The Railway

Great pub and reasonably priced by comparison to others in the area. No food is served though.

An absolute gem of a pub on the corner of Lapwing Lane and Burton Road in West didsbury.
A great choice of real ales on tap all at very reasonable prices considering the location.
The Railway is fairly small in size but they’ve made the most of the space by dotting small stools and tables around. The atmosphere is always friendly and it attracts a wide variety of people.
There’s a taxi rank right on the door stop too and the metrolink is just around the corner so there’s no need to be designated driver!

Really like the unpretentious vibe of the Railway on Burton Road. The atmosphere is very relaxed and there is plenty of seating. Feels like a proper pub and prices are a bit cheaper than the Met across the road. Good mix of ages too. Will be paying another visit soon.

The Railway, just off Burton Road, is a fine little Joseph Holt pub which means, Joey Holt fans, pints of the legendary Crystal and Diamond.
This friendly, earthy boozer has a refreshingly relaxed atmosphere which is something of a novelty compared to the depressing snootiness of some West Didsbury haunts.
Now, be warned if you’re going for your first visit — it is quite small. Now, that means it can be a bit rammed but don’t be put off. This small drinker is a real charmer.
Inside, it’s really old-​school and there’s a real fire which is a godsend in colder months. Real ale and a roaring fire? How great is that?!
There’s loads of little seating areas dotted around which only adds to the atmosphere of a pub that has a good mix of punters.
One of the best aspects of the pub is the bar-​staff who are consistently cheery and welcoming.
It really is a South Mancunian gem.

The railway was my Dad’s favourite watering hole, so I originally started to come here because of that, but it’s not hard to see why it’s very popular. It did go through a bit of a bad patch, with a dodgy landlord, but I’m pleased to say it’s back on form. If you went there when it was rubbish I can assure you it’s safe to return now!
Compared to the Metropolitan across the road it’s more of a mans-​man pub. It’s usually full of locals with a few ones in between and has a toned down appeal, not like the Met’s jazzed up atmosphere. They have a good selection of guest beers on most months and the barmaids have got pulling a pint down to an art. So yes, you could call it a Dad’s kind of pub therefore don’t come here expecting a wild student experience! The Railway is more of a place to get a quick drink after a meal or after work when you’ve had the-​day-​from-​hell-​day, that kind of place.
All-​in-​all, it’s a very traditional place, left with those who choose not to go live it up opposite at the more lively Met, fine if you fancy a low key drink from time to time. unfortunately there’s no beer garden so in good weather (which, fingers crossed we may get one day soon) it’s a no, no, hence the 3 stars.

The perfect for a group of friends. A good bar, never far from food or transport, fine for relaxing into for a whole evening.

The Railway sits on the corner of Burton Road and Lapwing Lane and is in a good location to the independent bars and shops of West Didsbury. Since December 2009, this pub has been under new management, not long to notice any major changes yet — but when I went last week, the beer I had definitely tasted better and the toilets were in a far better condition! I previously liked this pub, particularly because it was less poncey that the other boozers in Didsbury, I hope that general vibe of being an indie alternative will remain?
They stock some very reasonably priced ale, bitter, mild and beers! along with a good range of spirits and wines. They have the odd open mic night and a quiz on a Tuesday.

With reference to my previous review on Great Kathmandu, after the meal we all trekked into The Railway across the street. I don’t remember visiting before, but I have a sneaking suspicion it may have been one of the places on the Didsbury Dozen medic’s crawl. That could explain why I don’t remember.
My initial impression was that of a good quality, decent little pub. It’s only small so we had difficulty packing into a corner where we could all sit comfortably without alienating the less popular of the group, but we managed in the end. The ales were cheap; I had the bitter and it cost me £2.28, so no complaints there.
Aside from that there isn’t much else besides a juke box and gambling machine. Still, should you live nearby it wouldn’t be a bad place to drop into on occasion. I imagine it could be one of those places that gets packed on a busy night though, so be wary.

Nice laid-​back pub, which is a good change from the Met across the road.
It’s pretty cosy & used to have board games & books if you fancy a quiet cosy one!

Pleasing, old school community boozer. Not much to talk about in the way of food and variable ale, but brilliant that it’s still here and far more fun than the Met.

Much, much MUCH better than the horrendously soulless Metropolitan opposite. A real pub, with real Didsbury people in it. As opposed to a large silent warehouse full of preening lawyers.

The Railway sits on the corner of Burton Road and Lapwing Lane and is in a good location to the independent bars and shops of West Didsbury. The pub offers a welcome change from some of the more pretencious spots which West Didsbury is known for. The drinks are reasonably priced and the atmosphere is laid back and unassuming, unlike some of its nieghbours. The staff have always been polite and friendly when I’ve been there. The Railway offers a cosy change to other Didsbury drinking establishments, especially if you are not keen on the yuppie lifestyle.

Nice place, knocks spots off the other poncey joints in West Didsbury like the Met, M20 and the like. Saying that, it is a totally different beast, the Railway is a pub, while the others are more bars. Good place for a drink before visiting the great Kathmandu or Gurkha Grill for a curry.

The Railway is great, I wish there were more pubs like this in Didsbury. Despite being small the pub is divided up in a way to make it feel much bigger with little seating areas everywhere. The atmosphere is always really good just like a ‘proper pub’. There is a good age mix in there and the beer is really well priced.
The barstaff are always friendly and its an ideal place to go on a winters evening. In fact its probably the best place to go for a pint in Didsbury West or East!

Ich war bereits einmal im Railway Pub an einem
Spieltag von Manchester United. Es ist ein wirklich
schöner Pub mit mehreren Räumen.
Dort treten auch öfter Musiker auf und es ist eine schöné
Atmosphäre! Viele Fussballfans gehen lieber dorthin
weil die Pubs um Old Trafford einfach an Spieltagen extrem
überfülllt sind

Home for a while to snooker playing bar fly Alex Higgins and a counterfeit Johnny Depp, the railway is a tiny, thin slither of a pub in the gastro village that is West Didsbury. Thankfully, amongst the overpriced bars and restaurants (of which there are in fact some wonderful eating establishments) the Railway remains a true local pub (although it had been completely refurbished/​rebuilt only a few years ago). Being a Holts pub the prices are a little ‘life on mars’ — I’m pretty sure if you choose the right combination you can still get a round of three pints in for less than a fiverthe cost of a half pint of cooking lager just across the street in the Metropolitan. Thankfully although it faces the Metro you never seem to get some of the more ridiculous types in here as you do the Metrothe rugby playing accountants (apologies if I’ve offended anyone thereI’m sure one or two of you are ok?)
Lovingly created in the tiny shell of any old boozer, this will make a great evening on which to ride the ‘chatanooga’.

The Railway is a fab, down-​to-​earth pub with a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. It’s on the small side, but that only adds to its charm! The Railway has a real working-man’s-pub vibe to it, (unlike the somewhat pretentious Metropolitan across the road!!) and the interior has a great old-​school feel about it — real fires and lots of seating make for a great atmosphere. Definitely my pub of choice in West Didsbury!