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The Marble Arch, Manchester
Manchester
M4 4HY
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Marble Arch
This is not just a beer palace but also an absolutely tremendous pub which ticks all the boxes. The main bar is a long rectangular room with a smallish squint ended bar in the back corner. Possibly a previous or original layout is given away by a mix of flooring, with an angled mosaic section running through with quarry tiles elsewhere suggesting small rooms off an ornate corridor. A side wall is in glazed brickwork with a frieze at the top proclaiming "Whiskies Gin Brandies Cordials Wines Ales & Porter" set in what look like tiles, all the wording entwined in grape vines. The ceiling also appears to be tiled, that is a new one for me, supporting painted steel beams on glazed tile clad pediments. It looked splendid. The main entrance looks original, another set of doors is now seated over. A shelf has lots of stone jars and bottles, a fireplace on the side wall has a brewery mirror over, B&J McKenna's Harpurhey Brewery. A Batham's Brewery wooden cask sits on top of the bar gantry, one end of the counter had a pile of GBG back issues as well as a beer guide to Belgium.
This is the spiritual home to the fantastic Marble beers, once brewed on the premises, they had American Porter, Pint, Chocolate Marble, Lagonda IPA, Earl Grey IPA plus from others, Siren Dinner for Nine, Red Willow Directionless and Magic Rock Simpleton. Two were reversed. Food served, a back room has an open to view kitchen, not as much character in here, this is a more functional space. Lancashire Hot Pot was £13, they do a seemingly popular cheeseboard menu with an interesting range of non-mainstream cheese.
The barman was welcoming, friendly and informative, the low key jazzy soundtrack felt perfect, the other customers interacted and laughed and joked together especially when a group of women insisted the barman put more coal on the fire......it was a gas fire. I absolutely loved it here, I wanted to take the pub home with me. A real struggle this is, I've considered this at length, go on then, my first 10.
On 20th November 2015
- rating: 10
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Marble Arch
The Marble Arch is a very attractive thin traditional pub with seating down the left and right hand walls and a bar on the rear wall. To the left of the bar a door leads to a small dining area and kitchen area and out the back is some seating at the end of a pebbled driveway.
I counted eleven hand pumps that were all drawing different brews and there is also a limited premium and standard draught selection. I went for the Buxton Spa which was superb and served by a very friendly barman. The food seems to be on the posh and pricey side, but there is a bar menu with much cheaper food for those that just want to soak up a bit of beer.
There are no televisions or gaming machines here, but there was some oldie music playing in the background.
This pub is well worth a visit.
On 22nd August 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5251 recommendations about 5219 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Marble Arch
Only a short walk from the Hare and Hounds and is well worth a visit. Features in Camra's Heritage Pubs book. I was amazed at the fine detail to the mosiac floor and the amount of time it must have taken to lay it. You can also see where the original bar would have extended to. The pub was quiet on our visit and this silence was broken from loud piped blues music. The different music the chef was blaring out at the back was even louder. Beer wise there were 10 ales on handpump, I went for the Marble Bitter, Draft and Pint. Their beers, l was told, are of a traditional Mancunian taste and after a few, I got to enjoy some of them.
On 14th June 2013
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Anonymous User left this review about The Marble Arch
It shows on reflection how this place has priced out the ordinary Joe public, when regular 'Posties' are supping in the nearby Angel. It must be well over 12 months since I last frequented the Marble.
Not that I'm disrespecting the Angel- in fact it has become a firm favourite of mine in recent months. The standard of the real ales being in top notch condition with friendly staff.
The Marble Arch along with the Brewdog outlet in central Manchester, exceeds in being totally pretentious and out of touch considering the current economic climate, in my humble opinion!
On 11th November 2012
- rating: 4
[User has posted 0 recommendations about 0 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Thuck Phat left this review about The Marble Arch
If you only visit one pub in Manchester, then ensure that it's the Marble Arch.
The interior alone is worth a visit and is well described below but the food and beer are also of the highest quality. The extensive cheese menu is a great idea as it allows a nibble without using up too much valuable space.
Unlike Mr Bonser, I found the welcome to be warm and friendly from both staff and locals. In fact no sooner had we expressed an interest in the Chocolate Reserve than a fellow drinker was describing it's provenance and recommending it and there was a taster in front of us from the barman. Class.
The ale range is predominantly Marble but so confident are they in the quality of their beers that guests are also from top quality breweries. On our visit the delights available were: Marble Ginger, Dobber, Chocolate Reserve, Draft, Lagonda IPA, Pint, Summer and Northern Quarter with guests Black Jack New Deck and Fyne Rune. Black Jack is brewed by a former Marble brewer close by.
Marble brew the finest beer I've ever had and everything we went for was excellent, refused to stay in the glass and was very well kept.
An outstanding pub. Heaven.
On 27th September 2012
- rating: 10
[User has posted 679 recommendations about 678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Marble Arch
A very fine review by Mr Bonser describes the interior so accurately.I would only add that for such an impressive CAMRA national inventory interior,a real fire in the hearth would be so much more impressive than the coal affect gas mechanism there at present.
