Well this was a pleasant surprise - a great pub, selling great food and only 5 mins drive from my…read morehouse. After Hyde's doing the Abel Heywood in town, it's cool to see Holt's doing something similar and really moving with the times in offering a relaxed (if somewhat still faux independent looking boozer) and multi-faceted 3rd place. I had a meeting here and decided to stay on for lunch so I can comment that the coffee (9 different blends - I only had one mind you...) was pretty good, the black and blue burger was tasty (lovely chips and sides - although the pit beans were a bit off in the spicing - a bit too much star anise I think...) and it was a good place to meet and also get some work done with loads of room to move around in and fairly quiet on a Thurs lunch. Although I wasn't partaking on this visit, the beer selection on draft was a good mix of Holt's and local breweries - plus regular lagers. What I was impressed with though was the large selection of bottles from Sierra Nevada (3 types), Founders All Day IPA and other great breweries. Ok so this place is very towny and I imagine could be a haven for the 'shirt and shoes brigade' on a weekend evening but overall it had enough to make me want to keep coming back. Nice work! ps amazing cake selection - check out my pic!

This is a suburban Joseph Holt's pub which has recently undergone a massive renovation and is an…read moreobvious attempt by Holt's to capture a different market. Gone is any mention of Holt's on signage and the whole look is trying to convince you it's an independent free hold. Even the Holt's branded pump clips are absent at the bar replaced with little chalk written clips. Overall this re 'un-branding' works and the pub was very busy though big enough to be full of people but still not rammed. Small touches linked the place to it's location right next to a train line, with signage alluding to a train station and concrete rail sleepers used as fencing in the beer garden. The beer was Holt's fairly unremarkable standard, though still far superior to most pubs normal selection of lagers, they had one guest beer on which was a pleasant pale but not amazing enough to have held it's name in my memory. The big selling point of this new refurbishment is the restaurant. You can tell a lot of money and thought had been placed into the new gastro focus. The place has been re done pretty much like most places you'll find in the Northern Quarter with lots of wood panelling and mis-matched chairs and edison style light bulbs. The dessert bar was the most impressive I've seen in any restaurant for a long time. A full ice cream bar on display as well as their huge selection of 5 inch deep cheesecakes. The menu was extremely varied but had a focus on the new trend in American style street food dining with pulled pork and hot dogs amid a selection of more standard choices like pizza or fish and chips. Everyone's food looked amazing and there was a general consenus that nothing served was sub par. My pulled pork hash was great, served with a mustard apple sauce and poached egg were spot on choices and a side of dirty beans which seemed to come with everything which they were calling P5 Pit Beans. Overall it's a local gastro pub done very well by a local chain which has been very underwhelming in recent years. But they are clearly trying to overhaul their image in selected locations around the city. I can only hope this happens in more of their locations and it was a very welcome change.

So after a cold snowy day of photo shoots we were starved cold creatures…read more It was a Sunday and one of us piped up "Oh let's go for a Sunday Roast!" So whipping out yelp..We tried a nearby pub which was packed..in defeat and stomachs a-gurgling I rang this place and spoke to a John who was polite and promised us a table.. Eagerly we arrived to a lovely traditional pub with a fire and good vibes. We were led to a lovely dining room and seated. Looking around at fellow diners eating Yorkshire puddings the size of a large boat we were encouraged. They offer lamb, beef turkey or all three meats for 14.99. I chose the lamb Sunday dinner with mash, green beans, red cabbage, roast potatoes, carrots, parsnips and a massive home made Yorkshire. There was little bit of a wait but God when it arrived it was one of the best Sunday dinners I have had in a very long time. The portion was generous and we even got cheese cauliflower for the side. We ate in utter silence and every single thing on that plate was cooked to perfection. These wolfed down we ended with a cheesecake each which was also divine and a decent portion. Overall fantastic service.. great atmosphere and most importantly excellent food!!

