Eats
A total of 20 Greater Manchester pubs have been named among the best in the UK
We'd easily double it, but fine...
Danny Jones -
4th July 2025 
A new round-up of the so-called ‘best pubs in the country’ has been published online, and you’ll be glad to hear that 20 different pubs from the Greater Manchester area have made it onto the list.
We’d argue a bunch more should have made it on there, personally, but we’ll take it.
Shared by The Telegraph this week, the list doesn’t include Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, but nevertheless, it does go on to name a whopping 500 UK pubs, of which 20 of those are here in our particular part of the world. Proud.
So, breaking the collection up into areas ordered alphabetically, here are what the outlet considers some of the best pubs in the nation.
The Great-er Manchester boozers that made it into ‘The 500 Best Pubs in England’
1. Fletcher Moss – Didsbury
Up first on our list is a south Manchester favourite: Fletcher Moss pub down in Didsbury Village, which may just have one of the best gardens in all the boroughs. Noting the refurb that’s taken it from another traditional pub to a local classic, they’re not wrong.
It also happens to be one of the busiest stops on the famous Didsbury Dozen pub crawl.
2. The White House – Littleborough
You have to head up to the reaches of Rochdale to find this testament to old Lancashire tucked away in the rolling hills – a proper old school, country-style pub.
“This brick-built former coaching inn has a predictably sublime view, and attracts diners by the dozen as a result, but the beer is pretty reliable too”, according to the outlet.
3. The Angel, Manchester
Once a forgotten pub on a quiet corner sat frustratingly close to an otherwise busy part of town, The Angel Pub reopened back in 2019 after nearly seven whole decades away from the Manc boozing scene.
As per the paper: “In a city that rarely forgets to tell you how it does things differently, The Angel charts its own course.”
@the Angel Pub #Manchester a great place for an afternoon drink
— Andy (@Lets_getcycling) May 1, 2025
With some great reading material too#Mildmagic pic.twitter.com/Ou4CkSXC1v
4. The Britons Protection – Manchester city centre
Moving into the city centre now, and we have the legendary Britons Protection, which is also one of the oldest and most iconic pubs we have to our name.
The Telegraph said, simply: “Come for the tiled corridor, with its vivid images of the Peterloo Massacre, stay for the atmosphere.” We’d also wager it happens to be one of the best cosy pubs in all of Manchester city centre. We can’t afford to lose it.
5. The Castle Hotel – Manchester
Now just down the road to NQ and to a place known for great Guinness, live music in an intimate setting, a joyous jukebox selection and a close-packed but pretty interior. They said that “Northern Quarter is not short of places for a drink, but few are as effortlessly comfortable as the Castle Hotel.”
We couldn’t agree more, and as a bonus, it’s also a place where things like this happen:
6. The Circus Tavern – Manchester
Famed as the smallest bar in Europe (by which we mean the actual bar, not the size of the pub itself, which is a common misconception), The Circus Tavern on Portland Street is a little gem in every sense.
You can find out more about the cool history behind it down below:
7. The City Arms – Manchester
Not too far away from there in the city centre, you’ll find the stunning City Arms, which – alongside its next-door neighbour, The Vine Inn – has one of the best ‘punters spilling out onto the street after work’ communities you’ll find in Manchester.
The Tele writes: “The City Arms sits in the middle of a Mancunian pub one-two-three on Kennedy Street, sandwiched between The Vine and The Waterhouse. It’s the best of the three, in my opinion, largely because the beer is so good.”
8. The Marble Arch – Manchester
Ok, up next is ‘r Daisy’s favourite pub in central Manchester and maybe of all time: the marvellous Marble Arch, which is a gorgeous Grade II-listed building over on Rochdale Road.
They described it as having played arguably “a bigger role in Manchester’s brewing renaissance over the past thirty years” than perhaps any other boozer.
@the.manc Friday means a pint is needed, so Daisy took us to her favourite pub The Marble Arch 🍻 #manchesterpubs #manchesterbars #manchesternightout #fyp ♬ Aesthetic – Tollan Kim
9. The Grey Horse Inn – Manchester
Literally spitting distance from the aforementioned Circus Tavern, The Grey Horse Inn has a lot of similar charm, as well as plenty of Manc, and more specifically, Manchester United memorabilia plastered all over the gaff.
“The Grey Horse is run by Hyde’s, one of Manchester’s four traditional family breweries. It might be the best place in the city centre to try their beers; it’s certainly one of the cosiest, with a wood-panelled bar and plenty of comfortable seating.”
10. The Hare and Hounds – Manchester
In at number nine is what they sell as a “city-centre classic that hums with Mancunian warmth”, and while it may be one of what feels like countless Hare and Hounds up and down the UK, this one can be over on Shudehill.
Situated right near The Lower Turks Head – another boozer we believe should have been on this list – it may not be the biggest, most different or most eye-catching from the outside, but inside is a proper pub.
