The Black Friar in Salford

Had a roast which was excellent. Was served by Victor who was a fantastic waiter!

Visited last night (1st March). We were early so had a drink at the bar whilst waiting for our table. The service at the bar was quick and efficient. Once seated the service was exceptional. Didn't get the waitress's name, but was from Waterford, she was extremely knowledgeable about the menu offering options and suggestions on what might suit us, injected with a bit of humour! We ordered a bottle of wine which come to the table whilst we was still choosing our food, which was delicious. My friend claimed the lamb rib was the best lamb he'd ever had. Definitely will be back soon.

Got put in a freezing tent outside, shown a very limited menu, paid £20 for a fairly basic pie and a few kale leaves. Beer selection was pretty limited too. If going to mediocre overpriced modern restaurants and getting conned js your thing, go for it. If you're looking for a genuinely good pub with good food and drink , I would avoid. Staff were friendly at least

Great food and atmosphere, Will was brilliant and accommodating throughout the day

after having our late valentine's meal was cancelled last minute, we managed to get a space here on the recommendation of a friend, and we were both very pleased we ended up coming!! ❤️ Lydia was an absolute delight and both the food and drinks were delicious, with great quality ingredients obviously involved. the atmosphere was also notably wonderful, especially for a Saturday evening, we felt welcomed and treated attentively. thanks so much guys, we'll definitely be back x

We had the luck to have our wedding reception at the pub and it was more than we could expect. The decoration was beautiful and everyone couldn’t believe how great the food was. Service was also outstanding, big thanks to Lidia who made sure everything was perfect.

Great food and great service from Adam.

Lydia was a delight. The food was perfect and came fast. Very attentive service. Would recommend if you are in the area. The pies are to die for.

Atmosphere was very peaceful and elegant, with pretty lighting and decorations. Our server Lydia was helpful and friendly. Food was exceptional, especially the hassleback potatoes. Happy Hour drinks were great.

All good. Delicious food. Perfect service by Mark.

Had dinner with a few friends. The staff were really helpful. I couldn't have asked for anything more!

We visited the restaurant last night, pies were amazing! Sama as atmosphere. 10/10 for the service and special for Mark who was looking after us!

We was here today food and drinks was lovely but what made it even better expierence was our server mark great guy looked after us well. Credit to the place will definitely be back soon thank you x

Absolutely love this place , Food and service is outstanding 👌

Beautiful restaurant with the different seating areas, delicious food and lovely service, we asked our server if we could know the name of the hand soap and Mark graciously gave me and my friend a glass container of it each along with the name. Couldn’t recommend more, perfect for a nice catch up or a special meal for an occasion.

We had a wonderful meal. The food was delicious and Mark's service was exceptional. Highly recommend!

Lovely food, attentive staff & a nice atmosphere

As far as gastropubs go, this is easily one of the best. The atmosphere is fantastic, but what truly sets this place apart is the exceptional customer service. My girlfriend and I visited on back-to-back days and were warmly welcomed both times. It's quickly becoming one of our favorites!

Incredible food and cocktails. The pies were *chefs kiss* and the service was incredible. Big shout out to Mark and Hadar for looking after us so well!

The venue has a lot of character and we had a fantastic meal. We had the Sunday roast, since their pie is so good they'd sold out by the time we got there for our late evening booking! Thank you, and we'll be back for those famous pies.

Had a lovely Sunday lunch, The food was delicious, the beef was so tender, the place was buzzing on a windy, rainy Sunday afternoon. The service was impeccable, Will and Mark really looked after us. Will definitely go back

Top tier service and top tier food. You can’t go wrong, our server Mark offered 5 star experience to go with an exceptionally made roast

Fabulous meal, the roast was incredible. Came with my parents and had the best time. Mark was extremely helpful, so lovely, an absolute credit to the company. Will be coming back very soon.

The food was gorgeous and the scene was classy as ever. Experience was made by the service of Mark. Will definitely be returning …

We absolutely love the starters but the aubergine main is awful. It's like it was made by a different chef, but I forgive them as the starts are amazing!

Excellent food, great service - beautiful venue! Mark who served us was great!

Just got back from a fab meal, service by Hadar was amazing. Could not fault anything definitely recommend

Loved going here. First visit and not disappointed. We brought our little dog and she was made very welcome. Very pet friendly. Staff great and food was a delight.

Great food. Fab Sunday roast. Only downside was we hadn't actually had our coffees when we were asked to move to the bar area as the next people had arrived. We ordered straight away so it wasn't like we could have been any quicker eating or ordering.

