Manchester has always been a modern city; forward-thinking, energetic and innovative. Or at least this has certainly been the case since the Mr Thomas’s Chop House opened its doors, which is saying something. Established by Thomas and Sarah Studd way back in 1867, remarkably, this stunning period piece isn’t a museum but a fully operational pub and restaurant, and proudly remains in family ownership to this day. Situated on one of the city centre’s busiest and most historic thoroughfares, although the small corner entrance is easy to miss the building itself is nothing short of eye-catching — a tall, narrow, dark-tiled gem from a bygone age, complete with rich ornate details.
And that’s just the exterior. Walk through the more than 150 year old doorway and the inside is even more impressive, with ornate porcelain tile work throughout. A key reason for this as the chop house concept itself, which way back when were meeting places for the masses of industry and other business and community leaders, specialising in cooked meats and ales. The phrase ‘stepping back in time’ almost springs to mind, although that would be a disservice to the establishment itself.
Indeed, few places manage to seamlessly match contemporary with authentic, but Mr Thomas’s Chop House pulls this off with aplomb. Focusing on the best of British produce, the menu speaks volumes about this philosophy, with corned beef hash ten days in the making, hearty steak and ale pies, roast dinners and more the order of any visit here. George Bergier, one of Manchester’s most respected sommeliers, has also pulled the wine list together, just in case you’re not in the mood for the abundant cask, draught and bottled beer or cider selection. A bonafide institution simultaneously keeping tradition alive and living up to the region’s increasingly high expectations.
