We’re very lucky here in Greater Manchester to have so many wonderful pubs and restaurants right on our doorstep but when it comes to the very specific locale of waterside spots, we think you’ll find it very hard to beat The Wharf.
Considered by many as the jewel not only Castlefield‘s culinary crown but the pinnacle of canalside hospitality, The Wharf has been open under its current name for over a decade now and has gradually built up one of the most adoring customer bases any business could ask for.
Although the pub itself was opened back in 1998 as Jackson’s Wharf, it wasn’t until its regeneration in 2012 that it truly found its footing in the local food and drink scene, going from strength to strength ever since becoming part of the Brunning and Price family.
You only have to check our favourite pub or favourite beer garden series to see it crop up and you can bet we’re by no means the only ones shouting about it.
Just like the man says (it’s me, I’m the man), The Wharf‘s beer garden is so popular for a reason: it’s big, beautiful and situated right next to a picturesque corner of the Bridgewater Canal, soaking up the rays for hours on end whenever they decide to grace us with their presence.
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It’s this combo, plus the fact it’s knitted perfectly into its green and pleasant surroundings, that makes it feel like something ripped straight out of a postcard from some idyllic little village in the country. Only it’s not, it’s just a short walk down the canal from the city centre.
Whenever it gets really nice and summery, they really push the boat out – pun very much intended – with their outside bar and dedicated cocktail hut, open Thursday-Sunday every week in spring and summer, which serves all manner of seasonal concoctions, as well as all the classics.
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It also means you don’t have to leave the comfort of the sun-soaked terrace even for a second, not to mention it helps service flow smoother as they split the crowds between this and the indoor bar.
Undoubtedly one of the best beer gardens in town.They nail cosy interiors too.(Credit: The Manc Eats/The Wharf)
Gastro pub goals with a superb Sunday roast
But even when the big yellow thing does go back into hiding as we know it does most of the year here in our corner of the North West, we’d also wager The Wharf is up there with one of the cosiest pubs you’ll find in and around Manchester city centre.
From the homely and inviting interior spread across two floors, with a raging fire and comfy little nooks for you to cosy up with your dog, to the now tipi-covered outdoor seating area with plenty of heaters to keep the outside just as welcoming, it – but it’s that food that truly warms up the cockles inside.
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Be it their legendary fish and chips that is quite literally bigger than your arm, hearty homemade pies and rustic but refined classics you’d expect from a traditional boozer, to lighter and seasonal small plates or their equally stunning Sunday roasts, we’ve never once left here feeling anything but fully satisfied.
You’ll find decent pub grub all over Greater Manchester, but you won’t find many that do it to the kind of standard The Wharf has consistently delivered for years now.
A proper pub with a community feel – in every sense of the word
Whether you’re sat out on the terrace, up on the balcony, or around a big table with your nearest and dearest sharing a few pints, you’ll notice that this place is rarely even a bit quiet and literally never empty.
That’s not just because it’s a pretty pub with good food but because its booming business is built on locals from the Castlefield community and beyond. It’s one thing calling yourself a family pub, actually living up to that image is something else entirely.
Packed out with regulars every evening, not just punters come the weekend; welcoming as many furry faces as possible with free snacks and a water station, as well as hosting regular events like their upcoming burger week this August to their annual summer bash and BBQs, the proof is in the pudding.
This particular writer has no shame in proclaiming it as his favourite pub anywhere in the region and why should he? You only have to wander down the locks and through Manchester’s historic canalside neighbourhood to see it full of smiling faces, flowing drinks and busy tables.
Castlefield is steeped in Roman heritage but its modern reputation hinges on, to our count, three key things: TV shows love to film around here, it was the geese’s home first so don’t mess with them, and The Wharf is absolutely mint.
Aesthetics are one thing but if you’ve never tried it before, you’ll find this vibrant waterside watering hole and restaurant has more than enough substance to back up the country pub style.
Stunning food.The staff are just as lovely as the setting.Credit: The Manc/The Wharf
You can now get Deep South-inspired BBQ dishes on Manchester’s Deansgate
Daisy Jackson
There’s a brand-new menu of smokehouse-style BBQ dishes being served up on a sunny terrace on Deansgate.
Motley, the neighbourhood bar and restaurant on the corner of John Dalton Street, has added an authentic smoker to its kitchen.
That means they’ve got a whole load of new dishes, slow-cooked over hickory wood, that are bringing a taste of a Deep South BBQ to Manchester city centre.
The smokehouse-style meats are all seasoned in-house and cooked for hours, for a perfect fall-off-the-bone experience.
It might be an authentic American smokehouse menu, but it’s firmly British too, with most products locally sourced.
You can now get Deep South-inspired BBQ dishes on Deansgate / Credit: The Manc Group
Motley are calling on local suppliers like Althams Butchers (established since 1856) for their meat, plus greengrocers R Noone and Son, and Cheshire Farm for their real dairy ice cream.
