The Old Contemptibles in Birmingham

lovely pub with amazing food has great customer service i was served by alexa and she was very polite and quick with our orders

Used to be better than it was, it's gotten better very recently, but it just isn't the pub I remember from before Covid times.

Great beer. Live music. Wonderful atmosphere in a beautiful building. Not cheap, but feel the quality.

What a brilliant night we had for my husbands birthday. The atmosphere was very pleasant and welcoming. Service was excellent and the food was so tasty and out of this world. Thank you chef!! Staff were very friendly and went out of their way to make sure we had everything we needed and even helped with family photos and the birthday cake. Thank you so much. We will definitely be returning.

I recently visited a lovely pub and had a wonderful time. The atmosphere was lively and welcoming, making it a great spot to relax. Our server, Rico, was fantastic! He was attentive, friendly, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout our visit. His service truly enhanced our experience. I highly recommend this pub for its great vibe and excellent staff!

Always friendly staff and good beer

really nice trip to the pub , great service from Alexa

I recently visited a cozy pub and had a fantastic experience. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, making it a perfect spot to unwind. The highlight of my visit was definitely the service provided by Rico. He was attentive, friendly, and went out of his way to ensure we had everything we needed. It made our time there even more enjoyable. Overall, I highly recommend this pub for its great vibe and excellent service!

Absolutely brilliant place to eat. We were warmly greeted by George and looked after for the rest of our time by Maisie who was an absolute delight. The food was delicious and was served and presented in a beautiful fashion. Well done to all the staff for making our trip extra special

Delicious gastro pub food, lovely staff

Very good service good staff. Food was OK, not very hot when received though. Pub stunk of bleach. Not sure I'd go again due to the ambience of the gaf.

Always go in before or after we've been to watch the villa, gone in there for years and will do for years more 👍

Realistically nearly £6 for a Carling is crazy.

came today at 12:55 and ordered food at 1:30pm and it was very nice I enjoyed the Camden hells lager but only wish there was camden pale ale on draught and staff was friendly

A business client took us here, and we were happy. There was plenty of seating options and it was popular but service was fast and easy. The toilets are upstairs and reasonably clean, although maybe needed a quick once over more often. We will be back for the historic look and feel of this original pub and hopefully to try the food next time!

Always good. Love the food, traditional and tasty.

We had a really great time and RICO was really friendly and funny and handled us well. Will definitely return.

Took my mates here and we had an amazing time , had an encounter with one of their staff Rico (I think his name was) gave us the best experience with jokes and laughter made sure our food came out on time , nice and hot . Very nice pub definitely visiting again to meet our funny new friend .

My friends and I had a great time here. Rico took special care of us which we appreciated so much and what made us had a great time. He’s a great asset to your establishment. Please give him our thanks.

Came in for a night out and had a fantastic time! All thanks to Rico, he was great. Very kind, helpful and entertaining young man. 10/10 will be returning.

Excellent traditional venue in the heart of Birmingham.

We went to the Old Contemptibles as a spur of the moment decision on the way back to Snow Hill Station after an afternoon in Birmingham. We had a lovely time. We were made very welcome by George and Olivia. They were very attentive and really looked after us. The fish platter we shared followed by sticky toffee pudding was absolutely delicious. Our visit to the Old Contemptibles was very special. I recommend it for good food, convivial atmosphere and most of all, excellent customer service. Thank you George and Olivia and the rest of the team.

Food was tasty and better than normal pub grub, my only grumble is that the menu showed a proper pie when the food arrived it was in a dish with a pastry lid. Drinkers pub with no bitter 😳 Great pub with all its history. Love this place and the atmosphere

We held a celebration at The Old Comptemptibles, the buffet was amazing, presentation and service superb. We were well looked after by George, service with a smile thank you.....thank you Rob too.

Tash was amazing great service. Rob always looks after us too

Good food and helpful staff. Enjoyed the food, good pie!

