
With plenty of our very own favourite spots in Manchester, we’ve got pubs and bars old and new, hidden and outrageous. One accolade that we’re pretty proud to go anywhere near, though, is to have one of the best pubs and bars in Europe, and since the European Bar Guide published its top 100 list for 2025, we’re feeling smug about one pub in particular.
Rating pubs and bars all around Europe, from Albania and Belgium, to Portugal and our very own British Isles, all year round, the European Bar Guide publishes its top 100 list each year, directing tourists and locals alike to the very best bars and pubs on the continent.
The list allows readers to discover pubs and places they otherwise would never have heard of, this year including the likes of Liège in Belgium, Iași in Romania, and even Sarajevo – which to most is only known as the scene of a famous assassination, and Torvil and Dean’s iconic Winter Olympics figure skating win.
Amongst far-flung lands and creaky, traditional pubs the continent over, sits Ye Olde Vic in Stockport, at number 72. Of the Stockport watering hole, the Guide says: “A wonderful pub inside and out, the sort that gives off good vibes even standing outside it. This small pub opens at 5pm and focuses on drinking and socialising.
“It isn’t a man’s drinking den either, the place has an offbeat feel that attracts a range of people, with boardgames and friendly service seeing to that. You’ll find an excellent range of ales and walk out wanting to go back as soon as possible.”
Ye Olde Vic boasts a “homely, small, warm and welcoming” environment, hailed as simple but perfectly formed. Beers on tap include a mixture of local and guest brews, spanning real ale, lager and IPAs, plus classic pub favourites for every taste. The pub is a real community spot, with a huge focus on the local Stockport County team, alongside pub quizzes and live music to keep locals entertained.
Ye Olde Vic was joined on the top 100 list by the eclectic Hobo Kiosk in Liverpool, which came 89th, and the top UK spot went to Holly Bush Inn in Makeney, Derbyshire, in 21st place – pretty good since most of the top 20 spots were populated by traditionally pub-loving cities like Dublin, Brussels, Budapest and Cologne.
Stockport just keeps getting props for its various successes, and we just have to join in – thanks for putting our city region on the map!
You can see the entire European Bar Guide’s top 100 bars in Europe list here.
📍 Find Ye Olde Vic at 1 Chatham St, Edgeley, Stockport SK3 9ED.