Pint Sized

On intitial appearances it's all so far, so young urban profesional. Converted industrial site: check. Exposed brickwork, brushed metal and carefully mismatched furniture of dubious authenticity: check. Hordes of suits crowding the bar: check.

But looking closer behind the bar, there's a promising number of barrels suspended behind a glass partition, connected to around six hand pumps. Favourites seem to include Wye Valley, St Austell and the Warwickshire-based Church End, along with many others.

Of course it's not all perfect: the prices reflect the surroundings, with ale knocking in at around £3 a pint and the lagers generally going even further up the scale. And enjoying a quiet pint during the day might be difficult at the moment, with the Cube development being put up next door.

But at least all the pints I've tried, using the pale and refreshing Wye Valley HPA as a standard, are well looked after, very moreish, and it's great to see breweries that don't normally get a play in Birmingham make an appearance.

It's a diverse choice, tending towards the strong, golden sector of the ale world. And along with the huge selection of draught lagers, bottled beers, wines etc, you're never going to be short of something to drink, whether you're coming in here with colleagues for a loud after-work session or relaxing during the day with the paper.