The Waterhouse (JD Wetherspoon), Manchester

Predictably busy on a recent Saturday evening visit, but a decent line-up for real ale, including a rather pleasant Titanic Cherry Porter. For the ale selection and its unusual Spoons layout, it gets to retain my previous 8/10 rating.

It's been many years since I was last in this branch of Wetherspoon's, but with few pubs open in Manchester before 11am on a Saturday, a quick glance through the city centre Wetherspoon beer lists through their app revealed this branch to have just about the best real ale range on that morning. I'd forgotten how different this branch was to most of the others. With several different drinking areas, it feels more like a pub than most in the chain and it actually feels quite compact. The downside of this was that queues from the bar were forming through the central part of the pub. Having already seen the beer list and with friends already having secured a table, it made more sense to order a round of beers through the app. Although it did take a good 10 minutes before they arrived and I wasn't afforded the pleasure of being able to use CAMRA 50p off vouchers! Ales on were the usual Greene King Abbot, Ruddles Best & Sharp's Doom Bar, along with 6 guest beers - Rooster's Blind Jack & Distant Sun, Saltaire Triple Choc, Brightside Grafters Bitter, Oakham Buckle Up & Peerless Mother Redcap's Ruby Mild. There was no real cider showing on the app. Although, that doesn't mean to say that they had none. Toilets are a bit of a trek upstairs and I must say that I hadn't noticed the fireplace in the gents previously. Either it gets pretty chilly up there at times or the gents must have had an alternative use in the building's previous guise.

Visited this 2022 Good Beer Guide JDW pub on 11.8.22. Very different in having a lot of different rooms but otherwise usual beer and food offers. Chose Brightside Brewing Shore Thing which was fine.

Bewildering multi-(small)-roomed Spoons, just finding the bar is a challenge. Six guests but some doubled and spread either side of a pillar which makes efficient serving a pain. My Kelham Island Night Shift was probably a bit barrel-end (NBSS 2.5). Damp stains all the way up the stairs, tut tut. The small multi-room layout does at least mean that you can find some peace and quiet, unlike most of the usual JDW noise barns. Worth looking in for something a bit different in Timbo’s estate.

The Waterhouse is a sprawling Wetherspoons with a maze of different rooms including a bar hidden in there somewhere. The bar supports ten hand pumps alongside a standard and premium selection. I found the service to be polite, but I’ll not be rushing back.