The Craven Arms in Birmingham

Great beers and friendly staff.

A great BCA pub. I do not go too often as it involves a bit of walking, but when I do, there is always top quality ale interest there.

Perfect. Utterly perfect. Warm greeting. Large variety of gins. Good beers. Friendly staff. Dining room delightful. But the food. The food! Husband had the wellington, I had rib-eye. Both presented beautifully and cooked to perfection. Desserts ditto. We had wines by the glass, both faultless. And. Somewhere to park the motor home if you book in advance. 5*

One of the best beer pubs in Brum with a great selection. Don’t do what I did and miss the additional kegs on the far taps.

Not much of an ale selection but good for size of pub!

First rate pub for drinking beer with mates ,a dying breed

Nice friendly pub. Didnt have food so cant comment. Parking is a problem and of course the clean air tax too. But the pub quiz was fun

Always has a special place in my ❤️

Attractive pub with good atmosphere and great range of beers and ales. Guinness not great.

Excellent pub. Superb selection of ales on hand pump. Relaxed and easy going. Can't really say anything bad about it, nice William Morris wallpaper. Cheese and onion baps were good. I like.

Stayed in a hotel down the road with a souless bar. This fixed that. Beautiful original exterior and a melting pot of different conversations. Great pint of Guinness and different flavour pork pies available over the bar

Always a decent pint of real ale and staff who care about it

Great pub, plenty of character and lovely selection of cask beers. It was like being in someone’s front room.

Cracking pub, I work close by and also enjoy a cobbs here tuna mayo cobbs will be the best cobbs you’ve had. Also great place to go in the evening always a lively atmosphere and great choice on top!

Tuesday 18th February 2025 This pub is a fantastic old-fashioned locals pub It has 9 good handpumped real ales and ciders on barstaff today friendly and knows his lob well good locals in Everything about this Birmingham pub makes it an essential visit to drink real ales in

Great beer and great atmosphere

Love this place. John runs a tight ship. Always a good choice of craft real ales. The home baked bread rolls for the sandwiches are baked fresh by John every single day! As well as the home cooked pies and scotch eggs . Great atmosphere, brilliant bar staff always accommodating, clean, cosy and warm. nice open fire in the cold weather. Great meeting place for pre-drinks before going OUT OUT or if you like your ales you'd do just as well to make the craven your evening out. Very popular on the weekend so get there the earlier the better. Great traditional old school pub 🍻

fantastic guinness. wish i’d seen the cats though

Proper ol' school pub that's well worth seeking out for a pretty wide range of ales and an unpretentious setting with many period finishes and fittings.

Another pub worth visiting, great selection of ales, friendly knowledgeable staff.

A pure joy to drink here with the super friendly staff, great choice of cask ales and traditional surroundings.

A well balanced selection of 9 cask ales; the 2 I tried were excellent. Lovely staff. Coal fire. Great playlist. Stunning exterior.

A real fire, a quiet stylish old pub. Excellent conversation with the bar staff, excellent sound track, a real fire and multiple hand pulled beers. Lovelly. 5 stars are not enough

Excellent friendly back street Birmingham local, warm and comfortable on a cold night with an excellent selection of real ales, both local and from further afield, including several dark and mild beers. A worthy CAMRA Good Beer Guide entry and only a few minutes walk from the City Centre and railway stations. Friendly staff and excellent bar snacks, would certainly return.

We went for pre-gig pints, the pub is very close to the O2 Academy. Great pub with a good, lively atmosphere and interesting beers.

One of my favourite pubs in Birmingham. Vegan food options would be great because their pork pies and cobs look really good. But still an exceptional pub

Beautiful boozer, so clean, lovely fire! Great prices and OMG the cobs (sandwich’s) they do - soooo gorgeous! I had a beef and horseradish one and was informed the landlord bakes the bread, well it was the most hearty beaut bread ever

Lovely little pub. Great choice of black country beverages and more

Great local real ale pub! Very welcoming and very friendly especially the cat!

Superb pub selling some great real ales in an old traditional feeling pub. Bar staff friendly - well worth hunting out for as a tiny bit out of way from the usual City Centre pubs.

Drinking with friends. Lovely spot.

Warm, friendly pub. Superb IPA range & not overpriced, unlike some of the Brum pubs

This used to be a premium, award winning beer specialist pub. But that must of been a long time ago. Now it's a solid pub not far from The Mailbox, which would normally mean it's prices are expensive. It isn't. It's a fine, traditional pub with great decor and good beer. I give it extra star for having a couple of pub cats Every pub should have a pub cat.

