ALL THE PUBS IN THE MANCHESTER BEER BOOK No. 3 – MR. THOMAS’S CHOP HOUSE

February 2024. Manchester.

Monday lunchtime in central Manchester.

“Paul’s possible pubs” focused on heritage, and our 3rd of the day took us past some classic Mancunian architecture to a heritage pub I’d failed to visit. Ever.

I’d failed a year ago because Mr Thomas’s Chop House was completely packed, even for drinkers,

but on a Monday lunchtime in February we had free reign.

More restaurant with bar than pub, but a half dozen well dressed city folk at the bar, which had rather a mismatch on the pumps.

Who, apart from me, picks the beer with a handwritten clip ?

Actually, two pints of Boltmaker it was. I reckon those two pints cost rather more than the two in the Hare & Hounds, but it was short measure that accounts for Paul’s face.

The Tim Taylor wasn’t bad, and I counted half a dozen poured in 20 minutes, which isn’t bad.

My main gripe was the temperature. It was so cold, particularly after the warmth of the previous two pubs.

The defacing of the City player in the Gents didn’t help my view, either.

Still, lovely looking place,

and a tick’s a tick.

Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

28 thoughts on “ALL THE PUBS IN THE MANCHESTER BEER BOOK No. 3 – MR. THOMAS’S CHOP HOUSE”

    1. I’m drafting these posts on my phone, never ideal for collecting my thoughts, but one thing to say was it had quite a few upmarket drinkers standing at the bar, more than diners, oddly.

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      1. A lot of the subscribers have been beefing about the lack of detail in the recent posts. Not sure if you have access to the subscriber Facebook page.

        The pictures really make it look like a great place to have a quiet drink. It was a madhouse when we went in and quickly left.

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  2. You must have come into some money Martin. The beer is very expensive, but the wine is extortionate. Same applies to the sister pub Sams.

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      1. £11.50 meant £5.75 for a large glass of Boltmaker or about £7 a pint, double the £3.30 for Holts in the Hare and Hounds.

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      2. Dave,
        I can’t decide between the Hare and Hounds each day and discovering the Halfway House a Droylsdon

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      5. Take your arguments to Discourse !

        I assume Paul was meaning the pubs were closed on his visit. I’d pointed him towards the just reopened town hall with the Flying Horse opposite.

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      9. I’d say nearly everywhere – bar pockets – between the Trent and the Wear is grim, but many of us don’t mind grim that much.

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      11. Etu,
        But as one who can’t be doing with anywhere “inspiring” that’s why I spend so much time between the Trent and the Wear and always have done.

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      12. As I say, “pockets”, Martin.

        Paul, yes, and “authentic” is often best avoided too, depending – naturally – on what exactly it is, to which the word relates.

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  4. It looks amazing, but I’m sorry to say that during the four years that I lived in the Manchester area, I never once set foot in the place.

    The same applies to Sam’s Chop House, as well.

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  5. The Flyer would have been open as would The Baum, Hogarths and Pionero Lounge, but, common to micropubs anywhere, all 3 of our micopubs don’t open on Monday or Tuesday. Plus the Medicine Tap closed it’s doors just after Xmas.

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      1. Ah, sorry, I didn’t realise that you were there that early. Just the Pionero Lounge then, which opens at 9. Hogarths at 11.

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      3. I would have liked to see how Rochdale’s Hogarths compares to Stafford’s.

        I used eight pubs before the 3.55pm train on the Wednesday.
        Venues opening at 4pm haven’t got much chance of my custom but they might not have anything I’d want to drink.

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