The Clarence Bury in Bury

Favourite pub in Bury, food and booze was always great. Edit:Such a shame it closed :(

This place has the vibe of that local haunt where they serve food only to qualify for a late license. You know the type - the locals are entertained when someone unwittingly asks to order food and the barman looks around uncertainly. You see the regulars all casting glances to see what the food is actually like. You'd probably be doing it, too. Except I didn't expect The Clarence to be our local Star Wars Bar. It's apparently under new ownership, but it's still benefitting from the previous team's ethics and reputation. It might be fun to chat with the new owners and have a few drinks, and it's probably lively enough in the evening, but today I'm here for lunch, and today lunch is not good. I've been thrilled with the food service in The Clarence in the past - the service and product both sang a happy song (so I'll leave the original review below. Just for contrast). And now let's get to lunch! To get straight to the point, I have a pretty quirky food allergy. I ordered something that shouldn't contain that ingredient (a sandwich!) but I checked with the wait staff first. She shrugged and said that she'd put a note on the order. As you might have anticipated, when the plate is put in front of me, there's that specified food nemesis, mixed into the mayo on the sandwich. I could smell it immediately. My companion happened to have ordered the same, so could they just have got two plates muddled? They could. We swap. It's not just the mayonnaise. It's also in the oil dressing the garnish is drenched in. The oil is, by now, also in the sandwich. I can't eat it. A waitress is approaching the table just as I notice this. By the time I turn to her, she's vanished, and she doesn't come near us again. We don't see anyone, actually, until it's time to take our money, which they do. There's no acknowledgement of the mistake. Now, I don't expect the staff at The Clarence are deliberately poisoning customers for giggles and drama, and I can definitely understand how someone in a stressed kitchen can mindlessly chuck a dressing over a salad garnish. But, why were they stressed? There were only five customers in at that point, and one of those was off-shift staff. Problems happen in every environment. You can minimise the risk of a serious mistake, but at some point, it will happen. It's whether the business takes responsibility that tells you if they're responsible. And whether you should go there again! Was it a one-off, a bit of an off-day? The way the staff skulk about the bar, the sticky tables and grubby chairs, the chaotic back bar, the refusal to let me talk to the management because they're 'busy upstairs' - all these clues point to "it's a dive". You're probably ok if you're not ordering food. But maybe stick to the optics! -- 2019: Our waiter, Ryan, was an absolute diamond, looking after us beautifully and giving us the benefit of his fantastic product knowledge. The guy absolutely understands all his products and can tell you everything from provenance to flavour profiles. The food is well cooked and cleanly presented with good (but not wasteful) portions, and while the menu is perhaps not varied enough to tempt some customers back frequently, it leaves you confident that all the produce can be freshly prepped ahead of each service. They're using local suppliers, too. There's a relaxed atmosphere inside, with gridded spotlights casting flattering pools of light on each table without the overwhelming brightness that often accompanies similar industrial interiors. Music seems to have been considered just as carefully; it gives you privacy but doesn't make conversation difficult. The Clarence is a treat, the burgers are lush and they also serve Vimto (edit: no more Vimto! What a shame!). Bury needs this place! Give it a go.

We came as a group of ten workmates. We preordered our food the day before. On arrival we were seated on the top floor. This is a beautiful building. The chef came out to greet us, which I thought was a lovely touch. I had onion bhajis which were a bit spicier than I expected but were delicious. The sirloin steak was cooked to perfection and the chips were delicious. I didn’t have a dessert but they looked equally delicious. We had plenty of wine and gin and tonics and some soft drinks. A really enjoyable night with lovely friends and amazing food.

