Best underground bar in town ! It is really easy to miss if you aren't looking for it however once…read moreyou are inside you feel like you're in another world. Lots of fun stuff to look at and great drinks. Good ambiance too !

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.

2 words guys : DOING THYME…read more If its cocktail time, those are only words you'll need to remember. Now if you're looking to be economical about the whole affair do indulge in their "Deckhand" cocktails which are just 2 for £9 during happy hour. Free popcorn, vintage gaming, a cinema, a smoking deck, smiling bartenders and lots of elbow room? Well, I'm doing time with DOING THYME whenever I'm in Manchester.

Hello new favourite NQ bar!…read more Popped here for a few drinks on Weds night and have to say I was really impressed - what a hidden gem and great new addition to the Northern Quarter. Housed in the Hatters Hostel basement, you're talking about a cavernous speakeasy style bar that's been nautically/fashionably revamped without trying too hard, which is refreshing. It's similar to the Gas Lamp in decor but with a grittier edge that makes it seem pretty relaxed and a place for any time of the day. A great selection of craft beer on tap and in bottles, classic video games on free play in the back and a very cool special cinema (the Kino room) showing classic movies each night (Fear and Loathing was on when I came in) for patrons. Friendly staff, beer slightly cheaper than neighbouring bars and because it's tucked away maybe a haven from some of the 'nobbier' elements making the NQ a shadow of it's former self on a weekend evening. Can't wait to go back! (Fast free wifi too - with no need for a password - sweet!)

This was the quintessential British experience. We found it to be cozy and not pretentious. We had…read moredrinks and dinner for about $45 (American). I highly recommend even just popping in to take a look.

The Crown & Anchor is an unpretentious pub where I was SHOCKED to have a massive plate of roast…read moredinner plus about 3 cokes for only £11. Great value. It's not the greatest roast you will ever eat (my family are the best at it) but it's just incredibly nice to go somewhere in Manchester and not get ripped off for food. Plenty of comfortable seating space and a great selection of tunes (bearing in mind I like Rihanna and Amerie) played at the perfect volume for a Sunday afternoon. Solid stuff!

This was such a fun spot for pre-dinner cocktails!…read more The 2 for 12 deal is awesome and I honestly enjoyed every cocktail I tasted. Their take on a coffee martini was yummy and the exact type of caffeine boost I needed after a long day of travel from the United States. My favorite, however, is a spicy drink whose name I sadly don't remember. Can't really go wrong here, though!

I went to Lost in Tokyo on my last trip to Manchester, and I enjoyed my visit immensely. The décor…read moreis interesting and simple; the staff are friendly and efficient, but most importantly the cocktails are complete awesome! The flavors and presentations for the drinks here are top-notch; my favorite cocktail thus far is the one that has a tiny Godzilla-like dinosaur ;-) Tip: The have some really good HH offerings - two cocktails for £10 (either two of the same or two different ones) If you want to pair some food with your drinks, the menu here has some excellent and interesting choices; it's quite a bit different from your usual, run-of-the-mill bar food. Highly recommended!

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!

In all of my time living in the Northern Quarter, I would often see the old-and-slightly-decrepid…read morepub sign for Mother Macs, whenever I happened to glance down Back Piccadilly. For years I kept making a mental note to check this place out on my next pub crawl. I never did until about a month ago. Shame on me. I love drinking with older people as I love to hear their stories of Manchester days gone by - and this is that type of place. If you can hold a convo with people from all walks of life, you will enjoy the vibe in here. There are people who have been drinking in here for thirty years! Yeah you probably won't meet the man/woman of your dreams in here but there are no chavs either. I'm also currently on a mission to find other places outside of the main NQ drag, far from the maddening crowd. I can't imagine the NQ hipsters and trendies wouldn't be seen dead in a place like this (good). A hidden drinking den two minutes from Piccadilly Gardens, with cheap Jagerbombs (I dragged a large group of us here and we drank them dry of Jager) and more interestingly - quite a chilling history. Newspaper cuttings (and unfortunately MCFC memorabilia) adorn the smoke-stained walls, the former describing how a previous landlord murdered his whole family and the cleaner, before setting fire to the place. Not sure if anyone wants the gory details but I'll tell you anyway. The pub had a dumb waiter for moving food from one floor to the next. When the dumb waiter was inspected by the fire brigade (1976 this was) the cut up bodies of the landlord's wife and children, plus the cleaner were found inside. Grisly eh? One of my favourite films is The Shining and I can say that The Overlook has nothing on Mother Macs!

