We thoroughly enjoyed our outdoor lunch at this historic pub. The food was spectacular, and we…read moreespecially loved the Steak and Ale pie for the depth of flavor, and the Salmon with mussels was truly phenomenal. It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon. There is a nice parking lot, lots of outdoor tables, and the WC was spacious and well kept. We plan to come back after Lockdown 2.0.

A lovely afternoon country walk in the autumnal sun was the order of the day yesterday and planning…read moreahead meant we booked 'The Ship' for 5pm after our walk at Quarry Bank ( a great NT site if you get the chance to go) 5pm seemed to be optimum busy time but the staff were friendly and courteous, while getting us settled in (FYI: We weren't told you need to open a tab and order all drinks and food at the bar) - but after being in here a few mins, there was only one thing on our mind and that was Sunday roasts after seeing the giant Yorkshire puds whizzing through. We chose the pub sharing platter to start between 4.5 of us (our 2 year old daughter has a great appetite...) which consisted of some great fresh pork pies, sausages, scratchings, bread etc - and then followed this with some tasty roasts (mixed pork and beef really hit the spot) - with all the trimmings - lovely veg and of course those ace Yorkshires (check out my pics) Dessert was tasty with a great selection - Eton Mess and Choc Brownie were awesome. We weren't drinking for various reasons but they did have a fairly decent selection of traditional ales and wines. The soft drink selection was great too - Fentimans all round for us. A lovely country inn, great food, drinks and surroundings - can't wait to go back!

Great family place Good value…read more Noisy Food carvery or select choice Self service Best times mid week Book in is prefered

Great food, mediocre service…read more The carvery is excellent. A choice of 4 different meats. I had gammon & turkey, both were delicious. A good selection of fresh (not frozen) vegetables. They even had 2 different kinds of mashed potato, 2 different kinds of roast potatoes and 4 different gravies. So the service. Waited too long to be seated when there were plenty of tables available. Waited too long for drinks. Waited too long to pay. There seemed to be a lot of staff but few of them doing any meaningful work. One lady seemed to have the job of rearranging dirty glasses on a tray! The quality of the food would definitely make me revisit. Hopefully next time the service will be a bit better.

we came here to eat christmas dinner at a pub for a nice, festive english traditional food! once we…read moreentered, we sat ourselves down in the middle area, near the back as when you're ready to order, you go up to the bar to do so! we took a good while deciding what we should have and i previously had a friend recommend the buttermilk chicken burger as a game changer for burgers so i decided to get that one! they still had their christmas special menu and there was a turkey special as well as the chicken burger special, which my friends decided on! upon ordering, we noticed that the turkey dish was only 2.99 and the server told us that tonight had a special on turkey dishes and my mind was changed to ordering that one as well! the wait wasn't long as our food came all at once within 10 minutes or so and it was very fairly portioned! the pub itself had a nice, quiet, somewhat dim-lite atmosphere that made it very comfortable to relax and catch up with friends! overall, it was our first time at weatherspoons and we were very happy with the experience!

It seems like a chain in its feel, but as an outsider traveling to Manchester it was pretty good…read more I've had a better full English elsewhere, but none come this close to the price and promptness. The restaurant was clean, the service was good, and the food was satisfying. I'm a bit of a coffee fanatic and my latte just wasn't how I preferred. The coffee tasted a tad stale and I believe the milk was over steamed. The steaming issue seems like a recurring thing in England though, so it may just be preference-based. I returned this evening for a pint and I was still satisfied with the service. I can see myself taking a few friends here to hang out.

The food was not well prepared...I ordered Parmesan truffle fries, and there was a dab of truffle…read moreoil and no Parmesan cheese. They forgot to deliver our drinks. And to top it off the chicken was undercooked. The place has a nice setting and atmosphere but the service was disappointing. The team needs to do less chatting and eating and pay more attention to their customers.

The Pen and Pencil is one of the newest additions to the Northern Quarter's ever burgeoning coffee…read moreshop scene. We didn't realise quite how new it actually is when we headed over for Sunday 'brunch' as it feels like they've always been there! After some menu research (one of the best Sunday pastimes) I was really interested by The Pen and Pencil's selection - it's a little bit different, with breakfast/brunch items such as courgette rosti with poached eggs and pork & beans and sandwiches/salads, including a delicious sounding taco salad. I quickly decided on the pork & beans, and the other half had the french dip sandwich. The latter came with coleslaw and rosemary chips, which were very tasty and certainly seemed handmade. The sandwich got rave reviews, though @wewantplates probably wouldn't approve of the small crate it was served in. The pork & beans - beans with bbq sauce, bacon and pork belly served on top of a muffin - was a real comfort dish, especially with the addition of the pork belly. Service was friendly throughout and really accommodating; I ordered a belvoir raspberry lemonade but unfortunately they didn't have it in stock just yet. Despite this, they whipped one up for me with some fresh raspberries, which was probably better than my original choice! It's always nice to have somewhere new to try as the NQ continues to expand, and The Pen and Pencil could be on to something special with their menu and location.