4 of us for a reunion - the last time we'd been to the Clarence was before lockdown. We ate upstairs in the restaurant though it was very quiet - most people ate downstairs in the bar. For starters we had: Pulled Pork Croquettes, Halloumi Tempura x 2, and Onion Bhaji. All were very nice. For mains we had: Chaucer Burger, Halloumi Burger, Crispy Chicken Burger and Lemon Sole. Again, all meals really nice though the Lemon Sole was especially good and, at £14.50, was fantastic value. For dessert 2 of us had a selection of ice creams and the other 2 had the Crème Brulee. Staff were so friendly and efficient. All of us had 3 courses, all of had an alcoholic drink (plus one more alcoholic drink and a cup of coffee and our bill came in at just over £28 per person. Fantastic value.

Ten of us went and everything that was served was excellent, the chef came out to greet us, the waitress was great, the manageress was fantastic. We all had 3 courses, couldn't recommend this place enough. 5* from us all. Will be returning definitely.

Excellent and imaginative menu, executed perfectly. Good value fixed price menu available. Sunday roast is excellent and is a generous portion.

Decor of the pub is lovely and staff very tentative. Sunday dinner was nice beef wasn't the best. Lovely selections of vegetables.

A fantastic pub with excellent beer good food and very friendly staff. It is very nicely decorated inside.

Back on form!! We heard the previous absentee London owners had sold to a new couple from the south coast. They are the breath of fresh air The Clarence needed. The quality of the food you get for the extremely reasonable prices means true value for money. My parents were visiting and really pleased we chose to return here, as they both loved it. Support local businesses, and get to the Clarence for some good grub!

Back on form!! We heard the previous absentee London owners had sold to a new couple from the south coast. They are the breath of fresh air The Clarence needed. The quality of the food you get for the extremely reasonable prices means true value for money. My parents were visiting and really pleased we chose to return here, as they both loved it. Anyone who says the prices are high is either living in the dark ages, doesn't go out often, is tighter than a nun's...., or all 3. Support local businesses, and get to the Clarence for some good grub!

We popped in for a quick lunch and were met by really friendly, helpful staff. Food and drinks were excellent. Thanks for a lovely afternoon.

The staff was nice and friendly. We ordered a roast dinner which was good but the potatoes weren't roasted. The gravy wasn't the best.

The food in this pub is beautiful. Me my wife and daughter thoroughly enjoyed everything about this pub. We were Evan lucky enough to get a complete tour of this lovely building by the extremely kind and friendly land lady. Highly recommend. Mr wend

We met our 17 year old grandsons, son and daughter and son in law for the twins birthday. The food was really good and the staff were excellent. Very attentive and helpful. The boys even got a candle in their desserts....

Absolutely beautiful Sunday dinner at the Clarence. The food was amazing freshly cooked and served perfectly. The service was excellent the waitress was very attentive and had a smile on her face. Five star and no negatives at all.

Went for a meal and the food was fantastic. Excellent service as well 👏

Had a lovely cocktail lively service will return

Called in for lunch, surprised to see fairly quiet for a Saturday. Had sandwiches for 3, order arrived about 40 minutes later with one wrong item. Didn't moan due to the wait. They were ok and good value with fries. Staff hard to get these days but these errors shouldn't happen, she also tried to charge for a pint of cider when only half was ordered. What a shame, this is a lovely pub and could do so much better.

I am writing this review to inform the Bury community that I visited the establishment recently and wow-to say i’m disappointed is an understatement . I ordered the fish and chips and the price point was way too high for the quality. The fish was soggy and cold, the chips were barely edible, so the pea’s were the only highlight of the dish which is not something to congratulate. To top that off, the staff were not very engaging and lacked character, seemed to be there just because they had to be. All in all, would not recommend.

This place is just bloody wonderful!!! Great food, great value and the music is ace!! If you’re in Bury or near Bury then get there!!

Es un pub que tiene carta para comer aunque tengo que decir que bástate escasa. Pedimos unas bebidas y unos sándwiches, que tardaron más de 40 minutos en servir, aunque el local estaba prácticamente vacío. De los 4, uno venía mal y al otro le faltaban cosas. En principio todos los sándwiches venían con patatas y ensalada, aunque esta última brilla por su ausencia. Dados los tiempos de espera, se decidió ni siquiera intentar el postre. Aunque los sándwiches estaban ricos, creo que es demasiado caro para la cantidad, así como especialmente lentos.