The star is the Marble ales,seven were being featured on our visit with two guests from Blackjack's and Fyne breweries.There was a real cider and three interesting craft lagers as well,but our focus was solely on the outstanding house beers.Lagonda IPA,Dobber ,Chocolate Reserve and Magic(a collaboration with Magic Rock) were all absolutely spot on.£3.40 for Lagonda IPA (5%) may seem pricey until you taste the quality.
The cheese selection now extends to twenty varieties and although we didn't eat ,the food on the next table looked and smelt very tempting.
It would be a crime to visit Manchester and not visit The Marble Arch,it will always be my first port of call and is a very difficult pub to leave given the unbelievable ale line up from Marble.
On 20th September 2012
- rating: 10
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about The Marble Arch
On the Rochdale Road, on the edge of Manchester’s Northern Quarter is The Marble Arch, a Victorian street corner pub that will be of interests to beer enthusiasts as the original home of the Masrble Brewery, although I understand that brewing no longer takes place on the premises. Outside, high up in the brickwork, we see the date 1888 A D, this date now being remembered in the name of one of the brewery’s bottled beers.
An attractive looking dark polished granite exterior leads into a long single room with a fine mosaic floor and superb glazed tiled walls advertising, high up, just below the join with the ceiling, various drinks such as Gins, Brandies, Cordials and Wines. On the right hand wall a display cabinet proudly displays a collection of CAMRA award certificates ( some from specific beer festivals ) together with bottles of various Marble beers that have been brewed over the years. Seating consists of pew seating and banquettes down both sides of the room. The bar counter is at the far end of the long room and, as we walk down the notably sloping floor to this counter, we see an impressive large old mirror advertising B & J McKenna Harpurhey Brewery Ales and Stouts. The pub is listed in CAMRA’s National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors.
Walking past the side of the bar, we reach a more modern restaurant area behind with an open canteen style kitchen counter. Here, on the wall, are several framed collections of old brewery items – widgets, taps etc. There’s a rather scruffy garden outside at the back with the usual picnic style tables and parasols.
Food is evidently taken seriously here with menus and condiments on all tables in the long bar room. Probably reflecting the regeneration of the area, the menu might perhaps best be described as ambitious and pricey ( eg – Marble style lamb hot pot with our pickled red cabbage - £ 15.50p). Mains generally appeared to start at around £ 11, an indication, clearly, that the pub sees its target clientele as those living in the expensive newly built apartments nearby, and not the average typical local pub goer. Staff were friendly and helpful enough, but the impersonal un–Northern like atmosphere here is something of a disappointment.
The principal attraction here of course is the Marble beers with tasting notes thoughtfully provided in the drinks menu. The bar counter has 10 pumps in total. On my recent late lunchtime visit, 6 Marble beers were on – Dobber, Chocolate Marble, Lagonda IPA, Stouter Stout, Spring and Ginger. Notably, Ginger appeared to be the weakest beer at 4.5% ABV, with three of the six beers ( Dobber, Chocolate Marble and Lagonda IPA) weighing in at ABV’s of 5% +. Also on was Marble Moonshine Cider at 7.5%. Two guest beers from Pictish Brewery – Columbus and Sauvin Blanc – were also on. Of the Marble beers sampled, both the Lagonda IPA and the Stouter Stout ( £ 3.25p and £ 3.05p respectively ) were in fine form, but I struggled a bit with the rather harsh taste of the Ginger. There’s also a good selection of bottled German and Belgian beers. The pub is a CAMRA Good Beer Guide regular.
It’s not a long walk from the City Centre to get here, and, overall, it’s still well worth the effort.
On 3rd April 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
david hammill left this review about The Marble Arch
what a cracking little pub full life and character good beer the pub was full to the brim on a very windy day my pint of marble ginger was spot on form i also tried marble bitter which was also in good form will definitely come again next time i`m in manchester
On 22nd January 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 96 recommendations about 86 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Marble Arch
This is an absolute must visit pub for any real ale fan or pub enthusiast visiting Manchester. The wall tiling combined with the mosaic flooring could well be unique, and should give anyone drinking in here a feeling of grandeur in being able to still drink in such stunning surroundings in this day and age.
This is effectively the Marble Brewery tap, so of course Marble ales predominate. My companions went for a 6% strongly ginger flavoured ale which I though was absolutely ghastly (but that’s just a matter of personal taste); unlike the Manchester Bitter which was nectar. I didn’t see the menu, but there is an advertisement above the bar counter for cheese platters, including bread and biscuits – four cheeses for £6.95; nine for £10.95; and twelve for £13.95.
If I come back to Manchester this is one pub to which I’d really like to pay a return visit.
On 24th September 2011
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
peter ashworth left this review about The Marble Arch
Splendid Victorian pub with a superb interior including a high ceiling,four ornamental chandeliers,a mosaic sloped floor,with the walls and ceiling tiled in the colour of British Rail buildings. On my visit the fire was roaring, and the customers chatting and enjoying the atmosphere.There is an excellent selection of cask ale on offer including quite a few of there own Marble range,I had a quality pint of Pictish Stout.The Clientele seems to be a mix of locals,young professionals,and real ale buffs,and if you are in the area is a real must.(Be careful of the step on entering)
On 7th January 2011
- rating: 10
[User has posted 2318 recommendations about 2274 pubs]