I've only ever been in the function/banquet room (The Churchill Rooms) and the pub part of it so I…read morecan't comment on it's facilities as a hotel (although friends have said it's very good). I had lunch, dinner and several stiff drinks in the Swan & Royal. The staff are very friendly and the owner, Terry, seems a good sort. I recommend the Steak Pie & Chips and a pint of Clitheroe's Finest (avoid the Banks' Bitter, it's rank) from the board of fayre. It's in a great location in the middle of the town. The Friday night in the Swan & Royal is something to behold. The best way I can describe it is if Take Me Out and Jeremy Kyle had a cheesy 80s/90s disco together. The only downside is that the spirits were a 1/5th gill (25 ml) and that's not worth the price IMHO.

Was visiting from Texas USA. decided to have lunch here. I am so glad we did was excellent. The…read morestaff were great and the Pub was clean and welcoming.

Newly re-opened and redecorated it looks very stylish and has a lovely dining area which serves pub…read morefood that is in my opinion above average. The steaks are a decent size and taste good and the lamb tagine was a revelation.very authentic flavour. The downside is the beer on tap and the guinness definitely needs improving. There is a bowling green at the back of the pub and outdoor seating and on wednesday night there is a special curry event

We went to the Rockingham Arms on Saturday night while my friend's wife and daughter were dining…read morewith their group. We decided to have a couple of drinks and a light snack in the bar while we waited. I genuinely hate leaving bad reviews, but this was honestly dreadful. The food was a complete joke -- and we only ordered from the bar snack list. There were just four options on the menu. First choice, Scotch egg? "Sorry, we don't have any." Fair enough -- it was late on a Saturday night. Next up, "Hummus, Pesto & Bread." Simple enough, right? After a 35-minute wait, our food arrived: two sad pieces of bread and a ramekin of watery, orange-coloured hummus. I asked where the pesto was, and the young server confidently said, "It's under the hummus." She went to fetch cutlery, and when I checked -- of course, there was no pesto. When she came back, I asked again, and she replied, completely blasé, "We haven't got any." I pointed out she'd just told me it was under the hummus, and she just shrugged and walked off. Why lie? As for the hummus itself -- it was an abomination. Orange, watery, and utterly tasteless. Hummus should be made from chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, and a bit of seasoning. This was none of those things. So effectively, our "snack" was two pieces of bread. When I raised it with the barman, he said he'd pass it on to the kitchen. An hour later, the kitchen staff packed up and left. I asked again -- still no apology, no offer to put it right, just another shrug. For what they charge, the quality and service are a complete disgrace. My friend's wife and daughter came out of the restaurant later on with similar complaints -- apparently their meals weren't much better. I won't be going back, and I'd strongly suggest anyone thinking of eating here to look elsewhere. There are plenty of pubs that actually care about their food and their customers. Sadly, this isn't one of them.

The food was delicious but when they told me (On a Saturday…read morenight) it was going to take an hour for our food to come we agreed and paid, but it t really took 1 hour and 45 minutes....wow we ended up Getting a bit squiffy!!!!

What, you thought I was finished with the real ale pubs? Not a chance. Here be the Smithfield, a…read moreplace chockfull of unusual brews, particularly during the beer festivals. Like a lot of my favourite pubs it has a very scruffy and homely feel, almost as if the bar staff themselves run the place (the Crescent is very much like that... and I do talk about it too much, I know). With a pool table and a jukebox with appropriate noise levels, this is a fun place to be. Long and narrow with cosy dated decor, it's welcoming and holds no pretences - you'll hear many a real Mancunian accent in here and management have been known to flout the smoking ban from time to time (whether this is a good thing or not is up to you!). You'd be coming for the beer, no doubt, as other pubs such as The Crown and Kettle and The Marble Arch have the monopoly on prettiness, but it's a worthy destination anyway, particularly if you've become a little tired of nearby Thomas Street and Stevenson Square.

This pub does not get much press strangely as it is a fantastic real ale boozer with bags of…read morecharacter. I am never happier then when I am in a traditional pub in the middle of winter with a group of my friends drinking local ales. Admittedly this pub may need a little bit of refurb but aside from this it ticked every box for me! The kitchen here is a little strange and the food is simple but the staff are really friendly and the place never gets packed out. If we don't keep sourcing out these traditional little pubs I can guarantee they will disappear soon to make room for even more chain bars.

