The Badger
The Badger is a Dickensian-style gastropub on Dale Street in Manchester's Northern Quarter, opened in spring 2026 by the team behind the Crown & Kettle and the Rat & Pigeon. Expect a short menu of hearty British pub food, Guinness on draught and a deliberately old-fashioned, cluttered interior.
Photos
Carsten Rakus
The look
The room leans hard into Victorian pub style: William Morris-style wallpaper, horse brasses, Toby jugs and taxidermy. It occupies the former Calcio site on Dale Street, close to the edge of Piccadilly Gardens. Despite the period dressing it's a new opening, and the effect is deliberate: a modern pub built to feel like an old one.
The food
The menu is short and changes, built on pub classics done carefully. Recent examples include a Welsh rarebit made with Jaipur IPA, a confit duck sausage roll, a weekly pie, chicken kiev and triple-cooked chips, with vegan options such as sticky toffee pudding. Bread with brown butter arrives on the house. Mains sit at the higher end of pub pricing. It's best for a proper sit-down meal with a pint rather than a quick snack.
Making an evening of it
Its sister pub the Rat & Pigeon is practically next door, so it's easy to start in one and finish in the other. The Northern Quarter's bars and Ancoats' restaurants are within a ten-minute walk, and Piccadilly station is close for anyone heading home by train. Being so central, it's a good choice for a relaxed dinner before a gig or a night out in the Northern Quarter.
Highlights
- Opened spring 2026
- From the Crown & Kettle and Rat & Pigeon team
- Victorian-style interior
- Short menu of British pub classics
- Guinness on draught
Good to know
- Close to Piccadilly Gardens and Piccadilly station.
- Next door to its sister pub, the Rat & Pigeon.
Frequently asked questions
Nearby
Sources: confidentials.com