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    The Bank

    3.9 (29 reviews)
    ModeratePubs, British
    Closed 11:30 am - 11:00 pm

    The Bank Pubs Photos

    THE BANK ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

    Recommended Reviews - The Bank

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    Thomas M.

    The Bank is a stylish downtown Nicholson's pub in Manchester that has been renovated a few years ago. The layout of the seating area has been streamlined, which I don't consider an advantage - it was more comfy back then. The bar area hasn't changed at all. Stylish though it is, this is not a place for real ale lovers, as the selection is not only severely limited but also very conventional [Doom Bar, are you kidding me?]. No shortage of fizzy lagers though.- of which the best offering is Camden Pale. But the service is nice and it's still a lovely place to hang out for lunch or after work.

    Vege burger and ale
    Saffy K.

    Gorgeous pub, I'm a sucker for original features and this pub is packed a plenty with 19th century gems. It used to be part of the Portico Library which has now downsized to just the top floor above the pub. The food is usually delicious and they specialise in gins and ales, but have a range of wines, beers, soft drinks and mixers too. Overall I love meeting friends here as it's an all rounder and the little touches like the fresh flowers in the ladies loos and plaques depicting the history of the building lining the walls make it all the better. The non alcoholic bottle green cordials are yummy for days when I'm taking it easy, not bad for £1.20 either! The prices for the alcoholic drinks and the food are pretty standard for the city centre.

    Angela B.

    I have to say I'm not very taken with the decor in here, its so stuffy and over the top, putting the 'g' into gaudy. Not at all the kind of atmosphere that makes me feel relaxed, but despite this the staff are rather friendly and the food is cheap and hearty: Angus burgers, steaks, risotto and ale pies are all around £6-8 and sausage dishes even less than this. The ales too change seasonally, with some wonderful labels that aren't easy to come across in most places including Beartown Ginger Bear and Wychwood Hobgoblin. It wouldn't be my pub of choice but if it's not a bad alternative if you can't find a table anywhere else.

    The main dining room
    Adam C.

    The Bank in Manchester City Centre is a beautiful distinctive building with a rich history. Originally The Portico Library, it was conceived in 1803 by a group of businessmen and built in Runcorn stone and in a neo-classical style. The library and newsroom opened three years later in 1806 and the Portico Library still survives upstairs. Today, it is one of Nicholson's great British pubs, offering good hearty traditional pub food, and a diverse and ever-changing selection of real ales. As you enter, you can instantly tell that this is a historical building simply by the architecture and wonderful high ceilings. It has also been decorated sympathetically with grand brass chandeliers and photos on the walls of Manchester, and the building itself during its history. Not too long ago the colours were overly rich, in golds and reds, with busy fabrics and swagging drapes, but now it is decorated in cool modern greys and whites for a more streamlined and contemporary image whilst retaining its historical charm and style with stylish tiled floors and warm wood tones in abundance. On the day of my review, I walked in to the wonderful smell of freshly mulled wine being stirred at the bar. Delicious! One thing that The Bank is known for in Manchester is its high quality food, and in particular its sausages! Happily, they offer a lunchtime menu, where you can order said sausages or one of a few of their other tasty options along with a drink, for £7 or £8, which for the quality of food and drink offered, makes it one of the best deals in the entire city centre. I ordered sausage and mash. Yup. The sausages were substantial and meaty, like a good old fashioned sausage should be. The mashed potatoes were creamy and fresh, and lavished in a beautifully rich gravy. This is real food. I did get a few little ball shaped bits in the sausage though, which were soft to the bite. Possibly cartilage. The service is friendly and professional, and another "order-at-the-bar" deal, and service at peak times can predictably be slow, but that's what comes with providing high quality at a good price in a British City Centre... popularity, which it greatly deserves. I highly recommend The Bank to anyone visiting Manchester City Centre who is in search of a good old fashioned British meal, which will leave you stuffed and contented afterwards!

    Chocolate brownie
    Claire P.

    After finishing my sushi meal in China town I had a massive craving for chocolate brownies - that's right my sweet tooth hit again. My friend suggested this place which was perfect as it's just on the outskirts of China Town. There's certainly a mixed bag of visitors in this pub, from the locals, to the daters, to the business men, to the indie chic. Very friendly and welcoming and the decor (which I hear is quite new) was very bright and fresh. As people have said before this is definitely a more classy version of Wetherspoons but the drinks and food are fairly similar albeit a little more expensive. I would 100% recommend the chocolate brownie and vanilla icecream pudding. I can't even describe how good it was. I really didn't want it to end. The only complaint I could make is that the tables do not have numbers so when you're ordering food you just have to tell the staff where abouts you're sitting, or point awkwardly at your friends. Table numbers would make things run more smoothly for sure.