Superb old boozer and its a thing of beauty.. My favourite of the 8 pubs we visited. Great selection of ales and a brilliant pint of Guinness. Have to give a callout to the barmaid working on her own on 10th Nov. Pub was busy but she was doing a superb job and was very friendly.

A real rarity, a traditional pub with a real atmosphere & background music. A really good selection of real ales, not that I'm an expert but that is the majority on offer. Reasonable selection of lager for the non purists like Me!!

Went in with a group for a place to be able to enjoy a drink and talk. It's a great blend of proper pub and modern touches. Really nice atmosphere, plenty of hand pulled beer, pork pie and rolls, and screens with the range of food and drink offers. Will be back if in the area!

Did not eat there, but it was packed. Enjoyed the atmosphere.

Great selection of real beer from local breweries, plus ciders and a decent keg selection Didn't try the cobs or pork pie, maybe next time Very friendly staff - just how pubs should be

We didn't eat here but the pub itself is in a great place. Beautifully tiled on the outside, cosy and lovely on the inside, a proper old pub. The sevice was excellent and they had great local ales on as well, well worth a visit if your in the area, you won't be disappointed.

Great pub for beer drinkers. Great selection of local ales (primarily from Black Country Ales) and a friendly barman.

Excellent city centre pub,good beer and atmosphere,,,well worth seeking out

OMG what a wonderful place. Libby was very informative about the building which btw is a treat to the eyes. And is family run Fabulous range of ales. I would highly recommend this place. Please go and support them.

Wonderful ale pub outside the usual tourist circuits, warm and friendly atmosphere.

Cosy, friendly Black Country Ales pub with a fantastic selection of their beers and other cask ales in a well-kept pub with lovely original features throughout and exquisitely-restored exterior tiling.

I LOVE this pub! Stumbled across it when visiting Birmingham for a gig and ALWAYS go there whenever I'm there l, back again on 16th Oct. Proper pub! Full of character l from the carpet and wallpaper/style to the frosted windows. Freshly made cobs served with condiments, delicious pork pies l, choice of filling and scotch eggs. I'm from Bristol and they also have a better choice of boxed cider on tap than most "trendy" pubs. Honestly my favourite lik' pub and I take every opportunity to visit it! Cannot recommend enough!

Fantastic pub !!!! Best I've found in Birmingham, great selection of ale and cider

Just a lovely little place in a big boy city.

We were 1st customers on a Sunday lunchtime so hard to judge atmosphere. Lovely old pub,particularly the exterior. Really decent pint too.

A good old-style pub which is clean and friendly and has a reasonable ales selection.

Great old pub, especially if you like ales.

Great pub, as so many of the Black Country Ales pubs seem to be. Great selection of real ales in lovely condition.

This is our local pub and what a place to have as a local! A traditional pub with a great selection of Craft Beer, Ales, Gins etc. Staff are always friendly, great atmosphere, it really is a true diamond in Birmingham.

Came here when visiting Birmingham after seeing the BBC news article about the pub being listed. Great traditional boozer with an extensive selection of cask ales. A bit out of the way but walkable from the main areas of the city.

This was a great pub. Can see why Camra rate it so highly. Great beer, well served and wonderful friendly and engaging staff. Bit of a trek to get to but well worth it. The mild was sublime.

Lovely old fashioned pub. Unfortunately surrounded by lots of building works which are dwarfing it. Food very limited to sandwiches , pork pies , very basic. Good selection of beers and nice staff.

Great traditional pub (grade 2 listed) serving excellent beer from Black Country Ales and a good selection of guest ales too. No hot food but the cobs are baked in house and are the best you can get in Brum!

I didn't eat here so can't comment on food. Staff really helpful. Lovely tradition exterior. Lots of different ales.

Best boozer in Birmingham city centre. Great real ales, brilliant atmosphere, and the staff are extremely welcoming.

Love coming here with my partner or my brother it’s one of my favorite places in birmingham local to us, staff are lovely and prices are reasonable 💚

Fun "old school" pub and a very very good variety of beers on tap! Would recommend anytime. Can't judge food as we only had drinks here.

Popped in on the off-chance to catch a game and was happily surprised by a great proper pub, with an honest fella behind the bar and a good crowd. Thanks, we had a good time!

