please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Great looking pub inside and out but seriously 4.60 for a pint of Timothy Taylor!
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A place to seek out in Manchester. All original Victorian features are in place. TT Landlord and Black Sheep were on - which makes this a holy grail type pub for me. I would settle on either.
Good food and service in the restaurant. Famous for their corned beef hash.
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Well kept beer but at a premium price and it's unlikely you will be able to sit down unless you are having a meal, also very expensive. Certainly an interesting building and interior with a history but don't expect to have any change when you come out!
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EXTORTIONATE PRICES!
Don't even consider stepping in to this vicinity!
Is it possible to give a minus rating???
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Something of an institution and well worth a visit. Friendly welcome and service. Enjoyed an excellent pint of Lees Bitter, although at a price - �3.40!
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Over-priced warm beer served by bored staff; never again
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Have been here before due to its pleasant old fashioned decor and proximity to the theatre. Had a vague feeling it was pricey, but it's now moved into actual rip-off territory. At 5pm on Tuesday 13th April I paid �8.30 for a pint of Guinness and small G&T. I'm not sure of the breakdown, but whatever way you look at it that's more than you'd pay in 99% of London pubs, an airport, a corporate hotel and so on. Yes, no-one is forcing you to go - but it's undeniably a blatant rip off for unsuspecting customers entering a plain city centre pub in Manchester with neigbouring pubs charging just over half that. Avoid.‎
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City-centre architectural gem that seems to cling to the side of a rather more nondescript office building. It's gothic brick and terracotta exterior are matched on the narrow, completely unspoilt interior by fine green tilework throughout, including two arches, and period lamps add further to the character.
As noted, however, this isn't a boozer- more a restaurant serving real ale. The front 25% of the pub, where the bar is, is actually reserved for standing drinkers but it is the least interesting part of the building. The rear part seats diners and the food is indeed very good, though expensive- not pub grub. Real ales are limited to Black Sheep, Flowers IPA and a guest- Robinsons last time. These are usually kept well however.
It's definitely worth at least one visit for the fine building but it's stretch to call it a pub these days, I'm afraid.
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The decor may be stunning but the Robbinsons Unicorn was average to say the least. Its has the dubious honour of the first pub I've ever been in that has rung last orders at 8.30pm on a sunday evening!!
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Wonderful architecture, fab green tiling and arches. The food, while not cheap, is of high quality and in good supply. The range of drinks was good too. Bit cramped, but that's the nature of the building - and a fine building it is. We'll be back!
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Best steak & kidney pud I've ever tasted! Plus, it was huge! Well worth the price. Had a good pint of Lees bitter too, will make sure to stop by again when I'm next in Manchester.
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A very nice pub if i'm honest, yes they've tried to emphasise on the food side of the trade but a lot of pubs have since the smoking ban, it's definitley not a reason to winge. The food that i saw being brought out looked very appetising and the smell from the kitchen was fantastic
Now for the important bit, The Beer, yes it tasred good and no, it wasn't the cheapest pint in Manchester but you get what you pay for, a well looked after beer an a city centre pub. I hate to say it but if you drink in a city centre pub, you must expect to pay city centre prices, and comparing the prices to other pubs around it, you couldn't got it much cheaper anywhere nearby!
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Pretty tiles and posh staff uniforms don't convince me. Over-rated, over-priced...way over-priced. Tourists love it, locals avoid it. Great food though, but still not worth the bar prices.
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Mr Thomas' Chop house is an old fashioned tiled pub, with a very strong emphasis on its restaurant section. It is not a suitable drinking hole for a lady such as myself, or anyone wanting a quiet drink.
Whilst I was terribly impressed by the tiling and mammoth bar with an overabundance of wooden carvings and brass, I was most put out by the lack of space for drinkers. Basil, my gorgeous dreamboat, rated his pint of real ale as extremely average and very expensive.
Basil did, however, get invited down below by a fresh faced young gentleman and came back somewhat flustered after some time exclaiming that the view in the toilets is fantastic. The pictures of Victorian Manchester in the ladies are certainly very good, although I did get some odd looks.
We would return again for a meal; Basil was certainly keen to check out the extensive range of meaty treats on offer.
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Historic old pub with a fine interior in the back bar and restaurant. Great tiling and a floor to ceiling wine bottle store. Real ale is usually Black Sheep and Boddingtons with Lees bitter making an appearance at times. Beer is kept OK but not top class. Very pricey even for the city centre (same policy as Sams Chop House across the road). We often call in for one on the way back to Victoria Station. Well worth a visit for the fine interior but take extra money out of the A & L cash machine next door if buying a round.
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Apart from the prices, for both food and drink, and the cramped interior there is not much to complain about.If a stranger to Manchester its worth a look and a pint if you can get in. Avoid lunch times and end of office hours.