What a weird little pub. Small, dingy without being dirty, but a really good atmosphere. Been here…read morea couple of times over the last month and you're always made to feel welcome. It is what I would imagine a city centre 'locals' pub to be. People seemed to know one another and yet despite its location, tucked away on a back street off Piccadilly Gardens it is also often found by 'out of towners' and none regulars. All seem to have a good time. Becks Vier on draft, good range of spirits and, from what I could gather, the bitter is well kept too. If you're after somewhere to have a drink off the beaten track in Manchester city centre, away from the buzz and noise of more obvious bars and pubs, then this is it. Interesting, if not genuine (we couldn't find out, even with Google's help), newspaper articles about the history of the pub (mainly a murder/arson event!) adorn the walls along with other memorabilia, making for an interesting visit every time and a talking point should you need one!

Good vibes, good service, good pricing. Location is perfect in Northern Quarter. Live music on the…read moreweekends.

After a lovely dinner at Superstore, we went for a few drinks at The Whisky Jar…read more Situated next to El Capo on Tariff St in the NQ, this bar, and the ones that around it, have been established in an old mill, which gives the bar some great wooden and brick features. The main bar and seating area is small, but luckily it wasn't too busy when I went here on Saturday and we managed to find a comfy sofa to relax on. There is a basement area which seemed to be much busier and louder than where we were sat upstairs, so this bar seems to cater for everyone's needs overall. The drinks menu in here obviously concentrates on Whisky - which isn't really my thing, but there were some yummy cocktails on the menu too. I ordered a Cookie Jar - a light yet creamy cocktail served with a cookie! And right up my street. They have live music on here sometimes and an open mic night every Tuesday from 7.30pm - so i may have to pop down for that!!

The Washhouse was truly one of the most memorable and enjoyable stops during my time in Manchester,…read moreand I will absolutely return if I am ever back! Everything about their experience is fun and inventive. Their menu is so unique, and their servers do an amazing job of walking you through it with showmanship and recommendations. The drinks themselves are both stunning and incredible, too! Each feels like a bartender's masterpiece, and I felt their prices were super reasonable considering the entire experience, too! You truly feel like you are in another world in this little speakeasy!!

As good as it gets. Fun speakeasy cocktail bar, must make a reservation. Hidden behind a laundromat…read morefacade. Very good service and the drinks are beyond inventive and perfect! They work on getting you the taste you're after and keep them coming. Loved how they made our afternoon super special.

Im not sure how I discovered the brand seven bro7hers ... I think it was one of those where I had…read moreheard of it being a Manchester brewery and then with it being stocked in my local booths and asda I was able to try it. From there I discovered the Ancoats bar and then after a failed attempt to go in in 2022 (World Cup meant the bar was full) we went for opening time in January 2023. It was .. AMAZING! The ambiance was great, with wood everywhere, brick work and was just a nice relaxing place to be. Having all the beers on tap too was great. From my first pint there I fell in love ... even more so because I loved the glass and asked if and where I could buy them for my stash at home, and they said we could just have it, so they gave us a clean new one which was super lovely. Since that first visit I've been up & in there every month and 2 of the last 3 times I got food. It's a basic menu, but my god they do it well. On a Friday, they sometimes have a beer tour stop by so depending on how many are on the tour, they might fit upstairs or go into the downstairs area for it. It gets pretty busy too, especially on a Friday around work clocking off time so around 4pm onwards you might struggle to sit or lean places but coming up to summer, there is usually outside seating. Service has always been great and I've never had a bad time there. It is by far my favourite bar in the city for ales. Oh and they do plenty of social events through the month too. I haven't been to one yet but it's on my list. (Doggy social, quiz, book club, etc)

Another venue that seemed to take a good while to finally come to fruition, the Seven Bro7hers…read moreBeerhouse opened last week on Cutting Room Square - the first bona fide drinks spot here (I discount Second City Bar with its off-putting screens and limited decent beers). The space is far larger than you'd expect, with two floors (ground and basement) of seating and a large, rough wooden bar. They've admitted that they still need to finish off a few parts here and there, though the overall look is rather industrial - it's exposed brick, timber and ceiling runners aplenty (whether this is a design decision or a means to save on costs is for the designer to know). They've kept some interesting features such as an old fireplace which is several feet above the basement floor, and a double-height section at the front will flood the downstairs with natural light. Behind the bar, as you'd expect, it's mainly their own draught beers, with the fridges stocked with bottles from other breweries. They've also got a gin shelf with bottles from Manchester Three Rivers, Zymurgorium, and Manchester Gin. It's a convenient spot to wait with a pint for your table at Rudy's Pizza opposite, and it has promise to make a name for itself. I'd revisit once they're properly bedded in but for now, the Smithfield is still the pub of choice nearby.