retiredmartin

September 2026. Manchester.

Catching up with Mrs RM in Manchester after our respective trips I really wanted a proper meal, on a plate, with a pint, in a glass, in a pub.

Sometimes pub food in Manchester can mean pizza or bao buns or crisps, which is why the Abel Heywood is such a gem.

The local family brewers have gone upmarket since the smoking ban, a subject Pub Curmudgeon could always talk eloquently about.

Hyde’s Northern Quarter flagship* has a nice hotel, local styling (top), fancy seating,

and a fixed price lunch that would be seen as good value in most towns outside of Stafford or St Helens.

All pointless without good beer, and I reckon this is your best bet for Hyde’s Original and Lowry since they closed the Jolly Angler (boo !).

Cool, crisp, chewy pints (VERY GOOD),

expertly matched with comfort food of the highest quality.

And the place was packed, in a rare day Manchester itself was quiet. There’s a lesson there.

*_{I haven’t been to the Founders aka Dutton by the Town Hall since the refurb. Should I ?}