Sarah and Alexa are the best... The other pubs are just the rest, The OCs is the place to be When I die, at the OCs bury me

Wonderful little gem of a place. It's so friendly and welcoming, the staff are brilliant. Food was great, 3 of us had Mains and Dessert, good portions and very hot. Reasonable prices for a City Centre Pub. Big shout out for Alexa our lovely Server and James for his advice on the proper Ales. See you soon xxxx

I had a lovely visit to the OC’s today and was served by Alexa, her service was top tier. Beautiful food and a lovely range of drinks. I will definitely be back again!

A part of Birmingham history this pub which i was last in 15 years ago and it still has character and friendly people It's on the real ale tour

I highly recommend this pub. The food is very good. The service is very good. Pleasant, relaxed atmosphere 10/10

We had a great experience. The food was delicious and piping hot. I was really impressed with the level of service and I would gladly recommend this pub.

Nice traditional pub in the heart of Snowhill Birmingham. I come here quite often. The food's good too.

The Victorian-style building and the high ceiling of the bar make the atmosphere very comfortable, and the service attitude is also great.

Lovely old pub. Very atmpspheric. Worth a stop if you are doing the Birmingham Mystery Guide!

Such a cool place we had our small Anniversary gathering here with drinks and bar snacks and everything from the Venue itself to service, to food was perfect couldn’t of asked for more

This is an amazing pie place + Munich beer !!

Very vibrant environment and friendly staff.

Really lovely old fashioned pub and massive respect to them remembering the fallen. Great selection of beers

£6.60 for peroni that tasted of metal. No wonder this place is dead use to be such a great go to pub aswell. Disappointing!

Great venue, worthy of a visit, such ashame the prices are a bit much for a pint (low strength)

Just the place for a pre train pint and nibbles.

Busy city centre traditional pub serving great cask ale & good food. Well worth visiting.

Proper old pub BUT no Bitters to speak of.

Excellent afternoon again in this jewell in the crown birmingham pub. Fantastic customer service the staff are so friendly and helpful and this has been the case in many previous visits we have made to the old contemptibles. They never fail to deliver a enjoyable dining and drinks experience. The food is also wonderful, well cooked and delicious. Well worth a visit and I don't think you will be disappointed.

One of my favourite Birmingham pubs. Always friendly and great beers on tap.

Straight opposite the car park and needs food before travelling home. After a night on the tiles, the steak and ale pie really hit the spot. Lovely service and honest grub. Pleasant and friendly service, will be back

The lighting kept changing levels going from average to low, average to low again. Waitress was pleasant and friendly but didn't really know her products etc, had to keep asking for advice. The cider was off so we had to ask for a replacement drink. Ordered a bottle of prosecco from the menu which wasn't available and not coming back in stock. Items on landlord platter not available which was OK but just another thing to add.

Came as a party of 13 retired colleagues we were seated on a long table in an alcove which was ideal for us as a group. Menu was extensive and good food served. Manager and staff were very attentive couldn't do enough to ensure we had a fine experience. It worked as we are planning a return visit in July.

Rude staff and overpriced drinks

Excellent food and attentive service.

Charming old Brum pub near to Snow Hill station. Traditional vibe with interesting interior. Drinks are a bit pricey these days tbh.

Lovely place, food was nice and staff were friendly. Seating felt slightly cramped in the food area, but overall a good experience.

Great pub, great atmosphere, live music... Fantastic...

Great place, packed with locals. Loved it.

Great atmosphere, lovely pub. Food and drink was excellent and the service was good. Really impressed with the food and would definitely return. Glad we had booked a table as it's very busy and well used

First time visiting, was not disappointed. Great atmosphere very busy and would recommend booking a table if you want to eat. Food and drink was excellent quality, couldn't fault the food and service. Will definitely return

Food was excellent as always with attentive service and decent prices. Been coming here for years and it's as good as ever. One of the best in Brum, all things considered.

It's a fantastic pub. Great atmosphere will be back very soon. 🙂

Always busy here, nice atmosphere and drinks very reasonably priced.

Fabulous service from George. Lovely atmosphere. Super clean and great food.

Another pub in the 2024 Good Beer Guide visited - I do wish Nicholson’s would be more adventurous with their choice of cask ales on sale although the ubiquitous Mad Goose is on fine form.

