — there are so many constantly coming on that it makes things easier for the staff than ordering by name.
The staff at The Wellington are friendly and knowledgeable, as are some of the regulars if you find yourself there without company. There is a drink for everyone here, and if you don’t know what it is, you’re sure to get help to find it.

Any pub with a pet cat is alright by me :) I had the honour of meeting him/​her and it is adorable. It is what I imagine pubs in the 70s to look like, the kind of place my mum and dad went to drink after work.

A word of warning for those with a sensitive sense of smell: it pongs a bit in this place — ‘essence of muddy wet dog’ is the most appropriate description I feel. If you can ignore that, then you can more than satisfy your other senses with the vast array of beer pumps before you — I lost count I was so giddy.
Although an oldey worldy looking pub at first glance, they’ve embraced the technological age and have digital beer menus fixed to the walls which I hadn’t seen anywhere else before. Even the likes of (relative) newbies BrewDog use chalk.
The place was very busy as it was post-​work on a Thursday, so we figured everyone else had decided to ignore the mild stench as well. We managed to secure a booth and settled in to enjoy a pint for their range.
As well as a large seating area on the ground floor, there’s a smaller seating area upstairs with its own small bar — the windows were open too so pop here for a breath of fresh (er) air!

Excellent real ale in a brilliant location. Only gripe would be that the staff could be a bit more friendly and helpful. Other than that perfect for a great pint with a group of friends

Superb, award-​winning real ale pub in central Birmingham, just a 5 minute walk from New Street station. Hand-​pumped ales are what The Wellington is all about.
This is an extraordinary real ale pub, even among CAMRA-​approved venues. No less than 16 hand-​pumped real ales are always available — some stalwarts, like Oakham Citra — but also many less well-​established brands. To make the choice easier, they are displayed on a flat screen TV as well — indicating the ABV of each beer, too. Needless to say, these real ales are always well-​presented and fresh, and you can ask staff behind the bar about which style you want (try that at any given Wetherspoon, I dare ‘ya!). The beer prices are reasonable, usually around UKP 3 – 3.50 per pint.
The décor is British pub 1−0−1, so you won’t go there for a fizzy lager in stylish atmosphere. It’s down to earth, but there’s plenty of room for smaller groups too. They don’t serve any food, apart from crisps and other nibbles, so you’re welcome to bring your own along with you. A brass sign outside clearly says so. To keep things simple, there’s also no music playing.
One of the city’s favorite watering holes — and in a good way.

Perfect place to chill out on a sunday and have some beer. The selections is wonderful. The staff was very polite and helpful.

A very cool «hip» pub to hangout on the weekend. I arrived to this place on a Friday night. I have heard of this place and was recommended to a friend to come here. I went here with two friends on Friday and we had a great time. I love how the beers are listed on a screen, so it is easy to read. There are multiple levels with also a roof top area which was my favorite part. I would recommend this place to anyone visiting and looking for a mellow but fun place to hangout on the weekend!

Excellent Real Ale pub, a worthy multiple-​CAMRA award winner. The beers are listed on a screen so it’s always up to date, and necessary given how many beers they sell! There are bars on two floors and an extensive rooftop terrace. They also show Sky Sports. A short walk from New Street Station too, I’d recommend anyone looking for a proper pint in Birmingham to head right here.

What can I say about this pub? It’s a real ale lover’s dream come true with a huge range of wonderful beers to choose from. Do check out the Wellington Beer Board online before visiting, it’s the kind of fun research I always enjoy! Whilst you’re enjoying a lovely pint of Cintra or Plum Porter, take a look around and you’ll see a sea of faces of folk enjoying the experience just like you!

I was at a private party her on the third floor, and now having discovered the full potential of this pub i can gladly give five stars! A very quirky and cool place to hang out, very impressed with the range of beers included imported on draught and bottle. I had Czech beer Krusovice, Maisels Weissbeir, Veltins German Pilsner and Hoegaarden dukel beer. The second floor has further seating and a roof terrace for smoking or enjoying sunshine and cool, crisp evenings. The real ales are the star with a vast range including IPA’s and purity. I recommend a night here, and the location is fantastic, minutes away from New Street and Snow Hill stations.

