The Court of Requests

Great bar. Staff and food. Yep it’s a spoons but one of the best I’ve done. The place is fascinating with a nice all courtyard garden. Staff are excellent. Children welcome. Job done.

A Library converted to a pub and this has produced a small cosy Weatherspoons which is relatively popular, just a pity the competition closed down the adjoining grade 2 listed pub adjacent which was far superior in terms of cosy but which couldn’t compete with price.

Just to be absolutely clear, yes this is a Wetherspoons pub. BUT it both needs and deserves pointing out and bigging up because it is by far the best pub in Oldbury.
This place opened sometime towards the end of 2011 and uses what was once the local library and, before that, the local court. Apparently the holding cells are still extant upstairs. The walls and pillars are lined with real, hardback books (not just spines like I’ve seen done before) so if you’re waiting for someone, you can pick one up and have a flick through. There’s also an open fire for cold days. Wetherspoons apparently spent something like £1 million on this place, and it shows as it’s the warmest and most well-​decorated one of their chain in the area that I’ve ever been to.
The staff are all extremely friendly and polite. In fact their the friendliest of any Wetherspoons staff I’ve ever met. The beer is well kept and there’s always a good selection of guest ales. The only Wetherspoons I’ve been in that’s as good is the one in Llandudno and that’s because their food is delicious. I’ve eaten here a couple of times and I’d say avoid the cheap menu if you expect anything other than cheap food, but apart from that I cannot fault the place.