Visited the Old Contemptibles yesterday for an evening meal and as usual was greeted with an lovely atmosphere of many people enjoying themselves! Our food was excellent and our waiter Patrick was helpful in sorting out the gluten free suitable meal for myself! Always have a good time in this pub!

Our pre-match location this Saturday. Lovely location and very handy for city centre and the trains in any direction. Arrived 1130, and in theory there was a good selection of real ales. Unfortunately at least half of them were off/finished/whatever. But the remainder were ok. Directed to order using the QR code on the table menu, but the food via the QR code was just crisps. So back to the waitress to order, who then told us we have to go back to the bar to order food. They could have told us that at the outset. Anyhow, food ordered, arrived quickly enough, there was plenty of it, and it went down a treat. Great location for groups of like-minded people. Some other colours and supporters in the pub, but no trouble. Everyone friendly, no matter their allegiance.

Overall a fantastic, atmospheric and cozy pub. The thing that stands out is the amazing decor - everything is in a WWI style with hints of WWII - which contributes to an unique and incredible experience. Indeed, the pub has a lot of history, as the 'Old Contemptibles' was the name given to the British Expeditionary Force in WW1 by Kaiser Wilhelm - so naturally some of the soldiers came back and opened a pub! Great food too; the steak and ale pie was fantastic and warming, and the desserts were all indulgent and provided a great finish. Fine selection of alcohol to choose from too. Also, I can't forget the brilliant service we received! All in all, a very fine pub with fine furnishing and delicious food.

Fantastic experience and service by Maisie on the bar, will definitely be coming back soon!

Great old building. Popular for pre match villa games. I presume due to being near the 7 stop or easy taxi service? I had a pint of proper job.

We enjoyed a memorable family get-together at the Old Contemptibles on Good Friday. First-rate service, excellent drinks, and very good food. This is a proper pub rejoicing in its heritage and with an attentive and professional staff. Outstanding. Thank you for making our special day special.

Another great experience at the OC. Service was really good, staff look after you bringing over food and drinks as required. They leave you in peace to enjoy your time but are always on hand to help. Menu is full and varied. Food was cooked well and we all enjoyed what we had. The sandwich menu is particularly good as the sandwiches are very filling. Thank you for looking after us

A great 'local' in the city centre. I've been coming here for years as my office used to be nearby and it was a handy stop-off on the way to the train station. We most recently used it to meet to with a friend and it is still as convivial and lively as ever with a great choice of beers and lager etc.

5 of us called in as part of a Birmingham Mystery Adventure (like a treasure hunt book) on Easter Sunday. Received such a lovely warm welcome and they really made us feel special. Have been previously and had their delicious pies, but the welcome yesterday prompted me to leave this review. It's such a historic and interesting pub (hence included in the hunt), and such delightful service we'll return again soon.

Lovely looking pub, with nice vintage aesthetics. I have visited here a couple of times a few years before with friends. My latest visit was a quick solo lunchtime pint. There was a very good beer selection to pick from, and great, friendly, welcoming service which is something of a rareity around this particular area these days. Definitely one of the best pubs in the city centre.

City centre pub with an old fashioned atmosphere and decor, good lunchtime spot to stop off.

Friendly staff, good food & live music. Enjoyed the food & stayed for the entertainment.

Very good and friendly staff, service, Guinness was very nice. Fish & chips are very nice and hot, but I could have done with a few more chips, spent 6 hours catching up with a friend. Felt very welcome.

Nice atmosphere, some beers not available

Quick lunch, fish finger sandwich n chunky chips, hot fresh and great service

Lovely old pub with great history.

Olivia served us tonight. Two old pals from primary school catching up over some drinks and food. The food is amazing. The staff eat it and rate it. Live music on a Friday night. Good beer, great ambience. Thank you!!

Olivia served us too a treat of wild boar and chorizo pie and beef brisket and prime rib pie. So delicious the staff eat it themselves. Great food, beer and atmosphere. Thanks guys!