Signature dishes on the new menu at Motley include slow smoked brisket, seasoned in Motley’s signature rub before being slow-smoked for more than eight hours.
There’s also a beef short rib with a chimichurri sauce, and a pork belly strip that’s seasoned with sage and onion and finished with a panko breadcrumb crust.
And for the veggies, there’s a vegan smoked veg kebab with courgette, mushrooms, bell pepper, sweet corn and red onion drizzled with homemade BBQ sauce.
Motley has added an authentic smoker to its kitchen / Credit: The Manc Group
Prices across the board start from just £16, served with beef dripping fries, rainbow slaw, pickles and homemade beef gravy.
As for small plates, you can expect short rib bonbons, homemade corn bread, spicy chicken wings, bang bang cauliflower, mac and cheese, and frickles.
House favourites like steak, vegetable hash, salads, and burgers will remain on the Motley menu.
Victor Gonzalez, food and beverage manager at Motley, said: “Our new signature smoked dishes are all crafted and seasoned in-house then slow cooked for hours over hickory wood to create rich and smoky melt-in-your mouth flavours.
“From our slow-smoked brisket to our home-made sides, everything has been carefully crafted to bring an authentic taste of the deep south to Manchester and we can’t wait for guests to try it.”
Motley can be found at 2 John Dalton Street on the corner of Deansgate in the city centre.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
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Coffee Rules: The Greek-born cafe that’s gone on to become a beloved Greater Manchester brand
Danny Jones
It’s rare that you find a place in an already saturated food and drink scene like Greater Manchester’s that genuinely comes across like a local community cornerstone, but that’s exactly what we got when we visited Coffee Rules in Salford.
We went for a brew, one of those viral iced coffee we’ve seen on socials, and maybe a nice bite to eat – but we left with much more and the impression that these lot are onto something big.
Opened in Arta back in their home country (also up in the northwest, by the way), they’ve never struggled to get queues out the door, and it’s no different here. This one is run by two siblings, 23-year-old Thomas and his younger brother Marios, 30, who have been smashing it since 2023.
Since launching their growing UK brand in the likes of The Meadows neighbourhood – one of two they have in the city of Salford alone, the other being Swinton – they’ve brought the lines with them. With authentic Greek food and drink like this, it’s not hard to see why.
They’ve now expanded to more than eight sites total, including one still keeping their own local reputation alive over in Athens, and this looks to be just the beginning.
Having not only spread across the ten boroughs but further out into the region with their Liverpool locations as well as a Yorkshire stronghold up in Sheffield, there’s more to come from Coffee Rules, both in terms of premises and their plans to take on the rest of the brunch game and beyond.
Suburban Mancs may have already seen the regular midday and weekend crowds that pack out their Chorlton venue, the Rusholme one is often filled with fresh-faced uni students in need of their caffeine fix, and it’s an increasingly similar story for those based in Bolton.
Or maybe you’re one of the many people based in Manchester city centre, who nip to their quiet, tucked-away corner of Ancoats for a fresh bake or even to have your eye caught by some of their merch with that modern mythological-inspired logo.
Whichever one happens to be closest to you, you’ll have the same satisfying experience, from sipping on speciality coffee and the scran, to the service and all-around atmosphere.
They’re also about to start hosting board game nights over at their Salford site, where they’ll be making the most of their large terrace with plenty of seating, which also has the added bonus of a retracted pergola – perfect for sunny days or simply sheltering from the Manc rain.
One thing we also noticed was just how many locals not only popped in throughout our time there, but the sheer number that had chosen to start their day at this particular spot.
There’s a regular Greek crowd, of course, but there’s also the native Salfordian and those currently residing in and around the up-and-coming area, who were pulling up in the large car park and taking a pew, or even those just looking for quick and top-quality grab-and-go stuff.
In fact, it’s one of the quickest venues we’ve seen fill up that fast in a hot, Med minute.
Speaking of, whether it be one of their superb Spanish lattes, or the equally sweet, sultry and viral ‘Freddo Cappuccino’, or their traditional spanakopita, not to mention their many Mediterranean pastry variations, there’s a big call for pretty much everything on the menu.
We could go on at length in listing what impressed us about just this one Coffee Rules branch, and we’ve made many trips to their Chorlton one in the past already, but it’s probably best that we just urge you to give it a try sometime soon. Trust us, you won’t be disappointed.
This is one of the fastest-growing franchises in the UK, and it’s no wonder they keep pulling in plaudits and invites to bigger and better industry within the industry as time goes on events over the past few years.
Oh, and one more thing, there’s plenty of savoury stuff that you’ll likely fall in love with, but we highly reccommend ordering the red velvet. Wow…
Danny Jones -
7th June 2024 