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Good spot for a quick couple of pints but too small for a longer session. Irish barman was excellent craic.
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Only a very small area inside for people not drinking. Beer very expensive, even at city centre prices, at �3.20 for a pint of Black Sheep.
Despite its historic interior, there are much better pubs within a short distance.
alexw - 21 Aug 2008 19:26 |
Well known restaurant/pub in the centre of Manchester seemingly favoured by the office brigade at lunchtime.
This establishment is listed in CAMRA's National Inventory of Unspoilt Interiors - note the extensive green tiling and the impressive bar back.
Also noteworthy is a photo looking down Cross Street taken shortly after the IRA bombing just down the road and a series of photos of old Manchester in the downstairs gents toilets.
As previous posters have correctly pointed out, this establishment is first and foremost a restaurant, but with a small bar area at the front. Prices of both food and drink reflect this emphasis ( eg Black Sheep at � 3.20 per pint. I imagine the other 2 beers, Lees and Boddingtons are equally expensive )
Food is also expensive - eg, fish, chips and mushy peas at � 12.50p and Mr Toms bangers and mash at � 9.95p
I didn't dislike the place, but I doubt that I'd go again, unless someone else was picking up the tab.
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Boddies cask last night not up to the usual high standard and at �4 for 1.5 pints it should be. Service not as sharp either,I was completely overlooked by 1 member of staff, a poor visit this time.
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Overrated and cramped from a quaffers perspective, although the outdoor area is pleasant enough. More a restaurant in pub's clothing...
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Pub looks great inside - a rather plush time-warp of a pub - but the front part was very crowded with a large dining area at the rear making it unsuitable for a session. Ales were well kept but a bland range on offer. (Boddington's or Bass as I recall.)
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Terrific historical pub with a very small bar area at the front, with above average ales.
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Have to agree with lots of the comments, was much better when it only served food during the day, less of a drinkers pub and although the corn beef hash is excellent, it should be to �11.00
But the most annoying factor is that it used to do and excellent pint of Taylors Landlord and that has now disappeared
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Not really a boozer anymore. Very pricey beer, wine, and food. The steak and kidney pud, onion soup are fantastic. Corned beef hash is not as good as my mum makes and at �11.00 the price isn't either.
Diners get priority over drinkers and in the last few months the Chop house has started to do food in the evening. This has reduced the area for drinkers to roughly 25% of the entire floor space.
Has a clique of regulars who DO get served first and can 'eff' and 'geoff' at will and at a very audable level. My ex girlfriend was subjected to a tirade of vulgar comments by a man old enough to be her grandfather. When i told him that i'd inform the manager he pointed out to me that 'i'm rich, a regular and untouchable' or words to that effect.
Dont believe the hype. This restruant (with minor drinkers facilities) is a decent experience but i'd rather go somewhere thats value for money, with less idiots and actually a true 'traditional' manchester experience. Not a mutant one formed by money makers and geared to southerners and yanks.
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yeah nige knows his onions... this boozer was brilliant about 10 years ago. almost always virtually empty. most of the space is now taken up by the restaurant nonsense. preferred it as it was.
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Recently refurbed again....Years ago the Boddies here was as good as anywhere...but for me the beer standard has slipped in recent years....Now getting an even better name for its food...Competes with the Peveril & Marble Arch in the `Big on old tiling award` in central Manchester.
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Lovely pub, lovely staff,but....
we decided not to have a second drink because the bar area was almost infested with tiny flies crawling over the bottles behind the bar and worse than that, over our faces.Surely it would not be too difficult to deal with this problem !
D.Johnson - 26 Aug 2004 10:17 |
looks like a victorian swimming baths inside. love it!
alan - 24 Jun 2004 16:26 |
We've eaten at a lot of restaurants throughout England since moving here seven years ago from the States, and we find Mr Thomas' Chop House among the top two or three. We really like the food they serve, and we eat there at least once every time we're in Manchester.
Paul and Mary - 8 Apr 2004 22:33 |
Great little pub serving good beer. Bit cramped but the beer makes up for that. Nice stopping off point for a city centre crawl.
Nick - 8 Oct 2003 12:47 |
Good beer, decent people - superb food! Yes, the restaurant takes up the majority of the pub, but you can easily swipe a table just for drinking. So many accolades for the food...
The first room is the smallest part, making the pub look like a shoebox from the road. If you can get a seat here (unlikely!), it's the best place to enjoy a beer. If not, move further towards the back and get a table. And take a look at the building outside - wonderful architecture, dwarfed amongst its neighbours. Pop in, if you're in town.
Andy - 9 Jun 2003 16:07 |
It's a waiting room - narrow bar, hardly any seats or space for people to get by. This used to be a large pub but the owners have seen fit to turn most of it into a restaurant. There are far better places in the area.
Nige - 27 May 2003 22:00 |
