please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
http://www.manchesterconfidential.co.uk/Competitions/Paul-Heaton-To-Take-Over-Kings-Arms-Salford
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decent Howard Town Bleaklow the other day. 3 other ales available
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Quite a bit has written about this pub already so it's difficult to add much, but from a first impressions stand point I'll have a go:
Firstly, despite the demise of so many local pub, this place is somehow managing to buck the trend? (and has done for some years by all accounts) For the life of me I don't know how, because as pubs go, aside from the real ale it hasn't got much else going for it..or has it?
This huge old pub has an upstairs function room and two rooms downstairs, the main bar/room itself is large, but I couldn't help but think it must be a cold place in winter as the ceilings are 10ft high! On the day of my visit, the rest of the pub appeared to be out of use as there was evidence of work on going, painting? The front snug is a comfy little room with a brighter, fresher appearance and is popular with a local knitting club of all things?
They also hold mid week music nights (Wed/Thurs) and regular live events are held upstairs in the function room.
At the rear/side of the pub is also a small, but really quirky beer garden which I can imagine generates a good atmosphere on warm dry evenings.
The beers on offer were sadly limited to just two (from Bazens & Northern) as the other pumps were off. I must have caught it on a bad day as early reports indicate there are often five on tap.
I can concur with an earlier comment in that the owner/landlord seems a little confused as to the clientèle he's trying to attract here. Despite the economic climate, the pub continues to hang in there, but how I don't know, the lack of investment is clear for all to see. From my stand point, beer is the common denominator, but that alone is not enough to save any pub. I hope I'm wrong, but personally, unless a great deal of money is spent, I think "The Kings" long term prospects are very gloomy indeed.
Finally...the toilets! The less said about these the better, grubby, tatty, graffiti strewn, no locks on the door, toilet seat falling off...quite frankly disgusting. One saving grace, someone had at least tried to freshen the place up with bleach. I can't help but think a hand grenade might have been the better option!
In a nut shell...A pub lacking identity & direction. Money & investment is the key, but seems unlikely. To me, it's future looks pretty bleak. OK, good beers, but not a place I'd take my Mrs.
Les Walker
Pub/Beer Critic
(BeerNorthWestUK) - Twitter
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Not a bad place to call into between other nearby pubs (like the New Oxford) and Manchester city centre. A decent selection of real ales available. Ver mixed decor - seems to have a confused personality!
alexw - 13 May 2011 18:44 |
The best thing about this place is the beer garden! If you have never seen it it is definately worth having a mooch. I sampled the gwatkins medium cider at a whopping 7.5 %! Excellent stuff but on the expensive side. A real hidden gem in Salfords chappel street district.
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Needs a bit of decoration but I found the place to be very friendly and had a fine pint from the Rossendale Brewery, a micro from where I rarely get to sample.
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Hard to really sum this place up i'm afraid, but here i go. Main bar, dark and lacking in charm, although a cosier, lighter and smaller room is opposite. Range of ales tend to be from local microbreweries and usually the weaker beers unfortunately.
I don't quite understand what clientele this pub wishes too attract; students, tikkers, bohemian types, who knows? Could never drink here on a regular basis, more questions than answers i think.
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Traditional pub just north of Salford Central Station. As you enter the pub there is a room on the left, the main bar is to the right.
Six pumps, beers available as I arrived were Pride, Bombardier and Deuchars. I reluctantly ordered a pint of Deuchars. I'm not a great fan but It was okay, despite the ubiquitous head. I assume they were changing barrels because two more beers came on as I sat there - Allgates Caskablanca and Bazen's Flatbac. I tried a pint of the Flatbac, a light golden beer and not bad at all.
The bar has fixed seating running almost the entire length of the room. The leather upholstery was torn in several places. Varied selection of music playing in the background, at so low a volume as to be virtually pointless. The pub has a definite student vibe to it.
In summary, an okay pub that I might give another go in if I was walking past but I wouldn't go out of my way to visit again.
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Traditional pub with a good real ale selection and mixed crowd, just 2 minutes walk from Salford Central station, but it's the 'wrong way' in that it leads back into Salford instead of being on the short route into Manchester where most people go. It has an unspoilt interior with a tiled entrance corridor, a small room witha piano off to the left and the main bar room off to the right. The 5-6 beers are mostly from Lancashire/Cheshire microbreweries, and my Blakemere was in good form. Landlord also available, very nice. Manchester prices creeping outwards though- £2.80 is steep. It regularly hosts cultural events such as bands and is a keen promoter of such stuff. Mixture of young uns from the nearby yuppie flats and real ale fans. In short, it's well worth a visit combined with the New Oxford , Eagle and Crescent if in Salford- all of these pubs are worthy of a visit but are each very different.
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Old pub located close to Salford Central station and only a short walk from Manchester centre. Six handpumps selling a varied mix of well kept ales. Friendly staff and regulars. Good value home made food available. Pub hosts live music, theatre and artists. Interesting Juke box not overpowering. A great boozer.
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Fine pub on the Salford real ale trail. We've been coming in here every couple of months for years now whenever we're in Salford. Good range of real ales usually involving Bazens' and Phoenix, all well kept. Always a friendly atmosphere. Attracts a new breed of regulars from the posh flats around it now as well as the established crowd which makes for a good mix of people. Has a separate room behind the bar and another one upstairs that hosts live music. Also has a stained glass window with a picture of.... yes you've guessed it, a Kings Head rather than his arms! Don't miss it when doing the Crescent/New Oxford crawl.
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Good old fashioned looking boozer with good choice of beers. An excellenet place to sit in the afternoon and listen to the very varied and good piped music.
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Beer choice is good, always changing. Very big old pub. Supports local music also (gigs upstairs).
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Busy on a Friday lunchtime with good choice of well-kept ales. Looked like good food as well.
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Old fashioned multi-roomed pub with a decent range of ales.
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This pub has just gone under new management, again!!! Although it seems different but it is still the same - beer is better - the place is cleaner - some decoration has been done - mention of a new chef starting soon - staff friendly and overall really nice. Could this be another turn around for the kings arms?
anonymous - 6 Nov 2006 20:38 |
All the regular bar staff gone, why? Beer has taken a nose dive too, what is happening to this wonderful pub? Please get back on track.
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Maybe the few times I tried this pub it was just bad luck but I found the staff and locals incredibly unfriendly. The food wasn't very exciting and had odd serving times, as was the opening times on Sundays really unsociable.. Ah well, another pub another pint. Not worth the trek out of town. I'll give it 1 point for the building, looks really nice from the outside but you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover eh?
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Good real-ales. Good jukebox. Food good value. Have enjoyed some local bands here! Good atmosphere with a varied clientele. Recommended.
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Yes, very good, still a very mixed clientele during the day though, at about five in the evening the sport 'newspaper' gives way to the guardian, though! Fine beer, food as unpredictable as a dodgy kidney!
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its a top one and just won city life pub of the year, the people behind this are also responsible for corbieres and that's where the sexy bar maids are!
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Two minutes from the centre of Manchester and the beer prices tumble. Astonishing interior and a wide range of beers, with a studio upstairs also, thus attracting a mixed clientele of locals and students. Recommended.
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Agreed, it is a very good boozer.
Went in on a mates recommendation and was impressed. Some very good beers on offer and had a very relaxed atmosphere.
Didn't see the sexy barmaids he told me about though :)
anonymous - 25 Feb 2005 14:55 |
Good boozer...Plenty of well kept real ales... increasingly looking like its won a makeover competition...Good atmosphere
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