New Union Hotel

You're on Princess Street in the city centre, pushing through the doors of a place that's been pulling pints since before Manchester had trams. The New Union Hotel is exactly what a proper local pub should be—all dark wood, brass fixtures, and the sort of worn-in comfort that can't be manufactured. The ground floor bar has that lived-in feel, with loyal regulars nursing their usual and newcomers settling in for the kind of meal that doesn't pretend to be anything fancier than it is. Upstairs there's more space for groups, and the whole operation ticks along with the kind of unhurried pace you'd actually want from a proper boozer. It's not trying to be trendy, which is precisely why people keep coming back.