The Old Wellington Inn & Restaurant, Manchester

A good pub which shares the packed beer garden with Sinclair's next door. There are a good selection of real and local ales on top as well as a good range of bottled beers. The bar staff are friendly and knowledgable, offering advice and samples of beers if you are undecided before buying.

I haven't had food at the pub, but the menu looks good and I would like to try food there in the future.

I studied Tudor History, so to me The Old Wellington has always been THE place. I've always loved it, even before I started visiting it quite regularly. I go there now and again on my own, as well as with friends, and am likely to visit this weekend because I've not been for a while, and I miss it.

But frankly, one needs not to be an historian to understand how great it is to sit inside the inn that existed already in 1550s. To touch that old timber and wooden nails. To watch the lighted facade of Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, and people drinking in the yard between Old Wellington, Sinclair's, and Mitra. Whether you are drinking wine or beer, the feeling of descending into the depth of history is complete.

I've tried different dishes from their menu (mainly traditional English, but they offer a risotto, too), and my favourites are meat platter, risotto, and Shepherd pie. They do good ice-cream, but an apple pie with custard is just the right order to round off the lovely meal.

The very top floor is sometimes closed for visitors, but if you do get the chance to go there, certainly do. There is nothing like sitting under the timber roof that was assembled and reassembled a few times, or having to walk under a low beam, short of accidentally banging your head against it. I love bringing friends there, or just casually talking to people who, like me, enjoy their food and drinks.

The wine list always has good selection, but I often browse their beer list for some seasonal favourites. Sadly, they don't always stock my choice, but I usually find a good substitute in some form of a silky smooth bitter.

I've always been a Sinclair's girl so have rarely ventured into the Old Wellington. It was always just 'that pub' that shared the beer garden with Sinclair's.

However, I was recently invited out for lunch with a friend and we settled on the Old Wellington (we were with her father, who is a big fan of real ale). I can't comment on the quality of the ale as it's not my bag, baby. But I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food. The food is 'pub grub' but of a much higher standard than a lot of places. I ordered the steak and it was absolutely perfect. My friend ordered the roast dinner. Again, perfect. And her father ordered one of the many pies on offer. Verdict? Perfect.

Prices for food are extremely reasonable (£7.95 for the steak) and portion sizes are definitely on the 'ginormous' side of generous.