    Fish and chips - mediocre at best.
    Adam Z.

    I came on a Sunday night and the place was pretty deserted. I should have taken the hint. 2.5 max, but I couldn't give it a 2 star rating. There was no table service to speak of, just one bartender/server who would take your order at the bar and then bring you your food. I ordered an ale and fish and chips. It was a nice piece of fish but the batter was gooey on the inside. I ended up removing most of the batter and just eating the fish. Everything was quite bland. Other than the malt vinegar and salt I used to try to give it some flavor, I couldn't taste much else. I agree with the assessment of the decor. Other than the bar and ceiling, there isn't much to speak of. I could do without the 70's remixes too. Definitely not a cozy pub. I won't be coming back any time soon and I won't be recommending it to you.

    Chris F.

    A really grand pub. The building in which it resides is a classic. It felt like quite a good place to eat a boar burger and because it is a Nicholson this means good beers. I had a quaffable Mill Hill IPA. (See photo below)

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    Review Highlights - The Bank

    The library and newsroom opened three years later in 1806 and the Portico Library still survives upstairs.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    The Bulls Head - At Night

    The Bulls Head

    4.2(13 reviews)
    0.4 miPiccadilly
    ££

    Congratulations are in order! The Bull's Head has made it into the Good Pub Guide published by…read moreCAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale, friend of my locals the Crescent, New Oxford and King's Arms). Many say that this pub would get a lot more custom if it wasn't on the 'wrong side' of Piccadilly Station as it were. However this does mean that it gets a nice eclectic clientele, including office suits at lunchtime which often suggests quality food (smart types are picky about their food, I've met plenty of them). The food itself is your hearty, tasty pub grub from upmarket peppery steak pies and gammon and eggs to sirloin steaks and corned beef hash. The chips are particularly nice. The beers include the Marston's standard Burton, Pedigree and specials like Long Hop, as well as many festival ales such as Everard's, Brains and Ringwood's. Down to earth, upbeat and friendly staff serve the pub's varied customers, creating a jovial and relaxed atmosphere. Certainly a worthy addition to the guide.

    Because of The Star and Garter's odd choice of not opening until the gig starts (You're a pub with…read morethirsty MetalHeads stood outside for upto an hour,you do realise how much money you lost in that hour?) We were forced to wet our whistle elsewhere,and a quick check on the app showed that The Bulls Head was the nearest,so head there we did. It is always nice to go into a pub that has a good mix of clientel,and this was one of them,a smattering of regular looking folk? Check,a few suit and ties having a swift one after work? Check,and on this particular evening 2 Metalheads after a nice drop of ale. We both had a pint of Boon Doggle on draft (They have a really good selection),which went down a treat,as did the pub itself,it is a really nice place that I will certainly go back too the next time that i'm not able to get my drink on before a gig.. Good stuff

    Photos
    The Bulls Head - Painted on the wall in the Gents...

    Painted on the wall in the Gents...

    The Bulls Head
    The Bulls Head - Day time

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    Day time

    The Salutation - From website

    The Salutation

    3.8(10 reviews)
    0.8 miOxford Road Corridor
    £

    Ne'er was an update needed more so than this! The snug little Salutation has been taken over by the…read morefolks at Trof - those guys are spreading like wildfire, next stop Peter Street and Green Room - and if that means Trof food, house draughts and banter in a delightfully traditional environment then I'm all for it. I mean, this place is a pub's pub. All the original features have been kept; it hasn't been Troffed to the max aside from a few very subtle quirks. I came here with Jess H for the weekly pub quiz, and this is how a pub quiz should be done. A Pictures Round to be going along with, a General Knowledge one, a Music one and a Film & TV one. Lots of my favourite topics, and just the right level of challenging mixed with some smug feelings. Also, the girl who was running it was one of the friendliest, nicest quizmasters I've ever had the good fortune to encounter. Also, in these cold winter months, take comfort in the fact that the Trof's Salutation is one of the warmest pubs I've stepped into in my life. Warning. Wear layers! Great quiz, great chat and an eclectic mix of discerning students and happy locals. I'll be back to try the food, but job's a good-un so far.

