The Britons Protection

Standing on Great Bridgewater Street, The Britons Protection is all real fires, tiled corridors and low-lit rooms, one of the most characterful pubs in central Manchester and a favourite before or after a show at the Bridgewater Hall. When it is on, the Sunday roast is generous pub cooking with the usual trimmings, and the pub is known for pairing it with one of its many whiskies, so it is worth checking the roast is running on the day you visit. It is not the most refined plate on this list, and it ranks last here for that reason, and it is easy to reach on the south side of the centre. Come for the setting, the fires and the whisky before or after the Bridgewater Hall; if a guaranteed, polished roast is the goal, The Marble Arch above is the safer bet.