We hadn’t been in the Clarence since the refurb and it looks great. We were attended to straight away and ordered our drinks which came quickly. The server brought our cutlery and an extra soup spoon. When my salad starter came I had to eat it with my steak knife and fork as that was the only cutlery I had been given. I gave it a wipe and kept hold of it for the second course! The main course for both of us was very nice. In fact the chips were really good! Coffee last and as amazing as it looks, please don’t make scorching hot coffee in a tall wine glass! The poor server almost dropped it on the table as the glass was so hot. I felt uncomfortable picking up a full, heavy hot wine glass by the stem so had to use a serviette to hold it. My other half had a proper glass coffee cup with a handle - I’ve never been more jealous! So. Great service. Lovely food. More cutlery. Proper cups. I’m sure we’ll visit again!

Just a quick in for drinks! Really nice old English pub!

Fantastic place, I go here often. Staff are very friendly and helpful. Very nice place to enjoy a meal. Food quality is excellent and fresh in each and everyday.

Really quite nice inside and some good drinks, will give another review stars if I visit again and try more or food.

We visited the Clarence in Bury for Sunday lunch to see what the new owners had to offer and where very impressed at the high standard of our Roast Beef Sunday Lunch, we were made to feel very welcome and the service from all staff was exceptional, we would definitely come again for food or just a casual drink. Wish the new owners every best wish and success for the future

Just had Sunday Roast to die for. Beautiful food, value for money. Laid back atmosphere. Will definitely go back and try the evening menu . Thanks William ( chef extraordinaire) Give it a go. New owners👍

Delicious food, excellent value for money. The chef made appearance to ask how the food was, which was a nice touch! Service was great in both the restaurant and bar, very attentive. Relaxed atmosphere. The best place in bury for food and drink.

Popped in last Friday wife and daughter. Nice food, attentive staff and very reasonably priced. Would recommend.

Absolutely fantastic went in for the Sunday roast one of the best I have ever had the owners are down to earth and are friendly and welcoming and the chefs work really hard to please, had the pleasure to speak to Will if your ever in bury visit this place even just for a drink you will not be disappointed

New owners and new menu. The food was tasty although slightly unusual for some of the choices but that was good. The real ale and wine we had were so nice. The owner is a genuine nice bloke. They are going to start having events. It feels like the Clarence we loved is back so I'm willing to support them and I encourage you to.

Good food - had a selection of the bar snacks.

Fantastic local pub, with great entertainment. Good atmosphere 👍

What a lovely restaurant. chilled atmosphere great music 🎶 I've had the best pot of tea here ever. The food was lovely the portions in the main course are a bit on the light side and it left me feeling I should have had a starter. Next time I will.

Went for early dinner before a concert. Menu was very short but managed to cover quite a range of options. I had the haddock goujons and my partner had the vegetable cassoulet. Both dishes were quite nice but not spectacular. The staff were very good and acted very rapidly when my partner found her dish unexpectedly contained chilli. The range and quality of the beer is very high.

Friendly staff in a wonderful building. We had a great evening here.

Vfine establishment. Staff very friendly. New owners extremely welcoming.

Used to be regulars here when it was set up many years ago by Lottie and her husband, then after she passed away, sadly it declined and we stopped going. Decided to give it another go last Saturday as it’s got new owners, it was quiet, (but so was the whole town centre), thankfully they have relocated the bar from its strange place right next to the front door. Still offering a good range of craft beers (but no longer brewing their own ale) ate on the middle floor restaurant- 3 of us had rump steak and I had sea bass (which was a really big piece and very fresh tasting). all the steaks were ordered as medium -and were well cooked (if leaning more towards well-done) picpul wine was great, bill was sensible and the menu well priced. Spoke with the owners Tui and Tobias- really nice people! And genuinely trying to get the Clarence back to its gastropub glory days. A couple of constructive builds- add one more steak varietal to the menu (rib-eye or fillet), as rump isn’t to everyone’s taste. Make sure white wine is cold before serving, small bug-bear of mine when white wine arrives and there’s no condensation on the bottle. Otherwise, a lovely dining experience with warm friendly service- going to return to try the Sunday lunch next time

Lovely new owners, there is a great atmosphere in this beautiful pub. The food was delicious and obviously homemade. The presentation lovely and the prices very reasonable.

