It's all in the title really but us and the kids want to meet up with my parents for Sunday lunch. Halfway puts us somewhere on the M61. Somewhere that's OK with well-behaved children but not a Wacky Warehouse.

Suggestions please.

It pains me to say that the quality of the beer is unimportant as it will almost certainly be me and my dad who do the driving. Mind you, I'm not sure I'd want to eat somewhere that can't keep a decent pint.

The Malthouse.. Whittle le Woods.. Junc 8 is nice.. And you can walk it off along the canal afterwards..

Pines Hotel also off junction 8

"Pines Hotel"… I'm sure it's not but it sounds a little 'Alan Partridge'.

Hartwood Hall for 2 for 1 cheap deals.
Sea View, whittle, for the 1960's feel

Ta Phil but I've already reserved a table at the Malthouse.

(and what's with the swift edit?)

i was going to recommend the red cat, but your post mentioned pub as opposed to restaurant mate. then i thought of the dressers arms in wheelton, but haven't been for years so changed my mind in case it was crap.

For info, we went to the Malthouse.

It worked really well as a halfway meeting place. It was a nice enough place and the canal was good – took the kids for a bit of a walk after lunch to make sure they slept all the way home.

The beer was good – Mrs Higs volunteered (unprompted) to drive home – so I had a couple. The food was 'OK'. It's a Chef&Brewer and the food was adequate, it was all as described on the menu, nobody had anything that was substandard but nobody's was wonderful either.

We'll use it again.

it did used to be quite good but now it is adequate in all departments without being good in any.

didn't get the 'slaughtered lamb' treatment then?

Same question again but a year later.

The Malthouse was OK last year – as above, we liked the place and the food, while not spectacular, was decent.

So unless it’s gone downhill in the last year or someone can suggest somewhere better we’ll probably end up there again.

Any comment?