Arden Arms, Stockport

The Arden Arms has a central U-shaped bar with low glass trays on the top bar so that a person of my height has to duck down to make eye contact with the server. After smelling food and an awkward conversation with, who I assumed to be, the governor I was led to the Millgate Room at the rear of the pub. This area has wooden furniture throughout and can be split into two with a central sliding door when necessary. Each side of this partition houses a coal fireplace on the rear wall. There is another smaller seating area at the front of the pub and a snug tucked away at the rear of the bar. Around the U shaped bar is a tiled corridor with standing room and low background music only. Out the back is an advertised courtyard beer garden. There are six handpumps on the back bar that were drawing five Robinsons cask ales, the sixth handpump was unused. There is also a standard and premium keg range and food is available, in fact 80% of the people in attendance early on a recent Tuesday evening were dining. I went for the large fish and chips which was priced at £12.50. Loads of chips and the mushy peas were grand, but I thought the fish was quite small. The Dizzy Blonde was on good form, but I don’t think I’ll be returning here again and certainly not just for a pint.

lovely interior of course but it has been slightly tarted up during lockdown including a completely out-of-character paint job on the bar. at lunch time it felt like sitting in a restaurant but the snug was definitely a unique experience. Few Robbies ales on, had a swift half of Unicorn and moved on. With so much choice around here I don’t think I would bother again, I have seen it now.

Official site of Arden Arms - www.robinsonsbrewery.com

Official site of Arden Arms - www.robinsonsbrewery.com

A Robbie's CAMRA heritage pub and one of the Stockport ‘must-visits’. A Georgian building, inside it’s a multi-roomer and one of these is - get this - accessed through the central bar (apparently this is by invitation only but we just ambled straight through anyway). Service at a central part-glazed hatch a bit like the Beacon in Sedgeley. Six on, all Robbie's (keep an eye – there are two banks of three at the back of the bar!). My Double Hop was fine. Now the downsides; it’s pretty heavy on the food so at busy times you’ll struggle to find a table and standing at the bar isn’t really an option. Also, the awful piped music (for the diners, I imagine). It's well-worth a visit if you’ve not been before but whether you prioritise it the next time, when there a number of other excellent Robbies pubs in town, is perhaps a different matter. I suppose it depends if you want to eat.