If you’re looking for a perfect stop-off after a winter walk, these Greater Manchester pubs have roaring fires, cosy nooks and top-tier grub
The Black Friar Pub in Salford is one of Greater Manchester’s most historic and storied pubs(Image: Manchester Evening News)
With the festive period coming to an end, it’s understandable that the January blues might start to creep in. Instead of toasting to the New Year and eating copious amount of food, the coming weeks will all see us rein in the spending, curb some of our recently adapted Christmas eating habits, and generally cut back.
Doesn’t sound the most fun, which is why it’s important to have small things to look forward to – and they don’t need to cost the earth. There’s plenty of scenic country walks in and around Greater Manchester that you can do for free or with a small spend on public transport.
And, should you want a reward at the end, we’re spoilt for choice when it comes to cosy pubs to settle down in for a quick pint or warming winter meal. Of course, you can skip the pub and head straight to the pub for a Sunday roast or evening meal to ward of those low January days.
Below, we’ve selected a small number of pubs from across Greater Manchester that are particularly cosy – think roaring fires, nooks and crannies, and seating booths tucked away from the elements. It’s not an exhaustive list but little bit of inspiration if you’re seeking out a cosy watering hole this winter.
Strawbury Duck, Entwistle
Strawbury Duck, Entwistle(Image: Facebook – Strawbury Duck)
Situated between Entwistle and Wayoh reservoirs and with a train station on its doorstep, The Strawbury Duck is just six miles from Bolton and is popular with walkers, hikers and cyclists.
A traditional pub focusing on traditional Lancashire cuisine and great cask ales, it boasts scenic countryside views, a number of dining rooms and several outdoor seating options including a beer garden. Diners can tuck into homemade pies of the week, steak pudding, pan-fired chicken and a whole host of comforting pub grub.
Overshores Rd, Entwistle, Bolton BL7 0LU
Hare & Hounds, Mill Brow
Hare and Hounds, Mill Brow
Worth the winding, tight country roads on the drive up there, Hare & Hounds overlooks the beautiful Marple Bridge and is a real winter warmer of a pub. Enter and you’ll instantly feel the warmth of the open fire, before settling in and ordering some very impressive pub fare.
Serving Robinsons ales and some of the best food in the area, it’s the perfect destination for Stopfordians who want something cosy off the beaten track, or for Greater Mancunians on a Sunday stroll out in the suburbs and in need of a great pint and proper meal – we’re talking pork belly, sea bass and flat iron steak as well as pub classics.
19 Mill Brow, Marple Bridge, Stockport SK6 5LW
The Marble Arch, Manchester
Inside the Marble Arch pub building, which dates back to 1888(Image: Manchester Evening News)
As you head out of the city centre, pubs become fewer farther between, but up on Rochdale Road, you’ll find The much-loved Marble Arch. The multi-award winning, Grade II-listed pub is the original home of the Marble Brewery, so you know great beers are guaranteed.
Featuring ornate chimneys and a grand front entrance, as well as a barrel-vaulted ceramic tiled ceiling and decorative frieze it has to be one of the city’s most beautiful boozers. The mosaic sloping floor leads you to the bar where you can sample beers from its hand pulls serving brewery-fresh cask beer, as well as a number of carefully selected keg lines and a selection of artisanal ciders. Don’t forget to go for Sunday lunch too – you won’t regret it.
73 Rochdale Rd, Manchester M4 4HY
The Farrars Arms, Saddleworth
A historic pub in Oldham has featured in a viral TikTok video(Image: The Farrars Arms)
This dog friendly pub in the heart of Saddleworth has a lot going for it and ticks many of the boxes required to be on of Greater Manchester’s cosiest. A historic pub built on the grounds of the thirteenth century Shaw Hall, The Farrars Arms stems as far back as 1702.
It was taken over and refurbished by owner Rob Norbury, who was previously an actor on Hollyoaks and also runs the world-inspired Muse bar and restaurant in Uppermill, in 2017. The menu here is vast and hearty, with plenty of tempting starters and sandwiches as well as homemade pies, pizzas and proper Sunday roasts.
