I visited a tiny pub in Birmingham and the beer garden blew my mind

It’s impossible to walk ten steps along Harborne Street without coming across a cool pub, trendy bar or cute restaurant. The nightlife in Birmingham’s poshest suburb is thriving, but it was a working night and I only went out for a quiet one.

Keen to try somewhere new, we ducked behind M&S in search of a little pub we’d heard of but never visited – the Hop Garden. Diddy boozer is just off the main road on Metchley Lane so it’s easy to miss if you don’t know it’s there.

If it weren’t for the beer kegs out front and the wooden sign above the door, we might have mistaken the unassuming gray building for another house on the residential street. It was starting to rain so we ducked inside for shelter and a pint.

Read more: Birmingham’s best beer gardens to enjoy in the sun

I had never seen a drink like it. The place was so small that I found myself bending over to get through the door, even though I didn’t need to. A large wooden bar that filled half the room was framed by multicolored pendant lights, and the pumps along the front were labeled with brands of beer I’d never heard of.

An archway led to another – but only slightly larger – room, complete with wooden floors, rustic paneled walls covered in lights, and wooden tables and chairs to match. Remember when everyone was building pubs in their garden sheds during the lockdown? Well, this is how I imagine it might look inside if you had the budget and creativity to do it right. It felt warm and intimate.

To my left was a craft beer fridge filled with unusual brews from independent breweries, including a salted brownie caramel stout that caught my eye, guest beers listed on a specials board above over our heads and a sign on the bar telling us that every Tuesday was board game night. Gardening tools hanging on the back wall added to the ambiance of the whole garden shed.

I was feeling adventurous and ordered Pulp Pornstar Martini Cider (3.4%), which the bartender friend had to bring from the back, and my husband had a pint of Attic Beams Golden Ale (4.8%). The round came to £9.70.

We had just set down our drinks on one of the few free tables (the place was surprisingly busy for a Thursday night) when a woman at the next table leaned over as if she was about to tell us a secret. “There’s a big beer garden out back, you know,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. “You should take a look.”

I didn’t like sitting outside in the rain, but I was intrigued enough to at least take a look, so I thanked the stranger for the tip and headed out the back door. It led onto a sheltered patio that housed a few tables and benches with ivy and twinkling lights wrapped around wooden beams. Shrubs grew in pots and planters along the edge.

It was safe enough, but not exactly great, I thought – until I realized that the road kept going. Tucked away at the back was a second outdoor seating area with several rattan tables and chairs. Curiosity led us down some paved steps, and my jaw dropped when I spotted yet another stretch—a grassy lawn dotted with picnic benches and overhead lights.

Next to it, a long annex held more tables and a few booths. A few families sat inside playing The Simpsons on the big screen and I imagined how wonderful it would be to watch the Euros here in the summer.

After a quick pile, we were seated at a table at the back of the cozy patio, right next to a hatch serving wood-fired pizza that looked and smelled incredible. It took all the restraint I could muster not to order a second dinner.

It wasn’t beer garden weather – far from it – but we happily spent an hour there under the heaters, sipping our locally produced brews and enjoying the atmosphere. The Hop Garden had been full of surprises. The few pub-goers I saw venture outside wore the same stunned facial expression I had no doubt had an hour earlier.

You’d never guess from the street outside that this little pub held such a colossal beer garden Tardis in the back, with nooks hidden in every corner. When the sun shines, I will rush back to experience the space in all its glory.

I visited the pub anonymously and all articles were paid for by the reviewer.