The Best Restaurants in Bamford, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom (2025)

Ran the Tatton Half Marathon, came to replenish with a Sunday Roast and a couple of pints. Lazy, slow paced afternoon, where we ate, chatted, drank and left happy. Top venue, always has been.

When the ☀️ is out is there a better beer garden in Rochdale than this? Such a comfortable pub both inside and out with a huge choice of cask ales. Only here for the 🍺

Quick Facts: ● CAMRA's National Pub of the Year 2013 ● Next door to the Co-op Museum ● Beer Garden ● Dog-friendly ● Can purchase cans to take away ● Featured in the Good Beer Guide Drinks The Baum offers an impressive selection with up to 10 keg beers and 8 rotating cask ales, including regulars like Vocation Brewery and local favourite, Pictish. There's also an extensive range of bottled and canned beers, along with a good array of gins, rums, and whiskeys. Food The food offerings went beyond typical pub grub, with quality dishes averaging around £14 for a main. The menu ranged from burgers to Katsu curry, with plenty of sandwiches and sides. The food arrived promptly, and there was ample cutlery provided. Facilities While there were no pool tables, dartboards, or TV screens, these weren’t missed thanks to the warm atmosphere. The seating was cosy, and the rustic décor felt like a countryside pub. The walls were adorned with signs, pictures, and posters that wouldn’t have been out of place on an episode of American Pickers. It was cold the day we went so we stayed inside, but there was a very nice beer garden at the rear. Service Service at The Baum was friendly, warm, and welcoming. The staff made us feel at home all night. They offered beer tasters and were enthusiastic about explaining their offerings. Though there wasn’t any seating available when we first arrived, they went out of their way to find us seats as soon as they could. Atmosphere The atmosphere is where The Baum truly excels, alongside its quality beer. This pub is a social hub where both locals and staff readily engage with newcomers, making everyone feel at home. One of the highlights of the night was watching Michael challenge the bartender to a game of chess, which was gladly accepted. Final Scores Here are our combined scores for the different aspects of the bar. We each gave a rating out of 10, which were added together to give us a score out of 50 for each category. The final scores were then averaged out to give us an overall score out of 50 for The Baum. The scores: ● Service - 49 ● Facilities - 45 ● Food & Drink - 46 ● Atmosphere - 50 Our overall score for the Baum is . . . 47 / 50 Final Thoughts The Baum is more than just a pub; it's a vibrant social hub with a welcoming atmosphere, exceptional drinks, and quality food. Whether you're a beer enthusiast, a fan of good company, or just looking for a cosy spot to unwind, The Baum delivers on all fronts. The friendly service, combined with the rustic charm and community vibe, makes it a place you’ll want to return to time and time again. It's no surprise it was named CAMRA's National Pub of the Year in 2013—The Baum is a gem in Rochdale that truly feels like home. We all agreed it was one of the best night's we have had in a pub. Brilliant place. Check out our video review at @BarHoppersOfficial on Youtube

Love love love this place food amazing as always service just as amazing. We had a few strange requests but they met them all. I ate the special May the 4th menu and wow wow wow delicious 😋

So lucky to have this on my door step. Food atmosphere and service is always excellent. Such a lovely setting too. The waiter and waitress on Tuesday were exceptional with my daughter, they took time out to talk to her. Thank you :-) 5 stars

Food very similar to Oldham branch just presented better more room in the massive restaurant and appears to be bigger portions than the Oldham one too

We celebrated New Year’s Day there with a fantastic late lunch. All 7 of us thought the food was excellent, and I was especially impressed with my gluten-free version of Spaghetti Gamberoni. Great service, lovely atmosphere and tastefully decorated & styled.

At last there's more to Rochdale than tacky takeaways. This is the best Italian restaurant in Greater Manchester. The quality of the food is amazing. I can compare it to any of my Italian holidays. It's so authentic, just walking into the restaurant and the place looks Italian. The staff are really friendly and professional. Keep shining, a real gem of a place.

The first time I went we were a party of six and everything was amazing I couldn’t fault anything the food the service the wait time it was all perfect although the second time I went the waiter was very dismissive he didn’t right our order down and due to allergies I’m unable to have garlic and onion he seemed to be confused at our order but went away anyway then when the food arrived there was quite a few things wrong with it but then we got another waiter and they were amazing super understanding and really apologetic. Overall I really enjoyed my visit to this restaurant and would absolutely go again.

Great place for a Birthday dinner! We visited at the weekend for a Birthday dinner. The restaurant was mostly people visiting for Birthday celebrations and it was very busy, so please make sure you book in advance to avoid disappointment! All of the starters we had were delicious and the pasta I had was amazing! I absolutely recommend the pasta - I've never had a pasta that good before! The staff were all really good and very helpful with menu choices. Definitely worth a visit!

We were a tabke of 9 for a birthday. The staff were awesome. Very welcoming, very jovial and took care of us well. The food was phenomonal. I always have my steak blue but its rare that its ever served that way when i eat out. At Il Vecchio it was perfect. The chef really knows what he is doing. Additionally, for the great service and the amazing food, the price was very reasonable. 10/10. Would recommend everyone eats here

Love this restaurant. We always gather here as a group of over 12 family members young and old. The food is fabulous, the service is brilliant. They never fail to make us feel welcomed and special.