56 Oldham Rd, Grasscroft, Oldham OL4 4HL
Fox & Pine, Oldham
The pub’s walls are adorned with knick-knacks and quirks
Based on Greaves Street in Oldham, Fox and Pine has quickly become recognised as one of the town’s top pubs since couple Chris and Michelle Riley took over the reins five years ago. The quirky venue, which features a wealth of unique memorabilia dotted around, has also been named the Best Pub of the Year in Rochdale, Oldham and Bury by CAMRA numerous times.
A much-valued addition to the pub and bar scene in Oldham, it’s been heavily commended for its drinks selection which includes 10 hand pumps serving varied beer styles, plus at least four real ciders. A great community pub it boasts a large bar, and two upstairs rooms.
18 Greaves St, Oldham OL1 1AD
Holcombe Tap, Ramsbottom
The Holcombe Tap features a cosy interior(Image: The Holcombe Tap)
First opened back in 2018, the bar and kitchen on Bolton Road West has gained a reputation for its cosy atmosphere and top-notch food. Alongside Sunday roasts, the venue serves a main menu featuring haggis and Cumberland sausage roll, crispy hash brown bites and king prawns in garlic and chilli butter.
In 2023, the venue was named the Leading Restaurant of the Year (Casual) at the This Is Manchester 2023 awards and it holds the respected title of being one of the top three restaurants in Ramsbottom on TripAdvisor and Google, where it holds a five star rating.
13 Bolton Rd W, Ramsbottom, Bury BL0 9NA
Tandle Hill Tavern, Middleton
Tandle Hill Tavern has been added to the guide (Image: CAMRA )
In 2025, fans of this boozer were delighted to hear that the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) added it to their latest guide celebrating the very best pubs and bars. Described as “a neat little pub nestles among a number of farms along an unmade, potholed lane”, this year it celebrated its 175th birthday.
Originally dating back to around 1850 as a farmhouse before becoming a pub, it has welcomed locals and visitors for over a century, offering a wonderful pub experience rich in history. Its location near Tandle Hill Country Park offers stunning views and a peaceful backdrop of beech woodlands and open grasslands, making it a great stop-off after a stroll.
The Tandle Hill Tavern, 14 Thornham Ln, Middleton, Manchester M24 2SD
The Oxford Pub, Rochdale
The Oxford Pub, Rochdale.(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
This family-run pub at the foot of the Pennines has become well known in recent years for its cosy interiors, top selection of food and drink, and it’s rotating programme of events including its Christmas Markets. When it’s not busy running its events, punters head to The Oxford for its hearty food offer, fine wines and real ales.
Established in 2013, its a great refuge after a brisk, winter walk with roaring fireplaces and cosy surroundings, and its famous cheese and onion pie. The McNeeney family have some favourites on the menu too including salt and pepper chicken, smokey brisket chilli and their fish basket.
662 Whitworth Rd, Rochdale OL12 0TB
The Black Friar, Salford
The Salford pub’s building dates back to 1886(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Reopened in 2021 for the first time in two decades after an extensive renovation totalling £1.4 million, The Black Friar is now one of Salford’s cosiest food and drink spots. Left as the only building to survive the 1960s slum clearances in Black Friars, and derelict after being damaged by two fires, its transformation is quite something and has even impressed national food critics.
As part of the refurbishment the pub was extended to create a modern glass restaurant with an open kitchen, private dining room and a dining courtyard, as well as a traditional pub area and updated beer garden. The Back Friar’s menu spans pub classics to modern British and their menus are a celebration of local produce with dishes such as steak and frites, Grandma’s sausage and mash, and beer-battered fish and chips all on the bill.
41-43 Blackfriars Rd, Salford M3 7DB
The Swan with Two Nicks, Altrincham
The Swan With Two Nicks, Little Bollington(Image: Ray Blow)
Perched on the edge of the Dunham Massey estate, this village pub with its roaring log fires is the ideal place to warm up after chilly winter walk around the National Trust deer park or Bridgewater Canal.
