The landmark Manchester boozer took first place in Time Out’s national ranking, with Marble Arch also making the list...
The Peveril of the Peak has been named the best pub in the UK by Time Out.
The green and yellow-tiled pub on Great Bridgewater Street took first place in the publication’s ranking of Britain’s 22 best boozers for 2026.
Known, of course, as the Pev, the Grade II-listed pub has been overseen by landlady Nancy Swanick for more than 50 years, with its jukebox, pool table, dartboard, vintage stools, rickety cask taps and the collection of awards accumulated over the decades.
Time Out’s entry for the Peveril reads:
“The Peveril of the Peak — or the Pev, for short, always — is the kind of pub that’s so perfect, it deserves to serve as the venue for the wetting of your head, your wedding and your wake. And, preferably, as much life between. Standing freely on Great Bridgewater Street, the Pev beckons you in with its dazzling green, yellow and brown tiling, retro windows and heavy emerald door. Inside, it’s a ‘proper pub’ and then some: a jukebox, pool table and dartboard are all crammed into a cosy snug, smattered with vintage stools, sticky tables and framed Pub of the Year awards from decades gone by.
“The boozer — rumoured to be both a former brothel and a haunt for ghosts — has been overseen by legendary landlady Nancy Swanick, who still lives above the bar and is now well into her 90s, for over 50 years. Expect a knees-up for the ages when she hits the big 100. Cheers!”
The Peveril finished ahead of The Old Neptune in Whitstable, Glasgow’s The Doublet and the Old Dungeon Ghyll in the Lake District.
The Golden Lion in Todmorden completed the top five. The pub, owned by Matthanee Nilavongse and Richard Walker, is known for its late-night parties and DJ sets, with a slew of legendary underground DJs having graced the decks from DJ Hell to Dave Clarke.
Manchester secured a second entry in the ranking through the Marble Arch Inn, which placed 15th.
The Grade II-listed Rochdale Road pub was recognised for its tiled interior, sloping mosaic floor and selection of ales from Manchester’s Marble Brewery.
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