Rain Bar

Rain Bar is a JW Lees pub in an old umbrella factory. It’s a beautiful building and looks even better now after its recent refurb. The jewel in the crown though, or the spoke in the brolly, is its large terrace overlooking the Bridgewater Canal.

There is a good selection of drinks with a range of JW Lees beers on draught including some excellent options from Boilerhouse, their craft microbrewery offshoot, as well as a few uninspired big name options.

Food is good value with generous portions. Think steak and ale pie, burgers, fish and chips and the like. There is a nod to seasonality on the menu, which also makes good use of beer in the recipes but the dishes don’t vary much from other JW Lees pubs.

As well as the suntrap canalside terrace, the atmosphere is what makes this place special. It has a warm, welcoming feel to it and because it’s a bit on the edge of things, it tends to be less crowded than other options.