Stables Tavern

You would never believe this was a new opening. The vibe is somewhere between Middle-earth and the textiles bit of the Science and Industry Museum. In fact, it’s nigh-on the same building. 

 It’s a real dreamscape of raw concrete, exposed beams, and aged murals. All that proper good Manchester architecture. It’s so industrial, you can almost smell the oil.

Stables Tavern opened last week. It’s a new pub, with a lot of very old history. In the early 19th century, there was an actual tavern here. Serving workers, carriage drivers, and radicals, this would have been a well-treasured social backdrop for those running the mills of Manchester. 

What a comeback. Re-opening centuries later, Stables Tavern is a place that serves up genuine warmth and heart. And, most importantly, a really good Guinness.

It’s historic, but not fancy. Their baby Guinness goes down just as easily as the adult counterpart, and their food menu promises some well-considered pub grub. It’s a really limited run of pies, pasties, and sausage rolls – but done in an unfussy, stylish way. Simple plating, simple flavours, but when all the ingredients are right, you don’t need anything else. 

Their draught selection rotates, but their opening line-up is strong. Asahi, Boddingtons, and Deya’s Steady Rolling Man. With only six taps, they’ve successfully covered all bases. There’s truly something for everyone. 

The crowd might be very different from the last time they were open, but they’ve maintained that sense of togetherness. It’s easy to feel relaxed when someone’s put the effort in to make it so. This is one to grab a few mates for. Have yourself a get-together.