Where to start.... I think the summary is that it's a Premier Inn standard, but nicely decorated…read morerooms? - spacious rooms, tastefully decorated, nice armchair. Egg shaed full size bathtub. - breakfast: pastries are industrial, from a factory individually packed in plastic. Long expiry date. Urgh. Juice is cheap. Cereal is cheap. Yoghurt is cheap. Premier Inn standard, definitely. Disposal cutlery instead of real. - toiletries are good quality, L'occitane. But why no conditioner in the shower? - soundproofing is terrible. Could hear the music from the multiple bars next door. Will be worse on summer weekends, where crowds will be spilling on the road in front, all drunk and shouting. You won't get a good night's sleep here unless you sleep really late. - illy pod coffee machine... Great.... But no milk! Not even the powder stuff. They do have a full minibar of stuff that you can buy though.... - this is part of the WorldHotel loyalty programme. I'm a WorldHotel member. Top tier status. Booked on the WorldHotel site. Zero benefits. So there you have it. If you're a party animal and want to go to the numerous bars on that street, and this room is at a Premier Inn pricing (it won't be) then this is for you! If you're looking for a boutique quality hotel for work/leisure in Manchester, and a good night sleep, quality brekkie... Probably not. Many other better options nearby - I know as I do 40+ nights in Manchester a year and have tried many.

I have a secret* to share with my dear, beloved readership. There aren't many people in the world…read morethat know this, and it's not something that I disclose without a sense of gravity. Please consider this information quite privileged... I like boys. Ohmigod! Shocker! I totally know, right? Anyway. Velvet Hotel is located in the heart (well, more like the right ventricle) of Manchester's Gay Village. And let me tell you... if you get an upgrade to a street-facing balcony room... you are in for a treat. And by 'treat' I mean 'view of as much luscious man-candy as you could want for.' Reasonable prices, many of which include the cost of breakfast at the Velvet Restaurant downstairs, free and reliable wi-fi throughout the property, and sumptuous, generous quarters all round out to a fabulous** experience. Be forewarned, the front doors lock after a certain time each night. I assume this is to keep drunken riff-raff out. You'll have to use the bell if you're returning from a night of carousing (which, if you love to hang with the menz, happens to be in stumbling distance... literally) or checking in after quasi-curfew. Minor quibble aside, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more convenient, quality temporary abode than the Velvet. ---- * It's 110% true that most of the world isn't aware of this tidbit. There are plenty of people east of the European border that have absolutely no clue. ** Don't think I didn't ponder my word choice here.

We dropped in for food on a Wednesday early evening. We unexpectedly found they had a "beat the…read moreclock" promotion on food - you pay the time of your order e.g order at 6pm and pay £6 for your meal. There were 6 main dishes to choose from: sausages and mash, steak and ale pie, a seafood salad, fish and chips with just peas, pulled pork in a bun, and I forget the other, I think it was vegetarian friendly pasta. I expected the servings to be smaller than usual but fair play to the kitchen, the pie and the sausages were full sized and really very very good for £6 each. We got desserts. The chocolate brownie with salted caramel ice cream was heavenly. They have a children's menu, with a carbonara, plus others. The menu is 3 courses for £8.95. Our youngest enjoyed his Passat very much. We were very happy all round.

I stayed in the cottages behind the Waddington Arms and this pub was like our 2nd home during our…read more4-night stay. We had several of our meals here, dinner and breakfast, and were never disappointed. Their Ploughman's board was one of my favorite bites here--I'm still dreaming about that yellow/blue cheese which is apparently a local find. They also serve a local cider -- scrumpy style -- which is my fav. They get quite crowded on the weekends so if you're coming for dinner, reserve a table! The staff are super friendly as well as the manager. Also: the Waddie Arms will also sell you bottles of wine off their list should you need to BYOB for another event and you don't have time to drive over to Clitheroe and find a wine shop. If I find my way back up to Waddington on future UK visits, you can surely find me here. It's a local favorite for a reason!

This was the first time we have been to Steeton Hall for food. We chose to have the Carvery and it…read morewas delicious. The food was so tasty and the staff were lovely too! I will definitely be returning to try yhe everyday menu!

This place is really overpriced and the latest landlord is not the most customer friendly. The beer…read moreis very expensive here and on most nights of the week the bar is empty. It has its occasional good night in there but I think that is down to the people who go in there not the pubs atmosphere. The pub does lack some form of atmosphere, it seems to have a barrier between the landlords and the public. Not very publican if you ask me. There is great potential with the building itself. It just needs somebody to give the place a new look and friendly people running it.

Always lovely for afternoon coffee by the fire. Peaceful setting to enjoy a fresh sandwich served…read morewith fries, salad & coleslaw. Plenty of choice & fairly reasonably priced. The staff are friendly & efficient. Always worth a visit, especially near Christmas.

The Midland Hotel is a really nice venue for events like weddings and school proms…read more The food served (buffet) was really nice and good quality and the staff were so friendly. The venue itself is really stunning, it's well kept and clean, really worth booking an event here. I've only attended events, and not stayed at the hotel overnight so can't comment on the rooms but I was very impressed with this place as a venue. As you would expect, the drinks are pricey, but they usually are at these types of events anyway.