The Paramount (JD Wetherspoon), Manchester

Visited this JDW on 12.8.22 to start our day being shown round quite a few city centre pubs. Met our local guide, and had a couple of beers from Rudgate brewery. Simply the Zest and Fruity Tutti. Both were fine. Pub itself was nothing outstanding. Usual sort of layout and fayre.

The Paramount is a large Wetherspoons with a long bar along the left hand wall that support ten handpumps alongside standard and premium keg products. This is an open plan pub with a mezzanine level at the rear. The usual food menu is available with deals throughout the week. There’s the obligatory small TV in the corner for showing muted rolling BBC news. I was surprised to see a projector screen, although it was not being used during my Tuesday evening visit last week.

The Paramount had looked busy when I'd passed it earlier on exiting Oxford Road station on a Sunday morning. With very few places open, I reluctantly returned to a place I'd last set foot in 12 years earlier. Fairly long lines of people had formed at the bar trying to get served. That gave me time to peruse the poor beer selection. Abbot was on as you'd expect for a Wetherspoon's. Wainwright is another regular beer. The uninspiring guest beer selection was Pedigree, Razor Back & JHB. They no longer stock a real cider. After finally getting served, we ventured off to try to locate a table, luckily finding a couple of ladies just departing from one. The glasses and plates left over remained on the table for almost the duration of our visit, which soon became quite uncomfortable with people standing in every available space between tables. Poor, even by Wetherspoon's standards.

Smaller spoons in a modern building over two floors, the upper being a mezzanine. The counter is down one side near the front with two banks of five pulls but no usual suspects, except the kegs, and fair selection across the casks, high end prices and average beer quality. Usual mix of high and low tables, you can hardly get a fag paper between the low ones at the back never mind a hefty Mancunian lass. The staff actually seemed on the ball on my lunchtime visit, however destined to be one visit of one I fear in spite of its odd GBG 2020 entry.