11. Peveril of the Peak – Manchester
“It fulfils all the pub cliches: warm welcome, good beer, cosy atmosphere. The tiled exterior is a delight, too.” To be honest, this doesn’t nearly do it justice. That glistening green institution not only boasts the longest-serving landlord in the city but also some of the best Guinness in Manchester.
There’s something special about joining the crowd leaning against its walls or sitting on the benches in the shade of its solitary tree. We can’t quite explain it, but it’s always been loved and always will be. It has a cool history behind it, too.
12. Salisbury Ale House – Manchester
Now this one gets a hard agree from us. The Salisbury over on ‘Little Ireland’ is a truly brilliant boozer, and the steps leading down to it are possibly some of the most photographed in the entire city.
With a legendary albeit very loud playlist, it’s a regular haunt for both before and after gigs, even serving up pizza from their in-house brand ‘Dough161’ (very good), which is best enjoyed out back in their little back-alley beer garden.
13. Smithfield Market Tavern – Manchester
Back to Northern Quarter now and just on the edge of Ancoats, where you’ll find Smithfield Market Tavern. We firmly believe the neighbouring Rose and Monkey rivals it too, but we can certainly see why it made it onto The Telegraph‘s list.
As they put it: “The pub itself is modern but not jarringly so, with sofas, low tables and pub games, plus plenty of excellent beer, much of it produced at Blackjack’s brewery less than half a mile away.”
14. The Baum – Rochdale
Ok, that’s us done with the city centre; we’re heading out back Rochdale way now to what has been described as a ‘hidden gem’ here in Greater Manchester, even if that term is being thrown around at will these days. Here’s what The Telegraph had to say:
“This place is as pubby as it gets, all dark wood, hand pumps and Victorian beer vessels above the bar (although there is a brighter, conservatory area at the back). Food is a big part of the Baum’s business: when I visited recently, I had rag pudding, a tasty Lancashire dish not unlike steak pudding.”
15. The Eagle Inn – Salford
Onto Salford now, and a cult favourite watering hole that also happens to serve as a rich hub for the independent music and arts scene. It may be surrounded by ever-more cranes and skyscrapers, but that pretty little piano and backroom are still perfect.
The Tele says, “It’s a little tucked away, certainly, but for good beer and interesting music, you’d have to go a long way to beat it.” Pretty much nail on the head, to be fair.
16. The New Oxford – Salford
Quite possibly one of the prettiest refurbishments that’s taken place in Greater Manchester in recent times, and most certainly one of the best pubs in Salford full stop, backed by an Irishman who knows his stuff and has even had fixtures from the ‘Emerald Isle’ shipped over to make a statement.
The brilliant little boozer on Bexley Square has a fantastic range of beer, ales, whiskey and more from all over, and when the sun’s got his hat on, you won’t find many better places to sit and soak it up.
17. Stalybridge Station Buffet Bar – Stalybridge
It can seem odd sometimes to see odd to see broadsheet covering quiet corners like this one in Tameside, but anyone who really knows there’s stuff is confident that Stalybridge has an up-and-coming scene all of its own – which is why this is seen as one of the best pubs in Greater Manchester.
“High-class station pubs are relatively common across the North and Midlands now, most of them based in revitalised and repurposed station buildings. None of the others, though, is quite like the Stalybridge Station Buffet Bar, which is both authentically Victorian and has a genuine pub flavour.”
They know a thing or two about drinking around here, and we’d recommend this spot as well…
18. The Magnet Freehouse – Stockport
As we approach the end, we arrive in familiar territory, as it isn’t the first time we’ve written about the underrated and what was an unsung public house, but has steadily become a name that’s used to getting accolades from various directions.
Here’s what they say about it: “This sturdy whitewashed pub located by the clattering, humming Wellington Road is one of the best places to drink beer in England.”
19. The Northumberland Arms – Stockport
Nearly done, just two more and the penultimate pick by the paper is the final one in SK: The Northumberland Arms up in Marple Bridge, a community-owned treehouse which is, indeed, nothing short of a belter.
The Telegraph said the following: “‘The Thumb’, as locals know it, is a freehouse with a traditional feel, offering pop-up food options, social clubs – from darts to running – and, of course, high-class beer.” The clue’s in what natives consider its full name: community pub.
20. The Swan & Railway Hotel – Wigan
Last but not least, we pop over to another old bastion where Lancashire meets Greater Manchester and what The Telegraph believes is one of the best in Wigan and in England altogether, adding: “There are so many marvellous details inside the Swan and Railway that it is hard to pick just a few.”
It’s fitting that we end on one that we haven’t yet had the pleasure of trying because we promise that, just like you should, we’re going to make it our mission to try it for ourselves.
Cheers.
Read more:
- Upcoming Manc food hall House of Social confirms final kitchen ahead of opening
- Highballer – Stockport Market Place’s new bar from the brains behind Cherry Jam
- The first new tenant of Manchester’s old Debenhams department store has been confirmed
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Featured Images — The Manc Group/The Manc Eats