Fabulous!! Absolutely love it here. From the moment you walk in you are made to feel so welcome, the staff are great (Alex is exceptional) and the food is top notch. Perfect for any occasion. Update 03/11/2024 - amazing as ever, can't fault it. I was devastated to leave a little mash and roast potato as it was so good, maybe shouldn't have had that extra pint before the food came, but that was exceptional too! 🍺 Whoever decided that apricot works on top of a shepherd's pie deserves a Michelin star 🌟 Absolutely unreal 👏 and the rest of the food was great too 👌❤️

Love it!!!!! Warm, friendly and welcoming - nothing is too much trouble. The Sunday roast is simply the best around and the rest of the menu doesn't disappoint either. Turned up an hour early for our booking, but were welcomed like old friends. Would rate higher if I could! ❤️🌟

An amazing stay, and one I can't wait to repeat. Every single member of staff we encountered across the hotel, bar and both restaurants were supremely helpful and friendly. The hotel clearly has great attention to detail

What’s not to love about a cosy pub with log fires, superb dining in the beautiful restaurant or the on site amazing Italian restaurant! The rooms are clean, comfortable and well equipped . The staff are just amazing !! So kind ,helpful , friendly and accommodating . The best value for money for food , ambience and high quality accommodation . I love my visits here.

Went to the Valentines Night Dinner last night. The whole experience was absolutely superb. We decided to stay the night and the booking in process ( around 5 pm) was excellent. A lovely, polite young lady on reception welcomed us and fully explained the procedures for the evening. The room was good and the little touch of rose petals and chocolates on our bed was really nice. The Rhydding room was decorated superbly, red heart ❤️ shaped balloons on every table ensured that the feel for the whole evening was set. The entertainment was first class. Thank you Royal Toby for making our Valentines Dinner so memorable. See you next year.

Been here a few times now, most recently for a works Xmas party and the service and atmosphere was exemplary. Staff were courteous and friendly and always happy to help. Place was nice and clean. Would recommend visiting if in the area for a casual drink or some food.

This is a lovely restaurant with a beautiful atmosphere. The aesthetics are stunning and would be lovely for a romantic date night. The service was lovely and adhered to our needs. The only disappointment where the pork meatballs where raw when they came to the table. They soon remade them and brought a fresh plate, also taking them off the bill. The rest of the food was fresh and tasty

Can't recommend highly enough. I have visited before but first time experiencing the bottomless brunch. Absolutely amazing. The food beautiful and the best cocktails I have ever had. Will most definitely be back. I wish I had got the young waitresses name because she was so attentive and lovely. My cousins 60th birthday treat a great success. Thankyou

The setting is stunning, an old church turned restaurant, beautiful. The food was lovely as always, we had the ravioli to start which was different and tasty, it helps that starter portions are a thing with the pasta/risotto section of the menu. I had a fillet steak for my main meal, it was cooked beautifully - I thoroughly enjoyed every mouthful. Tiramisu for dessert topped the meal off. A lovely attentive team too!

Very accommodating. THANK YOU!!! After being let down by another JW Lees establishment for a 40th Birthday gathering. The Plough were very quick at accommodating what I wanted for my husbands 40th Birthday Family gathering. They allowed us to sit in the private area of the pub and decorate the tables and surrounding space. We ate from the usual menu (as seen online) 22 meals from all areas of the menu and nothing was too much trouble. Starters, mains, desserts and kids menu (including small adjustments) The food was lovey, the Birthday Boy had the mixed grill and he said it was delicious! And I had the salmon, very tasty and very hot! All members of staff were very friendly, polite and helpful. We hope to visit again soon (Maybe a smaller party) Thank you again!

Visited again in July on a Tuesday late afternoon. Updated menu, great food and superb service. Well worth a visit. Visited the Plough on a Wednesday evening around 7pm with a work colleague after a recommendation from my wife. The new layout was excellent with hand sanitizer available on entry along with a track and trace QR code. The waitress was super efficient and the menu provided a superior range of food options thanks to Sean the new manager. Two drinks, two starters and 2 mains for less than £40 proved excellent value for money. I will recommend this pub/restaurant to my friends without hesitation.

This local pub is great. All the people from landlord/lady to all other staff they are just great given the pub a really good vibe so friendly. The food is good some of the specials are outstanding. Good value for money as well.

We have Breakfast with Santa every year, it's become a tradition for our family. Santa is brilliant and the kids love him!

Absolutely lovely food cooked by jacob, definitely our go to place lovely polite waitress chantelle makes you feel so welcome, she is definitely a lovely staff member.

Seen to at the reception desk straight away and seen to at our table by waitress Kiera, lovely polite and attentive with really great customer service and table service She popped back to see how our food was which was delicious. All really enjoyed it as a family of four. Will be back for sure. Thanks for making our first experience a lovely one Kiera ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Just had a very nice meal for lunch, food was very good, portion size fantastic and ours waitress, Chantelle was very friendly and chatty, also seemed very happy doing her job which is always nice to see. Thanks for looking after us. Price was very reasonable. They have a lunch time offer which we will be back to utilise again.

Visited for food on a Friday night whilst staying at The Village Hotel. We both had fish and chips. The food was piping hot and so nice. Not often you get such good quality food from a major pub chain. Would also love to visit for the “cuppa and cake” special offer during the week. Thanks Waterford Farm 👌🏿

Came here for evening tea with my Fiance and my little 4 year old child. Was served at the bar by a polite bar man called Tom he was well mannered and very polite. I had a carvery my partner tried one of there burger meals and our 4 year old child enjoyed her chicken piecemeal. We later enquired about booking for Christmas dinner later this year as we hear one of the chefs recommend Christmas lunch to another costomer and that they had already began taking orders this year. So we was greeted by the on duty manager called Ash who explained everything to us so why we was there we decided to book there and then for Christmas 2025 dinner. Can I just say that Tom & Ash are a credit to you establishment and we will be back again soon.

We had a very nice meal tonight with lovely food and outstanding service, our server Aedan was amazing he went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect for us and was very polite and well mannered. Will deffinitley be back again soon.