I'm pretty sure I'd be here every weekend if I lived in this part of Manchester…read more Port Street Beer House is an unassuming little pub with a fantastic (and massive) list of brews, both local and international. Service is friendly and efficient, and even the stronger stuff on the menu won't set you back too much: a pint of most beers will run £4-5. I grabbed a pint of a super-fresh saison from Blackjack (a Manchester-based brewery) and enjoyed it in the small-ish garden out back. The only drawbacks? It get can very packed---and it's cash only.

Port Street should be high on any lover of craft beers hit list, whether living in Manchester or…read morejust in town visiting it's perfect place to pop in for 1 or 2 (and see what their amazing list of guest beers is offering this week) or spend a long afternoon in warmth working your way through their extensive range while catching up with friends. That extensive list includes around 20 beers on tap, with at least 100 bottles on offer - mainly sourced from some of the finest USA, UK and Scandinavian breweries around. Prices are fairly high but no more than you'd pay in any other city for the same craft beer - it is though always worth checking the price (and strength) before you order a pint of that rare, one barrel produced collaboration between 2 of your favourite breweries - it could be time to get a new mortgage! There's a large lounge room upstairs and beer garden out the back with ample seating for around 40. Capacity is one problem with this place and it can get very very busy at the weekends so try to get in early or go offpeak. Don't miss out on their regular "meet the brewers" nights on a Monday evening. What usually starts off as a civilised tasting of a few very good beers turns into a bit of a Monday night session - something that's no good for anyone. These monthly events have been known to make Tuesday's very hard work in the past :-) They also run nearby Common and Chorlton's The Beagle - plus Indy Man Beer con so make sure you check these out to complete the full set!

Made a stop at BrewDog while in Manchester. This place is on a busy street and they are pretty well…read moresituated to catch some of the visitors in town and/or locals working in the busy city center. Also not far from Manchester Central convention center, Bridgewater Hall, and several hotels in the area. Service: everyone was friendly. Amy was super helpful and made some solid recommendations for beer to match my preferences. Food: the food was good. Typical pub food I suppose based on what others with me ordered. The special of the month - a fried chicken burger - was really good and came with two big pieces of thighs. The only thing worth mentioning - It seems like they were out of sauces everywhere. I asked for a cup of bbq sauce and got a super small portion. The host mentioned then ran out. Then when I checked the tables for ketchup and hot sauce, several of the bottles were empty or close to it. Not the biggest deal - just something to mention.

Great service. Good location friendly staff all add to a good experience. Plus they have…read morevegetarian, beef and chicken based burgers. Overall thumbs up.

This is one of my new favorite breweries in England - others include Verdant, Polly's, and…read moreCloudwater. This place makes some great quality beer and has some good cans to go. They are hitting their stride with nice collabs and starting to make some tasty stouts now. Tap room has lots of space in an industrial setting across the street from nearby Cloudwatee. Only negative I can think of is no WiFi and no food or snacks at all.

Manchester is spoilt on decent breweries close to the city who throw open there doors to the…read morepublic. We went here over the Christmas period for their independent and craft market and joint brewtap with Squawk Brewing. Only issue really is that the brewery is in a long arch under the rail line. So with some people in there and the markets tables it can be a little squeezy. I felt a little bad for the stall holders as mostly people were standing around enjoying a beer and there wasn't much room to check out the stall with ease. They had a really nice range of handmade gifts. I really enjoy Track's beers they are all very well balanced. Zoji there Black IPA was particularly good and was available on cask and keg. Lovely Choc/Caramel flavours on this beers as it warmed a little so my preference was for the less chilled cask version. They had some hot food on offer though I didn't have any it did smell particularly tasty and warming on this cold and wet day. With a replan of how they setup their open days they could make more use of the space. At any rate on this wet Winter day the brewery actually felt quite cosy.

A Sunday brew tap welcomed me to the Manchester Brewing Co for the first time. It was a real family…read moreaffair with children enjoying themselves with face paint and toys while their parents sampled the beers. These local breweries are becoming increasingly popular and the brew taps offer a great way to sample the local produce. The beer was great - interesting flavours. The ladies serving were delightful and smiley - particularly welcoming and clearly enjoying themselves. Let's hope their location quite far out of town doesn't keep people away. Definitely another positive addition on the Manchester drink and food scene

Good beer, welcoming people, can't wait till The end of the…read moremonth to go again maybe this time have some of the street food.

I went here for the private party before Shebeen Festival, courtesy of the generous guys at…read moreBlackjack and Yelp. I'll just copy over what I said on the talk thread: What an amazing night having free access to the taps! I tried 7 different beers and they were all brilliant. And the food from Yakumama was outstanding - spicy beef empananda, crackling with guacamole, mushroom & quinoa croquetas and avocado and chocolate brownie...I cannot wait until they move to The Kitchens at Spinningfields this summer! Only downside was that it was absolutely freezing, definitely a space heater would have been in order! I imagine this is not a problem at all during the summer and it's a great place to spend a couple of hours below the railway arches listening to some good music and trying the beers right from the source!

