Inside a nearly 200-year-old Grade II listed building, you will find an unexpected pairing: the world’s oldest railway pub is now serving a full menu of authentic Japanese food. The Queen’s Arms, a traditional brick tavern in Greater Manchester, has swapped standard pub grub for specialised Asian cuisine under its current Hong Kong owners.
The Queen’s Arms: an Eccles pub built for the railway
The history of the building spans nearly two centuries. It originally opened as the Patricroft Tavern in 1828, built specifically to coincide with the arrival of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. The establishment later underwent a name change inspired by a royal visit. After Queen Victoria passed through the area during her visits to Worsley, the pub was renamed The Queen’s Arms in her honour. Inside, a framed portrait of the monarch still hangs above a traditional fireplace.
Today, the venue retains its classic pub atmosphere. Guests sit in curved, tufted seating booths surrounded by floral wallpaper, patterned carpets, and classic wood bar fittings.
Wagyu burgers and eel rice bowls
While the interior reflects a historic British tavern, the food provides a striking contrast. The kitchen at The Queen’s Arms prepares complex Japanese dishes, including thick cuts of ox tongue coated in sesame seeds and large eel rice bowls. The menu also features crispy tempura prawns, fried chicken katsu, glazed wings, and a massive Wagyu burger served over rice with an omelette and rich curry sauce.
The drinks selection matches the food, with pints of cold Sapporo beer poured fresh from the tap. The combination allows visitors to play a game on the pub dartboard before sitting down to eat authentic Japanese dishes inside a 19th-century railway tavern.