We've been eating at the Stump Cross Inn for over a year now, and until today we've found the food…read moreto be to a good quality, well presented and represented reasonable value for money. On this note we booked a table and went tonight (19/08/09) expecting the same consistent quality at the right price. I ordered the Gammon main course and my wife asked for the Chicken and Bacon salad with the bacon cooked very crisp. When the food arrived ten minutes later my wife was dissapointed to see that the bacon quite fatty and was not crisp at all, and after trying her chicken found it to be very fatty. The gammon that I received had a large round of fat which represented a higher percentage of fat to meat to what I'm used to with Gammon, although the meat itself was ok. My wife left about half her salad after cutting around what fat she could, and I sliced off the round of fat from mine and ate what was left. The waitress did ask if the meal was ok, we did clearly describe what we felt, to which the waitress said "oh I'm sorry" then strolled away to serve the next customer. I reiterated our concerns with the meal with the staff member behind the bar but received a very defensive reply with no form of apology or offering. We were regular customers until now, after this experience particularly based on the staff members attitude to problems and given the amount of competition in the pubs serving food we will be eating elsewhere. If the staff don't care what customers opinions are when customer have made the effort to complain then I don't believe that they deserve the custom, plenty of pubs do exist where customers are valued and are looked after.

Decent pub that serves an excellent carvery (1, 2 or 3 course options available) and dispenses real…read moreale from the bar which is always welcome. I attended with 4 friends so we booked in advance as it can get busy. It has a patio area at the front for sitting/eating/drinking outside, but it is very close to the main road so it will be noisy and fumey. I can also highlight and praise the wonderful serving girls who were all most pleasant.

Essy's is your traditional independent, local cafe which you'd find in many a small town, but right…read morein the heart of the hustle and bustle of the city centre, it is done well, and still feels like a local spot right in the big city. Turn past the House of Fraser on Deansgate, you'll find Essy's on King Street West at number 31-33, it can be quite hard to find as the store-front isn't too obvious, I did walk past this when trying to navigate with my GPS at first. It's a rather large area inside, with mirrors on the back wall, the tables are fairly comfortable and an open kitchen. The menu has a variety of items including all-day breakfasts, omelettes, jacket potatoes and toasties, it's a place that is great for breakfast, lunch or a light snack during the day before one's evening meal, with food at a reasonable quality and value. I ordered a jacket potato with tuna and cheese, it came out of the kitchen almost straight away, presented how I'd requested it with butter, tuna mayo first and cheese on top, they weren't stingy with the toppings, which was a very generous portion for a large potato. My potato tasted good quality, the fillings obviously made it better, but it was rather good, a very small portion of the potato was a little hard but cooking a big potato can be difficult, and as I was able to enjoy almost all of it, I'm willing to let that one slide. My meal came to £6, which was very reasonable, it worked out much better value for money than rivals nearby. In terms of improvements, I would have liked a couple of napkins to go with my meal, the cutlery was just handed to me, I would have liked to be able to order an iced tea with my food, with the drinks located in a fridge mainly consisting of fizzy pop, obviously, they do close at 4 pm which is a little early, but considering the type of food they serve, it is reasonable to expect this. 4* - Good food and good service, I'd love to see more gluten-free options including a selection of sandwiches introduced in the near future, but for now I'll stick to the potatoes!

If you're after a fast, no-nonsense lunch that isn't Subway or Boots meal deal but it also hot and…read morefilling, then you have to find Essy's and pay a visit. This place is always a bustle of activity at lunchtimes because it manages to be a sandwhich shop and restaurant serving great food all at the same time. They make sandwiches to go, but you can also choose from a range of jacket potatoes, omelettes, daily specials and even pies (yes, pies. Which you can have with gravy and everything. AMAZING). So basically I really like Effy's. Obviously, the food isn't spectacular, but it's basic, freshly made and isn't full of grease. The last special I had was a coronation chicken baguette with a side order or chips. The baguette was delicious, and there were loads and loads of chips, which is always a good thing. I got all of this, with a drink, for around £4. What a bargain.