One of the best pubs I've visited and trust me I've been to a few. Great choice of beer including mild. The pies were so good I had 2.

If you like proper beer, this is a proper pub! Nice old building with traditional decor. Huge selection of beers which, of course,you can sample before choosing. Thoroughly recommended.

What a great friendly crew with above average intelligence. You must drop by at the risk of deciding to stay for longer than planned. Lovely regulars.

Fantastic small local pub , lovely staff,did not try the food

Pubs like this are so rare now - lovely place

I enjoyed the Chat with the staff and liked to hear about the different Brands and i even got to try some beers before getting a Glas. It was really cozy and a nice atmosphere. Would visit again for another nice beer.

A proper pub, always a great pint.

A good old-fashioned pub with a good selection of local ale.

Fantastic find. A great little pub, reminded me of days gone. If you like a real or pale ale, get yourself along for a great choice. Friendly staff, clean pub serving some fantastic drinks.

Awesome pub. Little bit small so get in early Great team

A gem of a pub near the mall box well worth a visit .Birmingham has lost so many support this one so we can keep it .

Food comprises of cobs, sausage rolls, pork pies and bar snacks, but the service is friendly and the beers are very good

What a pub!! How they used to be. Cask ale kept as it should be. Served with knowledge and smile!! Highly recommend a visit

A cosy traditional pub in the heart of Birmingham City Centre, walking distance from the mailbox. It offers a fantastic selection of real ales, ciders, wines and spirits as well as popular bar snacks such as Cobs, Pork Pies and Scotch Eggs. A must visit!

An oasis in the middle of a building site. Excellent beers, worth a visit if your in the area.

This is exactly what a pub should be. Quality real ales in a traditional setting, great selection of bar snacks (pork pies, rolls etc.) and friendly staff. No craft beer or mocktails in sight - perfect!

Lovely costumer service provided by Libby. Very friendly and efficient. Highly recommend coming to this bar. Great beer too

Charming, cosy old world pub. Good choice of ale. Was on my hubbies visit list during a recent trip to Birmingham & it didn't disappoint.

An Oasis. Great ales comfortable atmosphere. Will make a point of seeking out next time I'm in Birmingham centre

Fantastic place to have a decent pint of beer in a lovely atmosphere. Great choice of ale at right price served by very professional staff. Couldn't asked for more..

Proper old school boozer specialising in cask beers and Black Country tapas aka pork scratchings, well priced for the location and has character

Clean, friendly, Tasty beer and homemade cobs best pub in Birmingham Definitely check it out lovely old boozer.

Historic, cosy and friendly oasis of a pub amidst this over developed part of Birmingham.

Snug old fashioned boozer right next to the mailbox - great warm and welcoming atmosphere lovely craft beers available

Lovely traditional pub with great real ales and pub snacks.

Absolutely stunning place!! Really enjoyed the cask selection. Can't wait to go back

Keep this gem to yourself if you like Old Skool pubs. Brilliant.

Lovely beer, traditional decor, great tunes and friendly vibes What more do you want from a pub?

Some of THE best kept cask ale in the city

This is a proper pub, with a good spread of ales. This is a place to go if you want to meet up with people and talk over drinks, rather than eat food. They do have snacks.

Cervezas bien tiradas y un barman inglés de toda la vida. Si vuelvo a Birmingham seguro que volveré por aquí!

Great traditional pub unspoilt and great ales.

I hadn't been in here for over 30 years, but I was a bit apprehensive has friends had told me it was a real ale pub but they did serve Carling & strapinoem larger which was great as I've been drinking larger for over 50 years really enjoyed it.

Cosy traditional pub. To me it's like a getaway from the busy city centre. Always a varied selection of well-kept real ales

My friend and colleague raved out this place and was desperate to take the works party to it. We were not disappointed!!! Thank you Emma Worrall you have shown us the most awesome and traditional pub in Birmingham on our visit to the city! You really know your ales and your pubs. I know it’s your local but thanks for sharing it with us. Craven arms…quality of beer was phenomenal!!!

Only had snacks...but smart, clean plub with great real ales

Best pub in Birmingham City Centre. Perfectly kept real ales, including Black Country Ales. Traditional decor and very friendly atmosphere. I was invited to tell my lifestyle within 60 seconds on stepping up to the bar.

Best on town! Cosy and nice people

Perfect place for a quiet beer. Plenty of choices and great service.