Went for lunch on a weekday and the place was packed. Comprehensive menu including the usual fayre…read moreincluding burgers, steaks, fish and sandwiches. More expensive than your usual pub grub but a cut above and well worth it. I went for the burger with bacon and cheese (approx £11), homemade, large and well cooked burger in a focaccia bun with some extremely chunky chips on the side. Colleague had the fish and chips and was well received. Afraid I didn't try the beers but had a wide range or lagers and beers. Nice atmosphere in impressive 17th Century building, lots of seating and good outside patio area. I will be back to sample other things on the menu!

A nice selection of food and drink for you lunch but £6.49 for a cup of tea and a mini dessert !read more

Steven was our waiter in our first meal in England on our vacation. He was great! Very helpful…read morewith recommendations and wonderful service.

I ate here with friends, it was good food although we were please we only ordered from the light…read morebites section of the menu as this was a substantial meal in itself. This pub is clearly a popular place to come if you are eating as many of the small amount of tables were booked already, so we were pleased to find a table. Ketchup came in a shot glass which was a little odd, but it worked so no complaints, and it was a good quality Ketchup which is always a welcome change. You will need to get up to go and order, but that is easy enough and all in all the food was very good. The staff were nice and looked after us while we were there, at the same time as delivering food in a timely manner. If I am back in this area again soon I will come back here for lunch, happily.

We have friends that live in Heald Green and suggested the newly refurbished Griffin for lunch. …read more It was a nice walk from their house to the other end of the village .. but that where the good ended. As a party of 6 we firstly got seated on a bench table for 4.. more than a squeeze. We got moved to a much better table, after asking, surrounded by huge cushion that meant it was almost possible to sit down. We all all ordered at the bar and the food that came wasn't terrible quality just very small portions! I sent my calamari back as 5 squid ring for £4.85 seemed like a joke. The staff apologised and explained after reopening up they had teething problems in the kitchen... but then no check back after our main courses arrived. For a self proclaimed gastropub charging gastropub prices this has a long way to go..

This place takes a solid 3 star…read more. After another late finish at work, my colleague mentioned this place did good pizza,,, after what was supposed to be a 10 minute walk we arrived at a Wetherspoonesque pub. The furniture has the genric comfy couches and chairs you find at one of these pubs, which was filled with hungry loud families. They offer two for 1 on mains every Monday or £12.95 for two courses Monday to Thursday, I chose the squid for starters , and a salmon and prawn hanging kebab for mains. The staff were freindly and offered a good selction of beer however they were not attentive when it came to serving us food. Our starter plate was left waiting to be picked up for 30 minutes before it was discovered. To be fair it was busy, and my tolerance was not great because there was so many loud kids. The squid calamari was plentiful, but difficult to eat due to its rubbery nature. When the mains arrived i was more impressed. The vegtables looked fresh and vibrant with nicely seasoned home made looking fries. Pulling off the salmon and prawns from its skewer , I found this to be well cooked and tasty .. I did orginally think that I woud be able to snaffle this and have room for dessert, but I was deceived. Suprisingly filling. Overall a good solid pub, nothing to write home about, but can't fault it too much either. I would just be prepared that it can be busy , and if you do not have the tolerance for loud chavy families...try to time this one carfully.

This Pub is steeped in history, and if you are into your very British pub experience where a direct…read morelink to the past can be seen around you as you sup your ale, then should make a visit to the Arden Arms! A fact that made me go there was the following - The interior of the pub today is included in the CAMRA National Inventory, a list compiled by the lobbying group of the only remaining 250 pub interiors (out of over 60,000) in Great Britain that remain of outstanding heritage interest!! The 1908 bar from is still in place, and is definitely unlike I have ever seen, it is a floor to ceiling carved wooded masterpiece! there is beautiful original tiling too .. and a lovely little snug to get cosy in! as you would expect with this calibre of bar, you can order from an array of beers! The beer is supplied by the famous independent Stockport Brewery, Robinsons, you will also find seasonal brews! The food is good too, on my visit I had 6oz Rump Steak & Caramelised Red Onions, Mustard Mayonnaise ciabatta for only £6.50 !! the menu is quite varied, but they stick to the best of British pub grub... nothing too fancy or trying too hard, just very good honest food!

