Best beer gardens in Manchester

Manchester gets, optimistically, 30 days of proper beer-garden weather a year. The moment forecasters mention sunshine and double-digit temperatures, every pub with so much as a paved courtyard fills up - and the difference between a great beer garden and a passable one becomes very obvious. The two things that separate the best are shade options for hot afternoons and shelter for the inevitable shower that arrives at 5pm.

The unbeatable city-centre gardens are at Mackie Mayor, the Castlefield basin pubs (Dukes 92, the Wharf), and Cane & Grain's NQ roof terrace. All three book out the moment the BBC weather app turns yellow. If you want a more low-key sit-down without the bookings circus, head for the Northern Quarter side gardens - the Castle Hotel on Oldham Street has a small but lovely yard, and the Crown & Kettle's flagstoned courtyard catches afternoon sun.

South Manchester is where the proper big-lawn beer gardens live. The Beech in Chorlton, The Lloyds in West Didsbury, The Albert in Levenshulme and The Plough in Heaton Moor all have garden capacity in the hundreds, with mature trees for shade and enough staff to keep up with the rush. These are the spots that absorb the Saturday-afternoon crowds when the centre is full.

A few sun-day survival tips: arrive before 1pm or accept that you're standing for an hour. Bring sunscreen - most Manchester pub gardens face west and the late-afternoon sun is brutal. Order in rounds rather than individually to halve the queue time. And keep an eye on the sky - most gardens have indoor seating priority for the regulars who stuck it out through winter, so the moment rain starts there's a polite scramble.