The Kings Arms

The Kings Arms is a glorious reincarnation of what was once a backstreet boozer. The main bar is a lovely oval room edged with ox-blood leather button-back benches, while the snug looks like an update on your nan’s front room. Outside there’s a suntrap terrace. It’s all done out beautifully but not in a way that detracts from its history or announces itself too boldly.

The Kings Arms has always had a good reputation for beer and it’s been a mainstay of CAMRA recommendations and The Good Beer Guide for over a decade. It’s a quiet, relaxed pub with no football on the telly. It does have Charlie, its own resident cat, who is much better for a cuddle than paying to visit one of these weird petting cafes.

The traditional temple of ale vibes don’t do The King’s Arms justice. Inside, it’s a modern welcoming space for all with loads happening. There’s an upstairs bar which is host to a packed schedule of theatre performances as well as gigs, poetry nights and film screenings. The Kings Arms also has a weekly quiz and is the meet-up spot for all sorts of hobbyists, from knitters and crochet demons to ramblers and anglers.

Hemmed in by Trinity Way and the burgeoning developments of Salford, The Kings Arms seems like the last gasp for traditional drinking, pub-not-restaurant establishments in the area. The fin(ale) frontier.