Inside Harcourt, the new Hong Kong-style pub that’s just opened in Altrincham
Brought to the Trafford market town by Hong Kongers Priscilla So and Brian Hung, it's far from a traditional British boozer - but that only adds to its charm.
A new pub has opened up in Altrincham, serving carefully chosen craft beers and wines alongside small plates inspired by Hong Kong’s street food scene.
From numbing morsels of spicy Szechuan pepper chicken kidneys to salted egg yolks with chips and deep-fried crispy prawn toast, whilst we know the whole point of a pub is that you don’t actually have to order any food, if you’re coming here you’d be a fool not to give it a go.
Called Harcourt Pub, inside it feels more like a cool Northern Quarter bar than an old-school boozer per se, with a snazzy green-tiled bar backlit by neons and a mix of seating options: ranging from high bar stools to four-top tables and low-slung leather couches and coffee tables.
A huge floor-to-ceiling window opens out onto the street and, as we tuck into generous helpings of sesame-topped prawn toast and crispy-bottomed dumplings, we feel the intrigued eyes of passersby moving over our sizeable feast.
It’s only been open for three weeks, but the new pub certainly seems to be catching the attention of curious locals already. Having made the 30-minute tram ride down from town, it’s not hard to see why.
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Crispy sesame prawn toast with salted egg yolk at Harcourt Pub. / Image: The Manc Eats
A plate of spicy and crunchy smacked cucumbers at Harcourt Pub. / Image: The Manc Eats
Brought to the Trafford market town by married Hong Kongers Priscilla So and Brian Hung, Harcourt draws on its owner’s experience working in the craft beer industry and, as a result, carries a pretty impeccable beer selection.
The pair came to the UK about a year before opening the pub and had both worked in breweries and beer shops before leaving Hong Kong. Once in Manchester, Brian soon got a job as a barrel ageing manager at Cloudwater Brewery and it was here that he reconnected with his now-business partner Kyle Wong.
Hanging around in the brewery taproom one day, he happened to overhear some customers chatting in Cantonese and to his surprise it was Kyle. The pair already knew each other from home, as Brian had frequented a craft beer bottle shop of Kyle’s when still living in Hong Kong.
After a few drinks, they settled on the idea of opening up their own pub – and as they say, the rest is history. Kyle’s wife Fiona Chan oversees the kitchen, making the whole thing a real family affair.
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Our sizeable feast at Harcourt Pub. / Image: The Manc Eats
Spicy numbing chicken kidneys at Harcourt Pub. / Image: The Manc Eats
With fourteen different craft beers on tap and two casks to choose from, local Manchester breweries are well represented here with familiar names like Cloudwater, Wander Beyond, Track and Pomona Island sitting alongside the likes of Deya, Wild Beer and Left Handed Giant.
When it comes to their tap list, everything is on rotation except for one lager, the Cloudwater Helles, which Priscilla firmly insists is the best beer of that style they have ever tried.
It’s been a while since we’ve had it, but after she pours us off a quick taster we can’t help but agree. It really is quite special: subtly zesty and herby, pouring a lightly hazy light golden with hints of grass and fruit mixed in. And you’ve always got to have a lager on, you know, for the lads.
Scouring the beer menu, there are some exciting choices including a milk stout from Wild Beer and US Cream Ale from Stubborn Mule. In the end, though, we settle on a fruity rhubarb and raspberry sour from Pomona and Track’s Double Hazy IPA to go with our meal.
Alongside the dumplings, numbing kidneys, and crispy prawn toast, we opt for thinly-sliced spiced beef shin and a soft-boiled egg topped with outrageously delicious pickles. Dessert, meanwhile, comes in the form of Hong Kong-style French toast served with a choice of either condensed milk or Golden syrup.
After some umming and erring, we opt for the syrup – a choice that is quickly validated by the staff, who tell us that’s their favourite, too. Paired with a third of Wander Beyond’s 12% Pastry Stout, we’re in pudding heaven.
A nostalgic favourite of Hong Kongers everywhere, Harcourt’s version featured bite-size cubes of eggy bread filled with peanut butter, topped with cubes of melting butter, and then drizzled in sweet, sickly, syrupy goodness.
Pan-fried chicken and vegetable dumplings. / Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
It’s only the second time we’ve had it, but we completely get the hype. This is a must-try dish, for sure, and a dish that can typically be found on the menu in any Hong Kong greasy spoon-style cafe.