Not been in before it had a nice atmosphere and good staff.

Lovely pub, nice polite staff, excellent outside beer garden, small but quaint.

It is a great building with different areas to eat and drink.. Had the clarence burger @£14, but was very disappointed. Tasted like shop bought burger which was too small for the bun.. Not enough filling or cheese. No drama in presentation. Seating in the bar restaurant needs to be addressed as too tight for comfort

Been here a few times. Very good food pub and excellent real ale. Had a pint of best bitter from Congleton's Beartown brewery. Used to brew Silver Street in the basement but brewery has moved and was not for sale on my visit.

We used to absolutely love it here, always good for a quick drink or a nice meal out. We went in on Friday for the first time in a while, and we're at a loss as to how bad it is now! Its been refurbed, and the bar moved across from the door. The whole place stank (literally smelt like pub toilets), the bar service was poor / rude, the drinks were extortionate (£15 for a pint of lager and glass of prosecco!) and the beer was flat. We left most of our drinks and exited pretty quickly - such a shame to see a place that used to be great now so poor.

Lovely place to eat or just for drinks and super dog friendly! 🐕 🐶 all four of us made to feel really welcome ☺

Excellent service and Sunday dinner. Recommended

Great food and really welcoming, will be back for more

Wonderful food and great service so clean

Fantastic atmosphere, lovely downstairs loos, great range of food and beers. If you can't decide which beer try the trio of thirds! Just been back for our 25th wedding anniversary with the children and grand-children. The staff are so nice, made everyone welcome and treated the grandkids like royalty!

Very quiet in the pub this lunchtime but the real ale selection is excellent (if overpriced compared with some) and the fish&chips outstandingly good. Sorry to see that the home-made pastrami isn't on the menu any longer.

We we're served by Claudia who was wonderful. She referred to us as sir and madam which was a refreshing change from being constantly called guys in a lot of establishments. Burgers were amazing but we were a disappointed with the steak and ale pies....

Great place to eat friendly & attentive staff

With family visiting from abroad I wanted to show them how good bury is! We decided to come to the Clarence as in its hay day it was the place to go! After being sat at the table promptly we were handed menus. We all...

We booked our table for 7 people on a Sunday at 3 o'clock. Sat down and chose what we wanted then staff came and said alot of what we chose wasn't available(no hash browns, burger or fish) We then rechose and ordered(basically a roast or...

Not been out as much of late due to covid etc. But another delicious meal, perfectly cooked and presented along with the exceptional service . The young lady server even apologised for presenting us with a fresh fork, and despite me saying I could reuse...

Gone down food minimum effort maximum profit

Really good food and lovely attentive staff. Would recommend and will definitely be back.

New owners. Seems good after a few blips

Visited The Clarence for the first time in while and we will definitely be back again very soon. The food was absolutely amazing (the roast beef was delicious and so tender), the sticky toffee pudding is to die for - a credit to the new...

Great food and beer, run by a lovely couple.

Organised my partners 40th birthday and the quality of the food and service was exceptional. The manager Tui was so attentive on the night and helping me plan the party. Having a bar in the room was such a bonus as guests could buy drinks...

Been here a few times and the food and service has been absolutely spot on. Great friendly staff and atmosphere.

Excellent food and great friendly service and atmosphere. Absolutely love it here. Have been a few times and will keep coming back.

Beginning to make a good go of this. Nice pub. Good ale. Well worth a visit.