Cannot recommend the Black Friar enough. We visited before a concert at the AO Arena and were served by Mark. He convinced us to have some oysters, which were excellent, and we ordered two burgers. We also asked for a bottle of Malbec as it’s our ‘go to’ on an unfamiliar menu but Mark recommended a Côtes du Rhône as a better choice with the burgers. He was absolutely right and it was slightly cheaper! Definitely the first time we’ve had a wine pairing for a burger! This is definitely one of those times you think twice about a good review because you want the place to be your secret, but the has to be one of the best gastropubs we have been to!

Lovely evening spent for Valentine's. Set menu which we were aware of. Welcome complimentary fizz which was lovely, the staff were attentive and the food was delicious. We struggled with our desserts! The ambience was great. But do bear in mind it is in the city, so look ahead for parking. There is a public car park within 2 mins walk but is only small car park for 10 vehicles.

An enchanting place, full of character! Nestled in the heart of the skyscrapers, this authentic and warm pub offers a real timeless break. The atmosphere is friendly, and every detail exudes authenticity. I recommend without hesitation the meat pie, a delight to absolutely savor, accompanied by a refreshing cider. An essential address for a typically British experience! 😻

Firstly, don’t be confused into thinking this is a pub that a bunch of you can just walk in, take a table over and have a few beers, maybe order some food, maybe not, it’s highly unlikely. It’s more a restaurant hiding under the pub banner, and pre booking a table seems the norm. The pub restaurant is very nicely finished inside and it is lovely place to sit and eat. The food menu is slightly limited, we opted for the pie, which looking around seemed a popular choice. Pie itself, and it is literally itself, is £10, anything else, including gravy is extra, which is pushing the boundaries when coming under the banner of pub food. 0ne other side that was expensive was the sourdough bread. This beauty rolled in at £4, I’d expected a good chunk of loaf for that, the reality? one slice, ok, it was cut in half, so looked like two but no, it was £4 for one slice of sourdough. It apparently comes from a local bakery, not sure why that should make it so exclusive, cheaper if anything, but at £4/slice it should be helicoptered in! Drinks were good and come in around £6 a pint, which looking back was inline-ish with the rest of the day around Manchester. In saying that, and one point worth noting is, if you pay the added, but optional service charge, the drinks then start to get nearer the £7/pint, which is top-end pricing. Service was very good, Victor who looked after our table, was attentive etc and very efficient. So, all in all, I’d definitely go again, we had a very good experience and really enjoyed it, downside? I suppose was the fact we ended discussing the bill, service charge, added charity donation? etc on the walk back into town, rather than enthusing over the food says something, and it’s not really a pub!

Was served by a lovely gentleman named rob. Every interaction from start to end was very professional, it felt surprisingly homely and very welcoming. Lovely team, fantastic food and drink. Will be back here again for definite. Thank you.

Great time at The Black Friar on Sunday. Food and service were fabulous. Can't wait to go back !

Everything about this pub is outstanding. Food is excellent and the service matches this. Yes, its more on the pricey side but if you're happy to pay a few quid extra for a clearly higher quality product, you can't go wrong

we had a beautiful evening. Our waiter Vitor was very professional and kind. The food was amazing and good balance quality/price. Really an amazing experience

Love the atmosphere, love all the plants in the glass section. Food lovely presented and delicious! Friendly service. Recommend for sure!

We came here for the valentines 3-course set menu and were not disappointed! The food was perfect, wine was lovely and service from Liv and Brad was fantastic, friendly while giving us space to relax and enjoy each other's company. We couldn't have asked for more and will definitely be back, thank you!

First time we had visited and we will certainly be back. This is a super atmospheric pub lovingly restored after being derelict for a few years. The service from Rob was exceptionally good and all the staff were helpful and friendly. The mince and root veg pie was fabulous - my pork tasty but just a tad dry - the desserts were amazing! Can’t wait to return.

Great atmosphere. Food, wine and cocktails were good. Excellent service by Mark!

We visited The Black Friar for our anniversary celebration and were fortunate to have Rob as our server. His expertise and attention to detail made our evening truly special. When I expressed uncertainty about some menu items, Rob confidently made recommendations that turned out to be excellent choices - his knowledge of the menu and ability to gauge our tastes was impressive. The red wine he suggested paired perfectly with our meals, and his attentive yet unobtrusive service allowed us to fully enjoy our anniversary celebration. The Black Friar’s positive atmosphere, combined with Rob's exceptional service, created the perfect setting for our special occasion. Rob's professional and personable approach to service exemplifies the high standards at The Black Friar. Thank you, Rob, for making our anniversary dinner memorable - your recommendations and service were outstanding.