When you combine great local beers served outside where they're brewed, delicious local street…read morefood, a DJ pumping out tunes that make you dance on your reclaimed timber bench under vertical gardens made of pallets, you get the Blackjack Brew Tap. The micro-brewery under a railway arch off Irk Street opened its doors to the beer-thirsty public at the weekend with both cask and keg options available. Wine, spirits and soft drinks were also on offer. Just outside the 'bar' were the dynamic duo Arepa!Arepa!Arepa! cooking up tasty Columbian food for the punters (http://arepaarepaarepa.blogspot.co.uk/). Their maize-based flatbreads complete with vegetarian or meat-tastic fillings are certainly a crowd pleaser - they can often be found at Levenshulme Market selling their wares. With the DJs twirling on the decks, the atmosphere was really buzzing, we all loved whiling away a good few hours there. As Nic R mentions, rumour has it that there will be more regular events taking place around the newly coined 'Beer Quarter', with other breweries due to move in soon. Watch this space, there's going to be a new hot-spot in our fair City of Mancunia ;)

A quirky establishment with an upstairs dining area and downstairs bar. The food is 90% vegan,…read morewhich was nice because they had creative options for everyone! We had the BBQ Jackfruit dog, which was a vegan sausage topped with BBQ pulled jackfruit, vegan chipotle mayo, and jalapeno's. It was absolutely delicious! The sausage was not dry, as sometimes happens with vegan sausages, and the combinations of flavors was great. We also got the vegan Mac n Cheese; it was listed under bigs, but the portion size was disappointingly very small. It also tasted a bit grainy, not the best potato cheese I've had. They are allergen friendly, but make sure you make all your allergens known! The mac n cheese does have coconut milk in it. They also have Ice Shack Vegan ice creams, which is a bonus!

It doesn't have the same history as The Roadhouse, Night & Day or Manchester Academy but The Deaf…read moreInstitute is probably my favourite venue in Manchester these days. They have great club nights and a truly eclectic range of gigs from emerging punk-funk and disco groups like Yacht and The XX to established underground pop bands like Broadcast. Even better, most of the gigs take place in an intimate room with high ceilings, cleverly stacked seating and standing room for about 300 people. I went to see Detroit protest singer Rodriguez on Monday evening and had a fantastic night. The atmosphere was great, the acoustics were fab and the drinks were mighty fine. Being a long-term country and Americana gal, I also fell in love with the Good Dolly and Bad Dolly wallpaper in the ladies toilets! The only disadvantage is, I'm still a little hungover!

Only came here for drinks and had a blast. It's a happening place on Friday evening. We started at…read morethe martini bar a few doors down then hopped over here and stayed. The ambience is fun and hip. Then randomly there were people painted and dressed as fairies dancing on tables and singing to live music. From other reviews it sounds like the food is fantastic so I would definitely return.

Really great spot that is easy to enjoy. Huge and beautiful space. Multiple bar areas to…read moreaccommodate huge crowds if needed. We simply ordered at the bar and found open seating in the bar area. The 12 hr munich pork sandwich was delicious. The cheese and mustard perfectly compliment the flavor and the pork shines. Served with house fries that were delicious also; crispy, salty and delicious. The bratwurst klassic was also great; exactly what you expect in a brat. Fantastic selection of German and Czech beers to choose from. Service was great, but, it was early on a Saturday and the crowd continued to build even as we were leaving. They had a drag MC that sang requested birthday songs and occasionally had something, ie one question trivia with winner getting a prosecco bottle, to break up between dj'ed songs. It made it entertaining without overwhelming you from enjoying food, beer and conversation. Absolutely fabulous!

So I'm here tonight to see Jason get North Manc CAMRA pub of the year - you can probably tell I…read moreagree. It's aesthetically unique, cosy and inviting. The beer is kept in superb condition, rotated every day and it has some of the best bottles in town. It's just one of the best pubs in Manchester for beer and atmosphere!

Reopened about four years ago now, this Grade Two listed pub is really intriguing in many ways. The…read moreCrown and Kettle used to be a courthouse in the 19th century and rumours still circulate that it is haunted; its that kind of place you see. An absolute must for real ale lovers, there is no brewery attached. Instead, they have up to eight pumps (a minimum of four) of both real ales and more mainstream beers like Fosters. Both these and drinks that I myself actually drink are very reasonably priced for a pub just on the outskirts of the Northern Quarter. If you're not familiar with the area just walk all the way down Oldham Street then cross over the main road- its right in front of you. It is very quiet during the day but that is what some people want after all. No, where the Crown and Kettle really could do with improvement is the food. I think it really lets itself down as it just isn't good pub food- maybe if they perked up the menu more people would straggle in during the day. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure they don't want trade to be roaring at all hours - just a thought.

Located down Oxford Road towards the universities, this pub is a reliable go to place any time of…read morethe year. There are lots of seating areas both inside and out. The beer selection is excellent with changing brews on tap. The price is decent too - good news for the students who live in the area. It isn't,...

A solid bar that's just off the Oxford road corrider but is not just for students I'm glad to say…read more They've got a few areas to sit and drink including a small (sometimes) sunny courtyard to the back. There's lots of large wooden tables and cobbled floors, which can be tricky if you've had a couple of pints. They have had tables outside over the summer but these seem to have been brought in for the winter. The food is good with pizzas, burgers, stews and the like on offer. Also posh tasty crisps. They also do lattes for £2 including a Tunnock's caramel wafer, a nice touch! There's always been a nice relaxed feel about the place when I've been in. In fact they do a scrabble Sunday once a month which I may well come along to as its so difficult to convince anyone to play! Oh and the barman was really kind too.