Liverpool:

Whatpub Link
Website
Heritage Pubs Link
Wikipedia

Part of the reason for visiting Liverpool rather than anywhere else, this is probably the best example of Victorian gin palace pubs I’ve been in- one that out-flashes the magnificent Barton’s Arms, quite an achievement in itself. The opulence of the slightly later Crown was a response to it.

We got there before mid-day on a Sunday, so enjoyed a short time of having the opulence to ourselves, wandering about and enjoying it, though the effect was a little spoiled by the modern, blandish pop music.

It’s part of the Nicholson’s (so M&B) chain, and like the similarly owned OC’s and both Shakespeare pubs in Birmingham, there’s decent ale and a traditional pub atmosphere.