Five points for identifying what’s odd about the photo above.
The Official US/UK New Year Pub Crawl of Manchester contained some expected names (but oddly not the Lost Dene).
Our motley crew met up at the Lower Turks Head, but I ducked out in favour of another scolding coffee at Home Sweet Home and a rush to the Marble Arch to find a spare table.
Look ! Free tables.
As someone said on Twitter, perhaps the first time that mosaic floor has been visible.
I did that Amateur Drinker thing and tried to reserve a couple of tables with manbags and coats. BRAPA would have disowned me. It wasn’t necessary either.
I’ve only ever been to the Marble Arch a few times, always before City matches when you struggle for standing room but the Dobber compensates for that hardship.
No Dobber today, so I get to have an unwitty discussion with the nice barman about full Pints.
It’s a decent, easy drinking Pale that goes down too quickly and I end up having a half of Stout (decanted into the pint glass, of course), which is an easy NBSS 4.
The one problem with a crawl with interesting people is that you speak more and observe less; it’s why Simon makes me stand outside in the cold while he’s inside taking notes for his award winning blog.
So all I can really tell you is that assorted Mudgies and Yanks and Lukes enjoyed it as much as I did.
A classy, classic pub, from the 60s pop to the sumptuous seating and silky stouts. But.., time to bring back Dobber, eh ?
retiredmartin 
Looks like the sun’s shining in that first photo. Are you sure it’s the Marble Arch in Manchester and not some sort of meticulously detailed reconstruction in Corfu or somewhere?
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“Five points for identifying what’s odd about the photo above.” There’s no people? When I arrived less than ten minutes after opening there already c.25 people in there, and had to queue at the bar :-(.
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Correct. One and only time.
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What’s always impressed me is that even though it’s busy the speed of service is good. Sign of a decent pub.
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Well,unusually for your blog there’s no cat,collection tin,strange bloke with long hair,quirky bog sign,old concert poster or pashmina in sight.
However I suspect that’s not enough to earn me my five points.
Lovely looking boozer,mind.
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Maybe what’s odd about the photo above is that the floor looks to be on the level.
Do you keep a proper list of your Top Hundred Pubs to avoid the risk of the next one being the 101st ?
The Marble Arch is far from my favourite Manchester pub but I did suggest that it would be all downhill after the Hare and Hounds.
Our old friend in Sussex did though comment very favourably about the Marble Arch, even remembering it’s name and town, and so it must be on a par with all of Tim’s venues.
I might have had a meal there – to keep me going between the Lost Dene and the Angel – if they used proper plates.
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I’m guessing Paul that Cafe Beermoth wasn’t your thing?
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Citra,
No, over a fiver for a half isn’t really my thing.
But it was good beer ( and it wasn’t my round )
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There’s 378 in the Top 100.
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There doesn’t seem to be much, if any, blue in the first pic. The doorway appears pale brown in it, but almost black in the later one. Is it a fault or a filter?
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Aliens.
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Unless they were invited, that’ll be “fault”, then.
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That mosaic floor is fantastic -I follow a Facebook group called Doorstep Mosaics & they would wet themselves over that (not literally obvs -must get that image out of my head ! )
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Pauline,
Yes, that fantastic mosaic floor and Tim’s jazzy carpets – there’s just no comparison.
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Whats odd with the picture? There is bright light shining through the windows, everyone knows its always raining and overcast in Manchester!
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Southerner.
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The sun shines on the righteous.
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Prices of the pints – ouch!
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I guess coming from Cambridge I don’t notice that. £4.20 – £5 the norm round here.
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The Marble Arch has evolved somewhat over the last few years, beer offerings wise. It seems that they do only deal in (with the exception of lager and cider) their own beers.
Always thought it was odd they gave up quite a bit of space to guests when I first started going in but since the redid the bar area, font lines and wickets, it seems they’ve gone fully for being a tap – which makes sense given the competition these days.
Before it became a thing I once made it in for 3pm on a Friday and all the tables were free. Posties blocked the bar back then.
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I can’t remember guests, but I actually think offering guest beers when you’re a brewery running a pub is daft. CAMRA folk who whine about Greene King pubs selling Greene King beers are killing quality. First out the taps their cask was good to superb, rarely say that.
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BP,
“Posties blocked the bar back then” – yes, there have been posties in most times I’ve used the pub.
Replace their beers with Holdens and their bucket food with pork baps on proper plates and it would be Manchester’s Great Western. .
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This was one of my favorite pubs in Manchester and I think Joan’s second favorite. We had dinner there a few nights earlier and were treated really well. Great staff and perfect ambiance. I could not tell how well you liked the pub RM. Nice to see it in the Top 100. I think the same.
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Tell you what. I think it’s a great pub. Probably the first one I’d take a visitor. I thought the food was very disappointing compared to a couple of previous visits, but it was half-price so I’m not complaining. It just looked a bit cheap and measly on the plate. The Stout was nectar, the staff lovely.
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What was Joan’s favourite ?
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“Five points for identifying what’s odd about the photo above.”
They’ve got their ceiling lights on in the middle of the day?
“As someone said on Twitter, perhaps the first time that mosaic floor has been visible.”
Ah. I guessed… poorly. 🙂
“Ceiling shot”
Crikey! Over 22 quid for a two litre growler? Over here a growler is 64oz and costs about 7 quid.
“I did that Amateur Drinker thing and tried to reserve a couple of tables with manbags and coats. ”
Taking a page out of the Germans and their beach towel/poolside chaise lounge thingy.
“it’s why Simon makes me stand outside in the cold while he’s inside taking notes for his award winning blog.”
Pfft. You don’t go in with Simon because you’ll know you’ll wind up in a leading role in his post. 🙂
“No excuse for the chips straight after breakfast, but…”
It was still technically the holidays so it doesn’t count.
“Lacings spectacular”
You certainly have a knack for doing that. 😉
Cheers
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Youre right about Simon !
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Manchester is a city that I’ve travelled through on numerous occasions, but hardly ever stopped. I’ll be staying for a night there this summer. I might make it two. The selection of proper pubs seems impressive.
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The Marble Arch is one of those pubs I dream of visiting one day; that and Britons Protection and Peveril of the Peak. The fact that people on your crawl were able to go to all three in one day (as well as other worthies, no doubt) makes me feel I’m living on the wrong side of the Atlantic!
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One day, Mark.
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