The quality of their ales here has gained the pub Cask Marque accreditation, Good Beer Guide listing, CAMRA Pub of the Year and recently, Timothy Taylors Champion Club Establishment status – so you can count on a great pint.
Park Lane, Little Bollington, Altrincham, A14 4SU
The Gatehouse, Tyldesley
(Image: Manchester Family / MEN)
With its colourful green and orange decor, this family friendly pub fuses old with new, with a pool table up in one corner, spacious dining sections and a cosy fireplace seating area near the bar. And since September 2023, the site has been home to Ale & Aloo, the north west’s only Indian gastropub, offering a fusion of Indian and English meals.
Head chef Xavier has more than two decades’ under his belt at renowned Indian restaurant Asha’s, opening chains across the world, and has devised a truly enticing menu here – from chicken tikka bon bons and south Indian pepper fry to small plates like tandoori chicken wings and samosa chaat, plus specials and reinvented pub classics.
Cherington Dr, Tyldesley, Manchester M29 8WE
The Magnet, Stockport
The Magnet, which is run by mother and son Lesley and Lee Watts is beloved by its punters for its impressive beer selection of cask ales and rotating keg options(Image: MEN)
This friendly Stockport freehouse is everything a good pub should be, with a well-curated cask, keg and bottled beer selection from breweries far and wide. The pub was first built in 1840 as a coaching inn due to its proximity to Heaton Norris Station and has retained its original name since then.
Taken over 15 years ago by mother and son, Lesley and Lee Watts, it is a warren of cosy corners and sitting rooms and features pool tables, darts and outdoor seating. As well as a superb drinks selection, it also offers up a range of bar snacks including locally made pork pies, as well as homemade stone-baked pizzas.
51 Wellington Rd N, Stockport SK4 1HJ
The Horse & Jockey, Chorlton
The Horse & Jockey in Chorlton has reopened after a major transformation(Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)
The Horse & Jockey has become a symbol of Chorlton Green. Even though it didn’t become a pub until 1793, it’s been claimed that the building dates back to 1512.
This year, after four years running the successful Black Friar in Salford, owner Neil Burke and Executive Chef Ben Chaplin have brought their pub expertise to the suburbs. The venue has been giving a sensitive sprucing up – showcasing original features, heritage colours and a welcoming style with plenty of cosy corners to enjoy a pint. Their pub grub is top tier with standouts including the shepherd’s pie and Gloucestershire wild boar and Chianti fettucine.
9 Chorlton Grn, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester M21 9HS
The Hartshead, Mossley
A roaring fire at The Hartshead, Mossley(Image: Vintage Inns)
Named after nearby Hartshead Pike, this former farmhouse on the edge of the Peak District offers spectacular views across the surrounding countryside to Manchester city centre. inside its been carefully restored and tastefully furnished, complete with roaring log fireplaces.
Serving something a little different to what you might expect, the food offer is now looked after by Ego Mediterranean and celebrates cooking from France, Spain, Italian, Greek and Moroccan. Expect chargrilled steaks, kebabs, fresh fish, seafood and of course, pasta and pizza.
Mossley Rd, Mossley, Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 9AQ
The Shoulder of Mutton, Ramsbottom
Peel Tower walk and Shoulder of Mutton pub in Ramsbottom(Image: Manchester Family/MEN)
First built in the 18th century, in the early days the venue had a history of long-gone sporting events and during the First World War the village of Holcombe was bombed and the pub was damaged by shrapnel. Situated just below Peel tower and under new ownership since 2003, it’s well-appointed location makes it popular with walkers and cyclists.
With roaring fireplaces, cosy booth seating and wooden beams, it’s the ideal stop-off at this time of year when you want to warm up and enjoy a a proper pint and something warming to eat. They’ll be switching over to January menus now, but recent menus have featured scotch eggs, creamy garlic mushrooms and steak and Guinness pie.
Lumb Carr Rd, Holcombe, Ramsbottom, Bury BL8 4LZ