Excellent service, friendly staff, professional, love the old pub and modern new facility, Great venue, private room, best Sunday roast in Manchester

What a brilliant find! I went with a friend for lunch. It was busy and it was Thursday lunchtime. Fantastic pies, great service and a fabulous welcome. I'll definitely return!!

Great atmosphere, great food, great staff. Valentines Menu fantastic, Liv our host was brilliant, couldn't ask for a better evening.

If you are in Manchester put this pub on your list of must visit venues . The pub is a mixture of old and new with great facilities. The staff are what you want whenever you go out , friendly attentive and knowledgeable. The food is exceptional. I would give the Black Friar six stars if I could

Great food , good wine, tasty pies and exceptional service from Liv. Highly recommended!

I’ve been coming to The Black Friar since it opened and it still never disappoints! Always excellent service and homemade, locally sourced, food! Definitely reccomend trying their homemade pies and there Sunday lunches too. They have various different room styles too which is great! You can bring your dog and eat in the pub front room area, if you’re into a bit of people watching definitely request the glass room (that’s my fave) or if you’re wanting a bit more of a formal and intimate dining experience request the main restaurant. They also have a beautiful outdoor seating area perfect in the summer! I 100% reccommend you go, I must’ve been about 15+ times now and never had anything negative to say about it.

We come here very regularly and the food is always excellent and the service is top notch. Thank you to Liv for the great service and being so friendly!

Our group visited for food and drinks prior to a show at Salford university. Our server for the evening (Will) was fantastic, he walked us through the menu choices paying special attention to dietary restrictions in the group - we were pleasantly surprised by the number of gluten free items! The food was lovely, and each dish balanced and constructed with care. We'll definitely be back.

Went with a friend on a Tuesday for a pie. Warm welcome on entry and throughout the service was friendly and relaxed but attentive. The food was great, very filling. I believe it was Mark and Will serving us, both just stellar throughout and made us feel looked after. Will definitely be back soon.

A mountain out of a molehill? Perhaps. Out of this world? Absolutely. Lost for words? Well, almost—but I’ll push a few out for this review. This wasn’t just a Sunday roast; it was the Sunday roast. The kind of meal that makes you question every roast dinner you’ve had before and wonder if they were all just poorly seasoned lies. The beef? Cooked to perfection. The potatoes? Crispy, golden, and quite possibly hand-delivered by the Roast Gods themselves. The Yorkshire pudding? So fluffy it could have floated off my plate if gravity hadn’t intervened. The staff? Attentive but not in a hovering-like-a-helicopter-parent way. The service? Slicker than a buttered banister. The atmosphere? So warm and welcoming that I half expected to be tucked in for a nap afterward. If you haven't been yet, go. If you have been, go again. And if you're still reading this instead of booking a table—sort your priorities out!

Will was amazing in helping us decide what we wanted!! He was amazing at recommending drinks based on what tastes we liked too!

We had an amazing Sunday roast here tonight. Our server, Will, was very attentive, very friendly and gave us a really warm welcome. We would go back here in a heartbeat for the service alone, never mind the delicious food! (The sticky toffee pudding was unreal!)

The Food is amazing and the ambiente was very nice! Marc our service was so lovely and attentive. Would recommend everyone if they want a real british food expierence especially the sunday roast! Thank you :)

What a find! Sunday lunch was perfect.. great service with a lovely atmosphere. Shout out to Mark who looked after us throughout our lunch. Will be back for sure 👍

Always a fabulous meal in an exceptional setting with amazing ambience. Particularly great service tonight from Mark.

Great service from Mark at lunch. Enjoyed the pie and apple crumble

Mark was an excellent server he was very professional and provided great service the food was amazing definitely recommend!!!

Pie was burnt and dried out, been in the oven too long

Had a lovely meal this evening for my Mums birthday made extra special by our servers Vitor and Liv. Both went the extra mile to ensure we had a memorable experience, the food was fantastic and we really enjoyed our night here. Would definitely recommend and can’t wait to return, thank you so much!