The Arden Arms is a fantastic pub in the centre of Stockport. It's a traditional boozer which has…read morebeen done out really well. I love the posters on the walls and the fact they still have a snug. The outside area is excellent with heaters and decking. They also have live music there every Saturday night during the Summer which is free. The food is excellent quality pub grub. Everything is home made. Their cheese and onion pie is fantastic. The pastry is so good and the filling delicious. I also recommend the home made sponge puddings they do with homemade custard. Well worth a visit during lunch time. The owners are also super friendly as well.

The room was cold and we had to ask for the heating to be put on. There was only one other family…read moreeating (about 8 of them, with two crying babies)but we were sat near them when other rooms were available for the two of us to have a nice quiet peaceful evening date night. The food was good , as was the ale.

I really like the Ashlea. Nice atmosphere and a good range of beer…read more Service is normally very good as well. The food has been a bit hit and miss in the past but the last couple of visits have been very good. Overall, I would describe it as better than standard pub food - not amazing but very nice and great for a lunch out at a reasonable price. The Sunday roast is very good - although I would prefer slightly smaller roast potatoes (they were huge!). Fish & Chips also very tasty. Menu is extensive, mostly standard pub fayre but with some good fishy specialities. Not sure if the fish is responsibly sourced, but I will check next time. So, good service, generous portions of above average food at a reasonable price (around £25/head with starter, main and a couple of drinks). Recommended.

It's always a nice experience when we come here. Today we stopped in for a late lunch. We got a…read morewhole room to ourselves for the girls to run around freely without bothering anyone. The cod cakes and salad were DELICIOUS!!!! I ordered the seafood linguine and it was good, but too sweet for my taste. Husband had the fish and chips and it was pretty good. Love the ambiance and the service, as always, was very nice.

Seeing as I used to live in West Didsbury years ago, I'm no newbie to 'The Met', as locals like to…read morecall it. However, I haven't visited this place for years, and was looking forward to going on a Saturday for a mates birthdays. There were 16 of us on a Saturday afternoon, starting here for food and drink before heading to a few other places in Didsbury. It's actually a really nice place - the interior is lovely and location spot on. It often gets scrutinised for being a bit pretentious with the crowd it attracts, but I have to say I prefer the crowd of didsbury locals - this place is always filled with a nice crowd and attracts no trouble. You can sit outside under the heated area, inside at the main bar, or in the restaurant/dining bit. Each area is always busy, with a bustling atmosphere and traditional decor. I ordered the Butternut Squash Risotto for my dinner which was the wrong choice - I should have gone for the burgers which a lot of my friends went for, and they looked amazing. The burgers came with a nice looking ciabatta bun, and were fully stacked with meat, salad and cheese. My risotto was very standard., The butternut squash was a little bit hard, and I didn't really feel full or satisfied after it. At least I had buckets of sweet potato fries to pick at from everyone elses order afterwards, which were home cooked and delicious! Quite a pricey place to come for lunch and a drink if you expect it to be a typical 'pub/bar' type place. But it is west didsbury after all. I'll be back to give the menu a second chance with a competely different order!

Expo Lounge is currently my favourite hangout. It's toddler friendly and my nearly two-year-old…read moreloves it. It's very chilled and has a lovely outside seating area too which looks out to Didsbury Village. There's a great selection of food including vegan and gluten free. On my last visit I spotted Freddie Flintoff!

I went to Expo Lounge a few weekends ago. It wasn't overly busy when we arrived so it was easy…read moregetting a table - score! The food is good quality and quite tasty. For starters, I'm a big fan of their soups! These taste treats are served with fresh warm bread and butter, and are an excellent value. On my most recent visit, I ordered the fish cake and it was completely delicious! All our food came out with minimal waiting time and was served at the perfect temperature too :-)