The North West winners in Britain’s Best Pubs 2026
Published 4 November, 2026
It’s a good showing for the North West in The Good Food Guide’s annual round-up of Britain’s 100 Best Pubs with six entries for the region.
Not only that, Greater Manchester nabbed the number one spot.
The Queens Arms in Eccles came from nowhere to go right in at the top. Who saw that coming? Certainly not the lovely owners, Anthony Sit and Mr Lo, who are still flabbergasted. Delighted but flabbergasted. If you love traditional boozers and Japanese food, give this community pub a visit.
Take a look at the best of the North West’s boozers and see why you should have a drink and a bite to eat in each one. They all have an excellent food offering. It’s not just scampi fries.
Us Northerners certainly know what makes a good pub.
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EcclesMore detailsQueens Arms
No. 1 in The Good Food Guide’s Britain’s 100 Best Pubs 2026
The Queens Arms in Eccles has won new-found fame as the best pub in Britain. The Good Food Guide rated it above all others in its Britain’s 100 Best Pubs 2026. Congratulations to the team who are flying the flag for Greater Manchester at this exciting hybrid of traditional boozer and Japanese izakaya.
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HayfieldMore detailsThe Pack Horse
No. 16 in The Good Food Guide’s Britain’s 100 Best Pubs 2026
Humbly describing itself as a community gastropub, The Pack Horse has collected a number of awards. Michelin-listed, no.18 in the Estrella Damn Top 50 Gastropubs 2025 and now no.16 in Britain’s Best Pubs 2026. No wonder it has the cream of the country’s food critics making special trips up from that there London.
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Manchester City CentreMore detailsThe Marble Arch
No. 36 in The Good Food Guide’s Britain’s 100 Best Pubs 2026
George Orwell may have named his ideal (and imaginary) pub The Moon Under Water but Wetherspoons on Deansgate was not what he had in mind. Perhaps he was dreaming of The Marble Arch. It has all the qualities that mark it out as the perfect boozer. I’m sure it would have come even higher if not for the sloping floor – change into a low gear as you proceed towards the bar.
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ClitheroeMore detailsParkers Arms
No. 42 in The Good Food Guide’s Britain’s 100 Best Pubs 2026
The Parkers Arms is a beautiful country pub in the Ribble Valley with countryside walks on the doorstep. It has a reputation for serious food. Think fine dining with heft. You’re as likely to tuck into a stonking pie as confit of Shetland cod.
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Northern QuarterMore detailsThe Trof
No. 76 in The Good Food Guide’s Britain’s 100 Best Pubs 2026
Longstanding Thomas Street bar The Trof is a legendary Northern Quarter independent. It’s the more relaxed sibling of the well-respected Stow and food has always been a big part of its appeal. Recently, it has added the definite article to its name and the food has got even better.
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ClitheroeMore detailsFreemasons at Wiswell
No. 97 in The Good Food Guide’s Britain’s 100 Best Pubs 2026
Cooking goes from strength to strength at the Freemasons at Wiswell in Lancashire’s Ribble Valley. Roaring fires, cast-iron fireplaces and pictures of fantastically proportioned livestock lend a cosy vibe to the renovated cottages which make up what’s been described as the original gastropub.