New owners Twe (sorry if miss spelt) and Tobias are great good to see Hank back doing the doors and DJing look out for the new events

Misleading. Website suggests an a la carte menu available ,it wasn't. Please update your website to accurately reflect what's available currently This used to be restaurant, not even a gastro pub anymore.Strictly average at best

Friendly staff, great beer and tasty chips! Perfect place for an afternoon pint!

Went in the clarence last Friday service was very poor people waiting for food sorry to say staff don't have a clue what they are doing. my friend was on her Christmas meal on the same night we were in and she said service was terrible and she'd never eat in there again been in the clarence many times in the past and had a great food and service won't be going in again. really need to sort the pub out

Visited for lunch 15th December , absolutely first class service above and beyond expectations. Food was ever so delicious too, Seabass and Roast turkey mains , Halloumi starter, sticky toffee pudding desert. The thing that was above and beyond was the service - the lady...

We received a very big welcome from Lawrence last night. Easily the coolest bar and restaurant in Bury and definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area. Great food, cool and convivial decor and atmosphere - like Bury’s answer to the Northern Quarter. Definitely...

The food and service was excellent

What on earth has happened to The Clarence! My wife and I haven't been for some time and decided to go for Sunday lunch. Table booked for 1pm but unavailable at the time due to the kiddy parties going on upstairs. Thought this was supposed to be a gastro pub / restaurant not a Wacky Warehouse 🤔 Anyway decided to eat downstairs where the heating wasn't switched on ...... Like a bloody ice box! Food was second rate quality and not very hot. My chips tasted like they were fried in old oil .... Better fish and chips from the chippy! My Wife's roast beef was ok, but the veg wasn't particularly appetising. Staff were very nice but stretched and therefore service was quite poor. Sorry guys but will NOT be coming back. Maybe it's changed hands and the new owners are new to the business. But you keep plugging kids parties and you'll be ok without my money. Bye Bye! And good luck, you'll need it! My Review 4 Years Ago "Fantastic food great atmosphere and lovely welcoming staff !"

My daughter and I visited today for a late lunch. We have eaten here many times in the past and enjoyed it. The last time we ate in August 2021 my sister ordered a chicken breast which was raw in the middle when it arrived....

Excellent experience, very friendly staff, the young lady behind the bar was very helpful, polite and professional. Lawrence is a lovely bloke and runs an absolute garden of an eden establishment.

A wonderful quiet pub in the centre of Bury, Staff are warm, Helpful and friendly and the menu is lovely. I had Chicken with mushroom and tarragon sauce. Meals and drinks are reasonably priced. Will return.

What a lovely pub,the young lady behind the bar was very freindly and welcoming on our arrival.She showed us to a table and made sure it was cleaned for us.we ordered the pie of the day off the menu as she recommended it.The meal was...

Great Sunday roast well presented and fantastic vegetables good choice of wines. Service very friendly

Impromptu visit early Saturday evening, restaurant accommodated us. Food was excellent, reasonably priced and above all delicious.

I’d been looking on trip advisor for somewhere nice to take my husband, mother in law, daughter, son and their partners for a birthday meal. We aren’t from the area, so glad we chose The Clarence, even the taxi driver said it’s the nicest place...

Used to be our favourite place in Bury. Used to feel classy with great staff and a lovely ambience. Now feels rough and ready (more rough than ready). Staff disinterested. It was freezing and a total and utter disappointment.

Unfortunately our visit to The Clarence on remeberence Sunday was nothing in comparison to all our previous visits and considering it was relatively quiet you would expect a lot better, the beef roast dinner which is around £6/7 more expensive than the chicken roast dinner yet just had one very thin slice of beef including a very small amount of very thin gravy on both dinners including raw vegetables, on complaining about the completely raw vegetables we were told the chef said "it's to maintain the nutrients" no discount was offered, we wont be returning!

Had the soup of the day broccoli and cheddar, was very nice. Friend had the bangers and mash and he enjoyed it thoroughly.

