The Wellington on Bennetts Hill: what to order and when to go

The Wellington, 37 Bennetts Hill, B2 5SN, is open 10am to midnight every day. It is a real ale pub with no kitchen, so bring food or have a takeaway sent in. Walk in, no booking needed. Locals call it the Welly. Over 18s only.

What it is

The Wellington sits at the top of Bennetts Hill, the street that runs between New Street and Colmore Row, in the Colmore Business District. The pub’s own site lists 17 real ales, five traditional ciders and perries and over 150 whiskies. CAMRA counts 29 handpumps across two floors. Pick whichever figure you like: either way it is a lot of beer. Time Out gives it four stars out of five and calls it an unpretentious old-school boozer.

Landlord Nigel Barker opened it in December 2004, a week before Christmas, with 10 handpulls and a queue on the doorstep. He had moved from Derby to run a pub in Aston and was fed up with the lack of real ale choice in the city centre. CAMRA says the same landlord has been in charge for over 20 years. In its first year the pub says it sold 2,610 different ales, which it believes is more than any other pub in the UK. It won Birmingham CAMRA Pub of the Year more than once in the 2000s.

The building is Grade II listed, dating from about 1868 to 1870, with a stucco Italianate front. Inside you get stained glass and wood panelling. There is also a blue plaque for William Haywood, the architect and planner who had offices here and was Secretary of the Birmingham Civic Society from 1918 to 1947.

What to order

• Black Country Ales regulars: BFG (Bradley’s Finest Golden, 4.2%, a golden ale), Pig on the Wall (4.3%, a dark mild) and Fireside (5.0%, a best bitter). The pub belongs to the Black Country Ales family.
• Other regulars per CAMRA: Hook Norton Old Hooky, Oakham Citra and Wye Valley HPA. The upstairs bar regularly serves Titanic Plum Porter.
• Whisky: more than 150, including Scotch, bourbon and Japanese blends.
• If beer is not the plan: continental bottles and cans such as Andechs Hell (4.8%) and Brugse Zot (6%), gluten-free beers, vegan-friendly drinks including Lyme Bay fruit wines, and alcohol-free Beck’s Blue.

Start at the Beer Board, a giant screen listing what is on. Gluten-free and vegan guests are flagged on it. One reviewer noted the ales are rated by colour, from A for pale to E for porters and stouts, which makes choosing easier when you are faced with a wall of options.

When to go

• Before 1pm: the Early Bird takes £1 off a pint of BFG or Pig on the Wall, every day.
• Weekday or early afternoon: the calmer option, according to The Rooftop Guide.
• After work and sunny afternoons: go early if you want the roof terrace. It has a retractable roof, so it works all year, and a screen for sport.
• First Wednesday of the month: Cheese Night, except January and December. People bring a cheese to share and each night raises money for charity.
• Sunday: CAMRA says there is a regular quiz.

Time Out suggests the Wellington works well as part of an evening bar crawl in the area.

Prices, food and practicalities

The Rooftop Guide puts pints from around £5. There is no kitchen: you can bring your own food or order a takeaway, and the pub provides plates, cutlery and condiments. CAMRA adds that cobs are available. Walk-ins are standard. The pub takes function bookings and has a second-floor function room for hire. CAMRA lists disabled access and WiFi. The upstairs bar opens from 12pm and, per CAMRA, is cash only, so carry some.

For getting there, the pub describes itself as minutes from New Street and Snow Hill stations, and the tram stops at Grand Central or Town Hall. Do not confuse it with the Wellington Hotel on Bristol Street, which is a separate listed pub.

For after

Walk down towards Chamberlain Square, B3, for Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. Admission is free. It has the Pre-Raphaelite galleries, the Staffordshire Hoard Gallery and the Birmingham History Galleries. Check opening days first: Birmingham World reported that term-time opening was cut to Wednesday to Sunday from February 2026, and the museum lists 10am to 5pm with last entry at 4.45pm. That makes it a Wednesday to Sunday plan, not a Monday one.

More detail on the pub is on its own website, and the CAMRA entry is here. The museum is listed on the Birmingham Museums site.