Now, there’s no denying that we Brits have a special relationship with the pub. In fact, we practically invented it. Having inherited the concept from the Romans, we’ve spent centuries honing it into a fine art.
That said, we certainly don’t have the monopoly on the concept anymore – so if you’re getting bored of Scampi Fries and pints of bitter we strongly recommend you give Harcourt Pub a try. You won’t regret it.
Feature image – The Manc Eats
Food & Drink
First look inside Social Osteria, Stockport’s buzzy new Italian restaurant
Lydia Mastrolonardo
That’s right Stopfordians – we’re gaining yet another brand new addition to our town’s blooming food and drink scene, as Social Osteria opens its doors at Weir Mill.
It’s safe to say we’re in good hands, with the geniuses behind The Social Trattoria, named best Trattoria at the Italian Awards UK 2025, being the ones to bring this new taste of Italy to South Manchester.
Just because we are no longer experiencing the weather to match an Italian summer, doesn’t mean we can’t continue eating like we’re there.
Social Osteria can now be found overlooking the River Mersey, as a beautiful 2,000 sq ft space within the buzzing new canalside development, fully equipped with the classic exposed red brickwork, vaulted ceilings and even the restored original kiln.
As you approach the restaurant, you are greeted by a sunken courtyard and riverside seating, making for the perfect alfresco dining spot, when the warmer weather finally rolls back around.
With the meaning of Osteria being an Italian tavern, for locals to gather and enjoy each other’s company, good wine and honest, flavourful food – the team have stayed true to the name. You can expect dim, ambient lighting, an open kitchen, fresh small plates, flavourful 48-hour pizzas, and traditional pasta.
Vibrant dishes at Social Osteria in Stockport. Credit: The Manc Group
This glamorous new restaurant is promising a spectacular menu, from cacio e pepe butter beans to guanciale topped pizzas and their very own slow-cooked beef shin and pork shoulder paccheri ragu, you know we’re in the right place.
With Italian food running in the family, the team’s cooking practices are rooted in traditional methods, passed down through the generations and then presented to us, with the freshest of ingredients.
It suits Capital&Centric, who’ve taken the same approach to Weir Mill itself – embracing the character of the historic mill whilst transforming it into a vibrant community, for generations to come.
Inside Social Osteria at Weir Mill. Credit: The Manc Group
Set below Stockport’s iconic viaduct, the £60m neighbourhood is now home to 253 apartments alongside bustling cafés, wine bars and stunning restaurants akin to Social Osteria, accompanied by plenty of outdoor seating, green spaces, and riverside viewpoints.
Where Osteria Social now calls home is part of Stockport’s £1 billion Town Centre West masterplan, adding to the town’s growing reputation as one of the best locations to live in the UK.
Social Osteria will officially open Thursday 22 October, at Weir Mill. Be sure to book your tables early as we fear this one might get a little booked up.
Traitors star and comedian Joe Lycett is putting cash behind the bar at two Manchester pubs
Daisy Jackson
Comedian Joe Lycett is putting money behind the bar at two Manchester pubs this week, as he continues to encourage people to get out and support their local boozers.
The TV favourite – who is also currently one of the stars on The Traitors – announced the news as he bid farewell to his fictional TV pub The Lycett Arms.
On the show, he said: “There are 45,000 pubs in the UK – go and give them some love.”
Joe Lycett then proceeded to list 30 brilliant pubs up and down the country, including two in Manchester, and announced that the drinks are on him this week.
He told audiences: “[This] Friday I’ll be putting a little bit of money behind the bar in all the pubs you’ve just seen. I hope you can have a drink on me.”
The pubs he picked out in Manchester are the iconic old boozer The Peveril of the Peak, and the excellent pub and comedy venue The Old Monkey.
The Peveril of the Peak on Great Bridgewater Street is a real icon in the city centre, with its green tiled exterior and its cosy interiors.
Until recently, it was run by legendary local landlady Nancy Swanick, who died in July at the age of 96.
The Peveril of the Peak pub in ManchesterInside The Pev
Commenting on Joe Lycett’s post about his pub offer, they wrote: “You are all more than welcome at The Pev. Give me a shout and I will sort you out with a pie, Joe.”
The Old Monkey, meanwhile, is famed for its comedy nights run by Trapdoor Comedy Club, and for its open mic sessions, as well as award-winning beers.
The Portland Street pub has also very kindly agreed to match Joe Lycett’s donation, which means double the budget for pints for Mancs.
Georgina Pellant -
10th February 2023 