Where do I even start?! Onmy last day in Manchester, my aunt sporadically took us to The Alchemist…read morein Salford. We decided to get some cocktails and nibbles. Where was this place all along my whole trip? I wish we would have found them sooner because I would have gone ham on the menu and drinks lol. First and foremost the ambience is amazing here and the decor is absolutely beautiful. This place would be great for cocktails with the girls or a date night. The restaurant is the Media City location and located off the water in Salford so that already creates a whole ambience and vibe. The staff was super friendly, and we decided to sit at the bar. The bartender was also very helpful and patient with us. Along with that, she was knowledgeable about the drinks and definitely put on a show when making them. This made for an overall great experience! There's such a wide variety of cocktails to choose from, as I literally wanted everything on the menu lol. I decided to go for the hipflask margarita as I love me some tequila and margaritas, and this drink did not disappoint! It wasn't what I was expecting as a margarita, like I'd get in the states, but it was delicious. On top of that it comes in a super cool hipflask that you get to take home with you, and if you come back I believe the bartender said you could get £5.50 off of it each time you bring it back. I'm not quite sure what my aunt got as she told the bartender to just make her a strong drink but it was super cool and came with a cool bubbly effect. There was also a syringe shooter that came with this drink. I tried that one as well and it was another great cocktail. The other cocktail we ordered was the raspberry ripple and again that was great. And I'll be honest I was hesitant about the buttermilk chicken, but I was pleasantly surprised, and that chicken was so good along with the salt and pepper fries. I needed another order that for myself lol. If you're ever in Salford, you should check them out! I love their whole concept behind their drinks, and it's a whole vibe. I know they will definitely be first on my list to hit up when I go back as I'd love to try some more of their drinks.

Food good, staff helpful, drinks ok, not the first place you would think of to go for breakfast but…read morethe full English breakfast is actually great. Will definitely return for special occasions.

Applewood Farm is a traditional style large food pub in Tyldsley. It serves classic pub grub along…read morewith some other interesting additions, and prides itself on its dessert offerings, particularly its cake and ice cream. I've heard a lot of praise for it, so decided to finally give it a try for lunch whilst I was nearby. The first thing you notice is that this big traditional style pub is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. You drive along, and it suddenly pops up out of thin air. It has a big car park, but seems to get busy pretty quickly. I must admit, my first impression on walking through the door wasn't positive. It was very busy, and a frantic looking female staff stood behind a large stack of dirty plates sitting on the "please wait here" podium, and then simply said "two?", before dashing off and then coming back to say "just through there on the right hand side". I would've liked to have been taken there really. The décor is a modern interpretation of a classic pub style, and it works pretty well, remaining efficient and clean looking with bright colours and various bits of art and knick-knacks whilst retaining a traditional atmosphere. It was surprisingly busy throughout the pub for a thursday afternoon, with a bustling but pleasant feel. Once inside you realise the size of the place, with different rooms leading off the main thoroughfare, to booth seating along it. As well as the dining pub option, there is also a large carvery counter further into the pub, where you can choose a plate size for a set price, then go and check out the tasty looking carvery options. We ordered a couple of classics in the form of beer battered cod and chips, and steak and ale pie. The wait time for both was reasonable, and the first thing that hit us was the sheer size of the portions! The food was delicious. I loved the crispy bubbly batter, and the tartare sauce, and Phil R loved the quality of the "oh god, it's half a pie!" he was tucking into. We didn't have room for dessert, but had a good look through the huge book of desserts, puddings and ice creams, and as delicious the descriptions of the sweet treats were, we decided that we'd try their "cake-away" option, where you can take a slice of their cakes home with you to enjoy later. Knowing that their target customer would probably be full by now, but priding themselves on their desserts, this is a clever move! When you get to the desserts counter, you can see how crazy their ice cream presentation is, bordering on American in presentation, but also very tempting! The one thing you'll notice though is the sheer size of the cakes! They're colossal! The slices are £4+ in the menu, which might make you bawk a little until you see the sheer size of the things! We opted for the Millionaire's Cheesecake, and the Banana Chocolate Chip cake, which come in a plastic box with a small tub of cream each. Lovely. We ate them many many hours later, but enjoyed the flavour lots. The banana cake was tasty and moist with lots of flavour, and the cheesecake was tasty, but just too big. The middle layer was a solid 6 inches of pure cheesecake, meaning that you didn't get so much of the base or the top with it, which made it a little hard going. Some of the other cakes appeared similar to me, where the middle was just a bit too large unless it was in layers, but with how popular they obviously are, who am I to question?! I loved it here, it's somewhere I'd be happy to bring my mum and dad sometime and know that they'd enjoy it, and the same with friends and colleagues. It has something for everyone. Phil R already stated that he wants to return there next month for his birthday! That's that then!

There's a reason this place is always so busy! For a sunday carvery you couldn't ask for anything…read moremore, huge selection and huge plates (well if you pay for the big plate option - not bad for under a tenner). They have the full Sunday dinner works, plus more (two different types of mash potato, roast potato, spicy roast potatoes and baby potatoes) and then the veg selection is just a vast, far more variety than other carverys I have been too. The cakes are also out of this world, huge portions and very tasty, it makes Applewood Farm stand out from competitors, the "cake away" option is ideal because there is no way I was going to be eating a giant eclair after my "go large" carvery. If visiting on a Sunday be prepared to wait around 30-45 mins to be seated, there is plenty of space around the bar to enjoy a drink or two while you wait. Great value, we had two large carverys, one cake to take away and four drinks and the bill was less than £30.