Castle Hotel, Manchester

if it sold Old Tom and didn’t display the S*n newspaper it would quite possibly be a 10. lovely multi roomed traditional pub in the Northern Quarter with friendly staff and a classic pub atmosphere. let’s hope Robinsons leave it alone....

This is one of the few pubs in Manchester that I've been to a few times before but not for many years, long before they cleaned it up. Although the layout of the place remains the same, like virtually all of central Manchester it's gone right downhill. It's now full of trendy young things and the room behind the bar had candles on the tables and a snooty clientele. Worst of all they no longer sell Old Tom. The array of pumps had a dull choice of Robinsons beers, a couple of blanks and boring guests from Joules and Butcombe. I went for the Double Hop which was only OK and at £3.70 cost what I would expect to pay in London. The decline of this place only reflects how central Manchester has gone since the last century. I think Coronation Street's Ken Barlow should rename his dog from Eccles to MediaCityUK to reflect this. It remains GBG listed.

A good pub with 10 handpumps all working with 5 of them serving Robinson's beers, 4 guests and a cider. Mr Malden describes the interior well, so I won't. A bit less 'laddish' than it was in Gulliver's over the road on this visit.