Location: Platform 4, Stalybridge Railway Station, Rassbottom St, Stalybridge SK15 1RF

Year of Inscription: 2023

Venue Type:  Station Bar / Heritage Pub / Traditional

Map

Description

Gallery

EBG Rating:	8.1/10
Choice/ Quality of Drinks	❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Beer focus with 8 cask lines and 6 keg covering bases from traditional to modern, with some decent bottles and cans behind in the fridge. A reasonably well stocked back bar for alternatives.
Style/ Décor	❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ While the interior is less spectacular than online images may suggest, it remains a standout. Dating from 1885 the bar retains its original marble-topped bar, back bar fittings and fireplace. Decorated with all things railway heritage based, as you would hope and expect.
Atmosphere/ Character	❤️❤️❤️❤️ A true station bar with transient coming and goings but a cast of regulars too. The main bar has a particularly enduring charm.
Amenities/ Events	❤️❤️❤️❤️ Surprisingly strong – outdoor seating, fireplace, pies & snacks, quiz, community events
Value For Money	❤️❤️ On the high side for any traditional pub across the North of England.
Description	One of the few surviving ‘Buffet Bars’ of the Victorian era (est. 1885), now transitioned fully into a pub, this famous venue was kept alive the spirit of the ‘station bar’ for a century during periods where the concept was under threat and truly in the doldrums. These days Stalybridge Buffet Bar is among a cast of plenty, particularly in the North of England, and rightly leans into its railway heritage in respect of its interior decor. With some original features and a broad range of real ales, there are strong raw materials here. As for ambience, the rises and lulls and sense of tenuous connection to the comings and goings on the rails gives it that particular station pub feel. Unlike most station pubs though, normal opening hours and community events make it a local’s local as well as a transient stop off, and the place is cherished as a result. A few points knocked off for a lack of budget beer options, and perhaps it isn’t the national showstopper in terms of its interior it is advertised, as, but leaving those aside, this remains one of the best pubs in the region and an iconic station bar for the entire country. (Added August 2023)