The Marble Arch, Manchester

The Marble Arch is a very attractive thin traditional pub with seating down the left and right hand walls and a bar on the rear wall. To the left of the bar a door leads to a small dining area and kitchen area and out the back is some seating at the end of a pebbled driveway. I counted eleven hand pumps that were all drawing different brews and there is also a limited premium and standard draught selection. I went for the Buxton Spa which was superb and served by a very friendly barman. The food seems to be on the posh and pricey side, but there is a bar menu with much cheaper food for those that just want to soak up a bit of beer. There are no televisions or gaming machines here, but there was some oldie music playing in the background. This pub is well worth a visit.

It shows on reflection how this place has priced out the ordinary Joe public, when regular 'Posties' are supping in the nearby Angel. It must be well over 12 months since I last frequented the Marble. Not that I'm disrespecting the Angel- in fact it has become a firm favourite of mine in recent months. The standard of the real ales being in top notch condition with friendly staff. The Marble Arch along with the Brewdog outlet in central Manchester, exceeds in being totally pretentious and out of touch considering the current economic climate, in my humble opinion!

If you only visit one pub in Manchester, then ensure that it's the Marble Arch. The interior alone is worth a visit and is well described below but the food and beer are also of the highest quality. The extensive cheese menu is a great idea as it allows a nibble without using up too much valuable space. Unlike Mr Bonser, I found the welcome to be warm and friendly from both staff and locals. In fact no sooner had we expressed an interest in the Chocolate Reserve than a fellow drinker was describing it's provenance and recommending it and there was a taster in front of us from the barman. Class. The ale range is predominantly Marble but so confident are they in the quality of their beers that guests are also from top quality breweries. On our visit the delights available were: Marble Ginger, Dobber, Chocolate Reserve, Draft, Lagonda IPA, Pint, Summer and Northern Quarter with guests Black Jack New Deck and Fyne Rune. Black Jack is brewed by a former Marble brewer close by. Marble brew the finest beer I've ever had and everything we went for was excellent, refused to stay in the glass and was very well kept. An outstanding pub. Heaven.