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.

Barn sized Wetherspoons where everything is exactly to JDW standards. Busy. Plenty of beer choice. Cheap. Filthy tables.

not the nicest Spoons but perfectly functional. fairly standard of the chain inside - open plan and on 2 levels - though maybe a touch classier. Decent choice on the 10 handpumps this morning. this area of town isn't the best for pubs so it's probably worth a visit at some point.

Visited on a Saturday evening a couple of weeks ago. A lot busier than I remember it being in the past; there was nowhere to sit at all. Large open plan with an upstairs mezzanine area, which appeared to be used for a private party at the time of my visit. Decent selection of real ale. The two banks of hand pumps are at opposite ends of the bar, but a blackboard complements each bank of pumps letting you know what is available on the other bank. Very useful. Had an 1872 Porter in here by Elland Brewery, and noted that at 6.5% it was no more expensive than the other more moderate strength offerings. It was rather pleasant too!