Nice little pub,real ales lagers and bottles of wine 2 comfortable rooms toilets down stairs and disabled ground level,very comfortable for a quiet drink, 😍

I don't know who's idea it was to alter the design of the place and reduce the number of beers on offer but it hasn't paid off. We used to come here quite often before lockdown and it was always buzzing. This occasion was our first time in since it reopened. It was a Saturday night and we were 2 of a total of 6 people in the place. A couple of minutes later 2 of the others left. The beers we had were good but the atmosphere was non existent. This place is in a prime location in Bury and is surrounded by other pubs and bars which were all doing good business. I was thinking it may just be a one off but as we left, leaving just 2 people in the pub, I overheard one of the bar staff say to the manager "it's dead in here again, can I go home?"

This restaurant has it all! The food was so juicy and succulent I almost had a heart attack. The staff were really friendly and I also caught a glimpse of a line chef who was looking quite scrumptious. I'll definitely be returning soon.

Visited the restaurant Sat 6th November and had 3 courses of excellence! Food was fab together with the beer and wine. Lovely lady running the bar.

The chef staff are fantastic, and lovely humans. Wait staff were very welcoming and kind as well. Although the lights were kind of bright.

This was a great venue, unfortunately not anymore Waitress rolled her eyes when we arrived asking for a table. Everyone here wearing coats as it’s freezing and the menu presentation is a kin to a greasy spoons……we didn’t stay to order food.

Excellent wine, very nice steak. Staff new but very attentive. Thank you

Popped in for a drink on the way home from Manchester this week. It was quiet but was mid-week and the lady behind the bar was lovely.

Good vibes in the heart of Bury

Great service and very nice food.

It's always a pleasure to dine at The Clarence - a stalwart of evenings out in Bury. We had tiger prawns to start, amazing chicken supreme for main and the oozy chocolate mousse dessert - all washed down with fantastic red wines by the glass - the choice was sublime

We went as a family of 6 on 16 October. We have been before a couple of years ago and enjoyed it. However this time was a huge disappointment. Firstly the room was very cold with no heating, everyone was sat in their coats. The service was terrible, we waited about 1 hour 30 min for food, then after having to ask them they brought everything down one meal at a time so the first ones had finished before the last was served. My Jam Roly poly and custard was stone cold. Then we waited another half hour for a cup of tea. Staff who served us were not knowledgeable about veggie or vegan options (the was only 1 and it was salad). It was not particularly busy and the staff never came near to check if we needed anything. It took almost 3 hours and we had to rush out and put more money in the meter as the maximum time allowed on the meter was 2 hours, which should have been enough for lunch. We won't go back.

Dreadful service. Waited over an hour for food. Then brought it all out separately so some had finished before others got theirs. Only one vegan option which was salad. Also the room was very cold and everyone sat with their coats on. We won't return

Service was extremely slow, possibly understaffed, sat down, ordered wine and then waited 45 minutes before taking our food order. 30mins later the chef comes over to confirm the order was from our table, steak was ordered rare and came out medium to well done, which was a shame as the starters were fantastic

Friendly staff and a nice building. It was a little cold inside.

Went for the first time tday, after passing many times.It was a miserable wet day, but inside was warm and welcoming. We ate upstairs and the staff were amazing, so helpful and accommodating. Food arrived and it was delicious, i couldn't finish as good size portions..We have booked again for the following Sunday we enjoyed it so much...such reasonable prices for the quality.. so happy I finally decided to eat there

Bit slow service was ignored for locals it seems

Once an excellent pub with outstanding food. What went wrong?? Have been for a few beers since reopening after lockdown. Poor service and disinterested staff. Relectantly decided to try again today. Ordered 3 meals. 2 came at a reasonable time. By the time the 2 meals had been finished, mine had still not arrived. Told the staff not to bother as I didn't want to eat alone. 5 minutes later my meal arrived. Explained again I had cancelled it and asked for the bill. The food that was consumed I was told was very poor. The beer quality was poor. Kitchen staff are clearing tables and serving behind the bar. I'm sorry, I have had some amazing meals and night out in the Clarence with impeccable service. Unfortunately not now. Sort yourselves out. You can do so much better.