Liv and Veto (I don’t think I have spelt it right) both were attentive, both were friendly which making the whole experience at Blackfriars amazing. This is our first time coming to the establishment and will definitely not be the last. The service from both were just 10/10. Overall this experience just exceeded my expectations. Love Ollie and Kat xx

Incredible. Just moved to the area. Food and service incredible, staff great, special nudge for Mark. Looked after us on our first visit and the reason we keep coming back, (apart from the food). What a local to have, thanks again, and to Mark, thanks👍🏼

We went for the £10 pies tonight + sides (of course you don't get sides included in the price here) and they were mediocre to say the least. We got the mince and root veg - very bland not a lot of flavour and the chicken and leek pie, safe to say there was definitely no leek in at and it was incredibly dry. I also don't know how they make up their prices for food, £5 for a side of chips?! 🤔

Had a lovely evening celebrating my girlfriends work promotion enjoying the lovely Sunday roast. Our waitress Lydia was very attentive, friendly and went above and beyond giving us a tour of the whole place. We live locally and will definitely be returning to try more of the menu.

I was so disappointed by the email response to my special request by front of house. I was simply asking if possible to be sat at a corner table which wasn’t super close to other guests as my mum is immunocompromised from chemo. I understand Sundays are the busiest day but last time we happened to be seated at a corner table far from others so I didn’t think it unreasonable to ask. Their attitude to my request was as if i was making some huge unreasonable request like an entitled customer, this really took me back and was disappointing because during visits the staff have always been super nice and accommodating. I would’ve expected a “no promises but we’ll try our best to accommodate” response but this flat out refusal to even consider the request let alone the snarky undertone made me wonder what is even the point of the special requests? I’d love a response from the owner because I really want to support local businesses and this experience was baffling and really left a sour taste on what was otherwise a lovely meal! Edited to add clarification that the response to my email didn’t indicate that my request was going to be accommodated, it gave the impression of take-it-or-leave-it. When we arrived we were taken to a table very close to another. However when we asked if we could move to the table in the corner the staff were very happy to accommodate us so i don’t know why i got the reply that i did.

Great service from Lydia and Liv. Massive thank you to both of them for giving us 15% off the bill when they overheard us telling our friends that I am pregnant! Such a lovely gesture 😊 x

Amazing afternoon celebrating our friends 50th birthday. Had the beautiful private room on the top floor which feels really special and had our very own waiter Vito who looked after us all afternoon and was an absolute star. Nothing was too much trouble for him all the staff. Food is amazing the roast dinner was perfect. The Blackfriars just seems to have got everything right and it’s no surprise to see it packed out. It may not be the cheapest roast in town but these days I firmly believe you get what you pay for. Attention to detail in every way and smiley, happy staff everywhere that just adds to the experience. Wonderful afternoon

Real excellence across the board. Food, service & ambience were all impeccable. Our server Mark, went above and beyond what would be expected and is a credit to the business and to himself. Honestly, if you got to this part of the review and thought "should I make a reservation", this excerpt should be all you need to finalise it. When I've spent this long talking about the details, you may think the food wasn't all that. But you would be wrong. I won't ramble on though. Try it for yourself if you wish to know more. 6 stars. Manchester institution (although technically in Salford!).

What a grand place and what a grand service. We came for the Sunday roast and almost had to roll out. The Hasselback potato was excellent, heja Djurgår’n! Our waiter was Mark but we also had contact with a couple of other in the staff and they all were great!

Always great food here - amazing service by Lydia and Liv too!

Great place & atmosphere Anton was the perfect waiter with great service & very friendly

Had a lovely meal here on a Saturday evening. Will was a terrific server, he made us all feel really welcome and went through the menu so well. One of our group has complicated allergies and took him through which options he could and couldn’t have, and gave detail where he had a choice. Can’t wait to come back again and try the pies!

Had a great meal today in the private dining room, served by Will. Food, atmosphere and service were all excellent. He was extremely professional, friendly and patient with nine small children running around! Thank you’

Love this place for being so eclectic with amazing food (Chorizo scotch egg!!!) that is so inspired! All of the bar staff is amazing. Special shout out to Sebastian though. Engaging and lovely all around!

Amazing place, had a great time, got the best service from Liv. Fantastic food but just dropped a star as menu was slightly limited for a Saturday night.

I walked in with three friends for lunch while the place was empty. The person who we spoke to suspiciously said he'll check if they had any free tables. I knew from the way he looked at me what was going to happen. What was strange was that there was literally no one there but the man turned around and said "sorry we have no free tables." Racism in this day and age is disgusting.

Has the best service. Lydia was amazing, patient,great smile, gorgeous personality, best service I’ve had at any restaurant.

Amazing experience at Blackfriars - amazing service by Lydia ♥️

We had a reservation and we were greeted at the door and seated straight away. The food was excellent and the service was excellent too. I opted for the chicken and mushroom pie with mash and greens and my partner had minced beef pie with greens and hassle-back potato. We also had sourdough bread with whipped butter to start. All the food was served quickly and was all to a high standard. We definitely recommend and we will definitely be returning in the future. Thank you.

