Duke Inn

Wonderful old school pub, the like of which you rarely encounter these days. The Duke is tucked away down a side street near the Empire cinema and is certainly worth searching out — a refreshing change from Sutton’s often corporate drinking experience.

When the sun is shining get yourself down here!
The Duke is a lovely little pub, hidden just out of Sutton town centre. It may only be dinky but it makes up for it with a huge garden at its rear. I have spent a lot of summer days sipping on a crisp pint, doing the crossword and colouring my cheeks here.
The pub itself belongs to the locals but they are willing to share it with you, dartboard and all. The main room contains the bar and there is a smaller side room, great for meeting up with friends and having a catch up. Keep an eye out for the hatch to order your drinks through, I always feel special getting served here.
If you do venture out into the garden you may need some sun cream as the breeze is deceptive and you’ll come out of here with a rosy nosey. No other pub in Sutton offers such a garden so grab your mates, an old football, your wallet (as the prices here are a bit of an eyebrow lifter) and let yourself have a great afternoon.
It’s a really good old-​fashioned pub that has a real mix of regulars. The old fella by the door who has been sitting there for 20 years, a young couple with their two kids, some friends fancying a decent pint and then little old me. There’s not many of these pubs around anymore so appreciate it whilst it’s here…

Scampi Fries, darts, non-​Sky telly, salt n vinegar crisps to take a layer of skin off your mouth… This is one of the best pubs in town: A lovely last stand as its peers lay down to die.
It’s not the cheapest way to sink a pint — a Kronenbourg, one of only two draught lagers, costs you about £3.80 — but admittedly, being relatively hidden away from Sutton’s main commercial strips, it can’t rely on passing trade.
Rather it is patronised by regulars who return for the pub’s non-​chain sincerity and staff who, with efficiency and an unshakeable sense of who is next in turn, rightly treat pint-​pulling as a job rather than a hassle.
The bar is fine, but it is the lounge — complete with old paintings of turn-​of-​the-​last-​century sports — which helps the pub come into its own and feel like something you may come across quite easily in London but hardly ever in Birmingam.
What really sets the pub apart is its huge garden; a massive draw in warm weather. At its worst, it can feel like an outdoor crèche as kids run around with balls, but any complaint has more to do with selfishness that a little suburban oasis is not only your secret but that of an entire town. This may well be the best pub in Sutton Coldfield; its charms a nice antidote to paying nearly £4 for its best lager. It’s a credit to those who run it and work therein.