If you’re a real ale fan then this is the place for you. You’ll be literally spoilt for choice. And to make an evening of it they have quite a fair amount of single malt whiskeys on offer for a nice nightcap before you stumble home.
Upstairs contains a large stash of bourbon– of which I’ve spent many an afternoon globetrotting my way through. A good selection *reasonably* priced if you want to try something different.
The wine selection consists of raspberry and peach flavours, served warm. The Wellington certainly isn’t for connoisseurs of the fermented grape, but it does offer tastes less travelled as it would be.
They have an outside area which is pleasant enough, much more so than the décor which is certainly an acquired taste– your grandfather’s to be exact.
No food is served (bar a few packets of crisps etc) but you’re welcome to bring your own or order in and use cutlery that the pub provides.
A proper pub, if you want a proper pint.

Wowzer. With so many ales that the menu is digitalised and that you order by number, the Wellington certainly made me wish I drank the stuff.
It’s a traditional pub with a classic feel but, of course, the ale-​screens are certainly a modern addition. My band played the Wellington as part of the Birmingham Jazz and Blues Fest on a Saturday evening and the bar was full to the brim and with a great, chirpy atmosphere which made it a fun gig for us and a definite highlight of our stay in the city.
Staff were a really friendly and hospitable bunch, sorting us out with three glasses of water before our performance. I’d definitely pop back when I’m next in Birmingham since it was a great bar to relax and enjoy. Sadly, I can’t comment on the ales but if someone asked me THE place for ale in Birmingham, I’d, of course, be inclined to say ‘The Welly!’ owing to its impressive selection.

Hands down this is the best traditional pub in Birmingham. A myriad of different ales — all impeccably kept, a decent selection of ciders and whiskey (including 5 or so Japanese single malts) plus some wines and I think I even spotted some mead in there last night!
Downstairs you can choose from loads of ales on tap with a tv showing you the colour, abv and tasting notes for each one. There’s a decent amount of seating but it can get pretty busy. Upstairs plays host to a smaller bar with less of a selection of beers (about 6 or so ales, a cider and lager or 2 on tap and a few more ciders and bottles in the fridge) but outside is the crowning glory of upstairs. Nestled away in this city centre pub you’ll find one of the loveliest beer gardens — technically a roof terrace — the centre of brum has to offer.
This is most certainly a beer drinkers haven, don’t expect a wine bar this is a proper pub through and through — a beacon of hope amidst the plethora of gastropubs and cocktail bars.
Also worth a note — they don’t do food, but will happily provide you with crockery and cutlery if you bring your own. Oh, and the Sunday night quiz is evil!

Real ale, good atmosphere, they have cats! Need I say more?

Pub quiz Sunday night!
If you like your beer/​ales then this place should definitely be on your list! You choose your drink from a blackboard by letter — the guest ales are second to none! I however, preferring ‘the dark side’ choose ‘Pig on The Wall’ when I can.
There is nothing special about the décor, but I don’t think anyone cares. However, since the addition of the upstairs bar and outside seating area, this has improved the pub greatly (outdoor drinking space is quite limited in Birmingham!).
Its also worth noting that you can take in your own food — pizza, Thai whatever and they provide the plates and cutlery!
Great for a quiet drink with friends, but be careful it does get quite busy on Friday nights!
Update-​they now have heat lamps outside, ready for those cold summer evenings!;)

The Wellington (or the «Welly» as it’s known locally), has the finest ale selection of any pub in Central Birmingham. It’s definitely a Pub (in the old fashioned sense of the word), shunning the modern idea of the cocktail or gastropub.
The first thing you will notice when you enter is the décor. It’s dark and dingy downstairs — but perfect for meeting up with friends and having a game of cards whilst enjoyed something locally brewed or a bit more exotic (y’know — from locations such as Lancaster). The most modern thing in the downstairs bar is the LCD boards telling you what beer is currently on, its originating brewery and the percentage. It also gives you a guide of whether it’s a blonde or dark ale, which is really handy when you’re looking at a list of names with no idea of the taste.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll pick something with the most amusing name. Top tip — remember the pump number! There are so many different beers on, the staff struggle to remember the names of all of them, if you can give them a pump number — you’ll have a friend for life.
If you want to see the great outdoors, head to their brand new terrace (upstairs, through the door). It’s a real sun trap and the ideal location to have a break from the hubbub of the city with a good pint.