Harden's says
This Grade-II listed pub was taken over by ex-Manchester House / MCR chef Aiden Byrne in early 2020, but he has since pulled out of the development. Following a £2m transformation; there was to be a different dining experience on each of the building’s three floors.
Harden's survey result
Summary
“Once a sad sight – an abandoned Victorian pub at a busy crossroads in Salford” – this 19th-century boozer was resurrected in 2021 after lying derelict for over 15 years and now combines a “well-run restaurant in a sympathetic extension at the back” (the Glass Room), plus a proper boozer where you can dine on chef Ben Chaplin’s more casual pub grub. The “convivial, busy” venture’s charms also include a garden and outdoor tavern for the summer months.
Summary
“This old Salford pub has risen from the dead” following its long-time closure after a fire; “the fine Victorian building now has a brilliantly designed dining area incorporating much glass, and opening onto a garden with tables”, but it’s also a proper boozer too. Chef Ben Chaplin’s food ranges from “excellent pub grub” to more ambitious fare and “service and ambience are both wonderful”.
Summary
Closed for 15 year following fire damage, this handsome late-Victorian tavern in Salford was transformed for its 2021 reopening, and now “feels like a country pub when you walk in but then morphs into a very smart restaurant at the back”. Chef Ben Chaplin (ex-20 Stories in Spinningfields) has put together a menu that addresses both sides of the equation – winning plaudits for some ‘serious cookery’ from the Observer’s Jay Rayner, among others.
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at The Black Friar?
13 King Street, Manchester, M3 6BD
Restaurant details
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Always | £37.00 | £45.00 |  |
|
 |
Traditional European menu
| Starter | Main | Pudding |
|---|---|---|
| £12.00 | £23.50 | £8.00 |
| Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £30.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.00 |
| Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £3.50 |
| Service | 10.00% |
13 King Street, Manchester, M3 6BD
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑10 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑10 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑10 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑10 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑11 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑11 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑10 pm |
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