I was excited to celebrate my husband’s birthday at The Black Friar, but the experience fell short of expectations. I had booked a table via email for my husband’s birthday, expecting a special evening. We had booked in advance, but when we arrived, we were seated in the waiting area near the entrance. If I would know that we will get a table there, we would never book it. It wasn’t ideal, as the doors kept opening, letting in cold air, which made it hard to relax and enjoy the evening. The food was great, but the service could use improvement. We waited quite a while for our meals, and when it came time for dessert, we had to ask multiple times for someone to take our order. Unfortunately, after waiting 20 minutes, we were told our time was up, and we had to leave without having dessert or cake. Imagine trying to celebrate a birthday without even getting to enjoy dessert or a cake! It was disappointing overall, especially for a special occasion. While the food was enjoyable, the seating and service took away from the experience.

Food is lovely and there is attention to detail. Wed recommend the crumble for dessert, pear tart wasn’t as impressive. We loved the pies also as went as part of the pie festival. Great service and attended to

Just been for a birthday meal. Mark was excellent. Made great recommendations that fitted with us. The pies were delicious. And the affogato just completed a brilliant meal.

We had such a lovely dinner here, Ciara was so helpful in us rearranging due to personal situations, Mark our server was very attentive and friendly. The food was delicious, my favourite being the black cherry dessert which I’d go back for alone!

Food was fantastic, Lydia very friendly and helpful we’ll be back for sure.

Great place, we visited on a Sunday and the food, vibe and service could not be faulted. Lydia looked after us and she was just great.

Second visit on Sunday and just as good as before. Thanks to Mark for his excellent service, attentive, informative and just a great host. Beef roast dinner is superb, cooked pink to perfection. Malbec was very good as was the lovely touch of a small birthday cookie and desert wine . Beats other perhaps better known beef restaurants ! Will be back

Lovely atmosphere, excellent service, and great food. A fantastic choice for a dinner date—highly recommended

This was my first visit and it did not disappoint. The food was delicious and the service was exceptional - Will was very attentive and knowledgeable about the menu and we all enjoyed his recommendations I can't wait for next visit.

Visited with my wife and some friends. We really enjoyed the food, and the Boddingtons is an absolute triumph. Thanks so much.

Just called in for a pint and a confession…no food this time, although it’s always fab.

We had been in for Sunday lunch at the end of November and had a fabulous meal so decided to go back with my parents for lunch today, expecting the food to have gone up a gear given that it wasn't Sunday service. Three of us ordered pies, which were all over cooked, one of which so much that the pastry was inedible. The puddings weren't great either- the custard was split and 2 of us ordered pear frangipane which was overcooked. We sent it back once and it came back just as overcooked. The whole thing was rescued by the beautiful setting in the tavern and fantastic service by Will who was very attentive and great with our children. I'd recommend based on service and setting, but lacked finesse in the kitchen!

Great atmosphere and the food was brilliant (get the Pie! It is amazing). We were looking for a dog friendly venue. We have a deaf rescue dog and it was our first visit to a restaurant with her, so we were a bit nervous of how she would handle it. However, our server Will was brilliant brought water and treats for our dog (Now Will is her best mate). Amazing service, lovely atmosphere and really good good.

Went on Wednesday about 4.,00pm. Had a fantastic meal. Best pie ever. Fantastic service by staff couldn’t do enough. Excellent atmosphere and the decor is amazing. Worth a visit.

We visited the Black Friar for dinner in the run up to Christmas. The food was excellent and the service exemplary. We were very looked after by Will. We’ll be back!

Great place for drinks, Will was our host and was great looking after us all night.

Amazing pub, amazing staff. Will was very accommodating and entertaining. Top night.

Hard one to judge. Beautiful building and venue for any occasion with quality service throughout the evening. But the food was very average (which is a shame, and would stop us returning). Food choices poor, reduced menu (which is fine and we knew about in advance). But was sold out of many options, even though our table was booked for 6.30pm on a Tuesday. For example a specialist pie menu with 5 options, 2 of the options were unavailable and of the 3 pies left 1 was a vegan option. Same with the desserts. Steak and pies were very bland and dessert was far too sickly. It could have been great!

The Black Friar hosted a corporate dinner for us in the Glass Room and every single attendee has raved about the food, the service, the venue! The whole booking process from start to finish has been fantastic – thank you, we’ll definitely be visiting you again.

Nice place but not exceptional!