Commercial Hotel, Liverpool Road.
On the very outskirts of our boundary, is this welcoming pub faces the old Liverpool Road Station, the first passenger train station in the world. The pub itself is something of a time warp, looking like a vision from straight out of the '60s with its different rooms and cushions on seats. The walls are a mish-mash of old prints of Manchester, boxers, random sportsmen, and Monét prints. See what I mean re: mish-mash? Back in the day the Commercial would have had three rooms; tap room to the right as you enter, vault with open fire to the left, and the larger public bar ahead. Whilst these separate rooms have been opened up slightly it still feels like they are distinct areas. The Wilsons signage remains, and it's been a Wilsons house for some time, as these two 1970s and 1994 photos show.
As for the beer, the Commercial is a freehouse, although sensibly has take on Holts as its resident beer, which coincidentally, being our own personal favourite as best beer in town, always bodes well. The usual suspects of Guinness, Strongbow, cooking lager etc. can all be found. There is no pool table (could be a dartboard but didn't see it), but they have a couple of old '80s arcade games (Space Invaders, anyone?) and they show live football apparently by a number of screens if that is your want. It's a shame it's a bit out of the way really, as it's off the beaten track unless you fancy a mini Liverpool Road crawl (Deansgate - Cask - White Lion - Ox - Castlefield Hotel (we decided this was more hotel than pub) - Commercial). However, certainly worth trying this classic little boozer if you're down this end of town, if only for a couple.
This has permanently closed. A couple of years ago now at least.
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