Horse & Jockey — Restaurant in Manchester

Good position on Chorlton Green. Beloved of dogs and their minders. And lots of very young children. You can get served, if you are patient. But I won’t stop going, Food and drink fine, but a bit restricted in choice. New visit 2022. Great improvement! Good friendly attentive service. Improved menu. Good selection of wines now. Previous visit it was very busy, this visit nice and quiet. Very relaxing. Another visit 2023. This time a disaster! Gresham Chicken ordered, had this once before and it was really good. Warned it would take half an hour (as it’s cooked from fresh!) After about the half hour was well up an apology that it was taking so long. Would you guys like another glass of wine? On the house due to the delay? No. OK yes anyway. Waited, and waited. One hour twenty minutes after ordering …Finally arrived. Hispi cabbage charred but raw. I tried to eat the chicken, firstly cutting into the outside layer of bacon wrapped around the chicken. Couldn’t cut it. Asked for steak knife. Couldn’t cut it. Tore a piece off, couldn’t chew it. Reminded me of the Charlie Chaplin film where he tries to eat his own boot. Took the plate to the bar and asked what to do next. Would you like something else I was asked. An angle grinder came to mind. No, said I, as I’d had a nice starter (only spoiled by far too much grain mustard so the everything tasted of that) I’ll leave it. Apologies (Sorry guys! By the way my female lunch partner is pretty ancient and definitely not a …guy) would you like a desert/coffee on the house? Ok then, thanks. Nice of you. Puddings came, nice… BTW my friends risotto was really good. We decided not to charge waiting time, and tried to leave. The bill came. Victor Meldrew reared his ugly head for there charged on the bill was my inedible chicken dish and the OTH sweets and coffee. ‘I’ll see if I can remove it No worries’. I said I am not worried, you might as well remove this items as I won’t be paying. Yes, I was trying to not get too angry. ‘No Worries’ again. Finally having heard Hi Guys and No Worries for the umpteenth time I asked for a gun. To shoot myself, and not in the foot. So the charge for the inedible chicken and the OTH sweets were removed not the coffees but by then, nearly having been there 3 hours I paid and left. See you again they said, not on your Nelly. Something has changed. The position on Chorlton Green is lovely, but I get the impression that there are new proprietors (a brewery maybe) and what plot there was has been lost. The same at the Metropolitan in West Didsbury. Almost total lack of intelligent management. New staff trying hard who don’t know what they are doing . And if I hear Hi Guys and No Worries repeated ad nauseam again I shall scream from...

I've had mixed feelings about the Horse and Jockey for some time. I frequented it often when I lived nearby, as one of my friends insisted on our meeting there, but it never personally clicked for me. Whilst its mock Tudor front and low beamed rooms with stone floors make it an undeniably attractive venue, there's something missing...possibly atmosphere, value for money, top notch food and good service. Many's the time I've stood at the bar, waiting to be served whilst the staff ignored me, despite the fact that I was often the only customer there. Maybe I didn't look trendy or rich enough. The food is alright, but is overpriced for what you get. I nearly had a coronary one time when buying two soft drinks and a slice of very ordinary cake. The outdoor section that faces the village green is pleasant enough, but if you are not tall you may find the elevated seating to the left of the door as you face the pub far too high and your legs won't fit comfortably under the equally high tables because the table legs are weirdly wide. Since its most recent refurb, I think it's true to say that the place has become somewhat pretentious. Additionally, the transition was not aided when the new owners took the unpopular decision on taking over in 2017 to cease the firework display that the previous owners had put on every bonfire night for years. True, the cost of the display must have been considerable, but it would very likely have been absorbed by the higher-than-average price charged by the venue for food and drink throughout the rest of the year, so it seemed rather mean spirited to cancel something that had become a popular tradition, particularly looked forward to by local children. If you want fast service or genuine character, pop over to the far side of the nearby church yard to The Bowling Green, and certainly don't think of visiting the Jockey if you've been for a muddy walk on Chorlton meadows! But if you are happy with what amounts to a city-dwelling interior designer's approximation of a country pub, that appeals to people who don't frequent real country pubs, then...

so disappointed went with family for daughters 18th ordered cold buffet.i phoned weeks in advance to book and then phoned again on a few occasions to verify booking and order of prossecco on each occassion i spoke to a different member of staff and was told all was fine i phoned to pay deposit and verify extra pizzas and was assured everything in order.unfortunately when i turned up on the morning of the buffet to decorate room the manageress said i had'nt paid deposit or ordered food,which i had.I spoke to another member of staff who said everything was fine(again).when we went to pub later we were directed to room which was sweltering and only 1 small fan for whole room.There was a table with a white table cloth which had not even been ironed then when food arrived i was mortified 1 bowl of chips 1 small sald bowl and a couple of trays of sandwiches which had cost me over 160 pounds.luckily i had ordered extra pizza but had to order more plus more chips.which were forgotten and 1 pizza got burnt so we had to wait again.after this i asked for the prossecco for toast but that had'nt been chilled so had to wait then i was told not enough prossecco so had to have some rose.By this time guests were so hot and just wanted to get out of the room.When i phoned because my deposit had not been knocked off the bill i told the manageress about my grievences only to be given excuse after excuse.All in all a poor show would not go back woul not reccommend.The one star is for the member of staff who tried to make the evening less of...