May - Molly House
26 Richmond Street, Manchester, M1 3NB
NOTE: Now transferred to the newly formed Central Manchester Branch
The Stockport & South Manchester CAMRA Pub of the Month for May is the Molly House on Richmond Street in Manchester City Centre. Karen Wainwright explains why this new free house is so special and so different.
On the edge of Manchester's "Village" the Molly House is a new venture under the capable leadership of Paul Duffy. Converted from a former tailor's shop, this three storey free house is a building of contrasts. The ground floor is dominated by floors and furniture of pinewood. The bar is populated with six handpumps carrying a varied array of Beartown beers plus regular guests from other local micro breweries such as Red Willow. Décor is low key, tasteful and complementary to function. Next to the bar is the open kitchen serving the mainly Spanish Tapas dishes. Forget about crisps and nuts for bar snacks; feast yourself on fresh carrot cake and Victoria sponge served from the bar. Thought provoking music, whilst not "in your face" but definitely in the air, helps to successfully entwine an ambiance of a cross between a British pub and a Continental bar.
For those who decide to explore the next floor, they discover the Molly House's unhidden secret. Whilst the bar is a carbon copy of downstairs the room is totally different. Soft furnishings and lighting create a sense of relaxation here. Take French "basement club", a Yankee "speak easy bar" and throw in a lot of well kept real ale, the result is a room with a unique character. Here too is access to a decked smoking area. With bench seating and adorned with hanging baskets it adequately caters for those thus inclined.
Paul has been in charge of the Molly House for the last sixteen months since opening. His team of staff is extremely friendly and nothing is too much effort to ensure you receive customer satisfaction. Apart from the real ales in the peak of condition, there is an excellent range of unusual spirits downstairs and fine wines upstairs. Foreign beers are well represented too. And for those who may be driving, (to complement the fresh cakes) an extensive range of teas and coffees from around the world are on offer along with a non alcoholic cocktail menu. Paul also has a wish to reduce his beer carbon footprint by trying to source guest ales that comply with CAMRA's LocAle philosophy in which he takes beer from local producers to reduce "beer miles".
The presentation of the Pub of the Month plaque will be on Thursday 24th May from 8 o'clock in the evening. Come along and enjoy a drink or two in the refreshingly pleasant surroundings of The Molly House at 26 Richmond Street M1 3NB. It is just a few minutes walk from Manchester's Piccadilly bus and train stations.