Nice food, excellent selection, and great place to watch rugby

The staff know how to keep and serve their beers

Staff are second to none. Most notably George but a mention must also go to Rob, the manager & also Natasha. We've been there a few times now for work celebrations; the service (as above) is excellent but so too has the food been. The suppliers & kitchen staff/chef(s) have not let us down. I'm personally working my way through the menu, it's so good. Although I have had the same dish more than once, the beef brisket pie for example with the so tender meat & fab seasoning had to be ordered again! So who ate all the pies! I have & much of the rest of the menu too 😉 Thanks team.

The food had its ups and downs. Portions were large. I had the fish and chips. I enjoyed it. Few things missing though to make it better. Lemon piece was small, very small even for 3 pieces of fish. Fries came without sauce. Can't imagine adding mayonnaise would inflict a terrible loss of profit so not sure why this wasn't added. This would not be acceptable in Belgium 😅 The mashed peas weren't brining much. Bit of a letdown to be fair. Just add salad then. Service was a bit lacking. By the time the last people on our table got their food, the first people had already finished (polite waiting wasn't an option as it took so long). Apparently only one cook was present so they explained a lot. We were also offered some portions of fries to compensate. Meat was cold in the end so that was really a letdown. We could understand an understaffed problem but meat arriving cold is unacceptable. The steaks were really bad. Again, we'd assume this was due to the missing cook but in the end this review is only for tonight and tonight simple was lacking. Now to the good points. Portions were sizable. I had fish and chips and enjoyed it (apart from the peas). Home made tartar was good but again barely enough for three pieces of fish. I did enjoy my meal though. Waiters were nice and quick to respond. Just annoying food didn't arrive at the table together. The mandatory tipping of 10% after service received wasn't really acceptable either. We felt cheated afterwards. I wouldn't recommend this place. The prices were too high for quality served.

Good ale, but expensive, even for city centre.

Over £6 a pint. This pub takes the piss. They're not in the centre of London. Really are taking advantage of customers. £6.05 for a pint of timmy Taylor landlord 😡

Delicious dinner, marvelous atmosphere

Delicious food in an even better setting! The pub is stunning and full of history! They have a large dining area at the back of the pub which is quieter and more suitable for eating. We all ordered different things from the menu and every dish was fantastic! There were no leftovers from anyone! The service was quick and friendly and the atmosphere was great. About a 10 minute walk from New Street station and really close to the West Midlands Police Museum.

Edit review: came back here after a while and had to go back to 5 stars. Service excellent. Beer excellent and the pie was outstanding. So much great flavour. Edit review: had to go back to 4 stars as the food wasn't great. Ordered boneless chicken and it was basically all batter and no chicken. Pints are always great and the Guinness is still top notch. Nice place with decent beer, not that pricey would recommend a visit. Updated to 5 stars on recent visit. Excellent beer, great service and good food. The guinness is brilliant one of the best poured in Birmingham from here.

From booking table to leaving, everything was perfect. Made to feel very welcome, such friendly staff. A party of 7 celebrating a 80th birthday. Food was delicious, great varied menu, good portions & piping hot. An exemplary experience, all credit to the lovely team Thank you

Lovely pub, great beers and great range of drinks, good service but average food. Still love it in here though.

Pie, mash, and a pint for just under twenty quid in an absolutely gorgeous setting.

Beautiful old building, no loud music, friendly staff, wonderful food, the cleanest glasses I've ever seen! Nothing to improve....10/10

Pleasant efficient friendly staff

Food was out of this world and loved the dessert

Beer well kept too many coming soon and not on

Visited whilst completing the Birmingham mystery guides. We'd had a great walk and stopped for lunch. Had the fish finger sandwich. Fish goujons on sandwich were fantastic. Had with chips and pint of Nicholsons pale ale.

rlly nice curtains. pints edging towards pricey but Nice.

I arrived at the pub at around lunch time. It was packed, there were floods of people it took around 10 mins to get a drink. But the alcohol selection is exemplary and the staff are very kind. I however did not bother to have food but I saw the food coming out of the kitchen and it looked scrumptious. The pub itself is very old fashioned and look like a good old British pub. Will I come back again? Probably.

One of the best pubs in Birmingham city centre. Good range of real ales, craft beers and spirits. Friendly service. Beautiful interior.