    This Irish bar is probably one of the best in Manchester. Great atmosphere and great resident band…read moreto keep th Irish liveliness going. Great staff who pour the best Guinness in town ( and I know my Guinness trust me). You will find a mix of students and locals here. You will walk away with a nice fuzzy feeling from here- and that's not just because of the drink.

    Photos
    The Salutation
    The Salutation - From website

    From website

    The Salutation

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    Port Street Beer House - Tri-colour.

    Port Street Beer House

    4.3(49 reviews)
    0.4 miNorthern Quarter
    ££

    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!

    Photos
    Port Street Beer House - Post last call drunkness

    Post last call drunkness

    Port Street Beer House - Yin and Yang

    Yin and Yang

    Port Street Beer House

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    The City Arms

    The City Arms

    4.4(18 reviews)
    0.1 miCity Centre
    ££

    The City Arms. If you've ever been then you'll feel manly just thinking about it! Grrrr! It should…read morebe called the The City Gun Show, I can actually feel my testosterone levels increasing with every typed word. This is a proper boozer from a time when men had mutton chops and women just weren't allowed the hell in damn it!! Oak filled, serving real ale and housing pool tables that it just isn't big enough for -probably to increase the chance of a fight breaking out- this is a pub that has laughed in the face of progress for over 50 years. Go there to watch or talk about sport. If the mood takes you just go ahead and punch somebody.

    Another day, another pub that I've walked past a billion times and never thought about going in! If…read morethe truth be known I think I always thought it was part of the Vine Inn next door which I've been in a few times over the years. Located in a part of the city that is clearly on the up (just off St Peters Square) it's a traditional boozer of the very old school variety - deceptively sized with a tiny front bar but loads of seating in the back! The drinks on offer are all a little bit stuck in the past for my beer tastes but this isn't a problem for most patrons - they just do lots of bitters, lagers and stouts. I have to say that their beer flights are great value at just over £3.00 where you can get a third of each beer of your choice up to a pint - really good idea and great to see it appearing in more and more pubs! City Arms is somewhere that's cool to pop into if you're after a quick pint or meeting with friends, I just can't see myself wanting to spend all night here - I think I'd get very bored, very quickly of the beers on offer - but this is my own overly pretentious beery opinion!

    Photos
    The City Arms
    The City Arms
    The City Arms

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    The Star and Garter - From www.starandgarter.co.uk

    The Star and Garter

    4.1(20 reviews)
    0.6 miPiccadilly
    £

    Housed on Fairfield Street, behind Piccadilly Station, the Star & Garter is a red brick pub that…read morelooks like a crime scene from a Hitchcock thriller. It was featured in the 50s film noir Hell is A City and since then, seems to have gone from chic to shabby with little investment or TLC. The carpets are frayed, the seats are grubby and the walls upstairs are painted chocolate. Endearingly, none of this seems to bother the students and regulars who flock there for the monthly Smiths nights and occasional rock and punk gigs. The gigs are housed upstairs on the first floor - where there's a small stage and bar - whilst the club nights straddle the ground and first floor. Drinks are cheap and cheerful and there's a long-running indie night every Saturday called Smile. You might hear the odd Brian Wilson song but you're more likely to hear everything from Pulp and Placebo to Belle and Sebastian. In short, the Star & Garter is a venue that's more about the music and the people than the ambience or the interior. Which takes us right back to Pulp and..... A Little Soul: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XMDfMaKDa0

    I'll never forget the first time I went to the Star & Garter. I was really dubious about what my…read morefriends had planned for me, considering we were heading in a direction that seemed to be slighty outside the city and more than slightly IN to Manchester's Red Light district. 'Guys...' I found myself saying ominously in the way the first dingbat of a bimbo to get killed in a horror movie always does. Then when we arrived, I was confused. 'Why are we at what looks like one of those run down burnt out old hotels on Chapel Street?' my brain was asking me. But I pressed on. I was accompanied by indie expert Mr Bateman, his lovely girlfriend and the Bambi-eyed Jess X, all of whom seemed to have the lowdown on what's cool these days. And upon entering all my woes disappeared. For here is a pub-cum-club almost as famous in the city as Night and Day, with something to offer every poetic soul with a floppy haircut and a love for Morrissey. (That includes myself, and you'll hear more Smiths songs in here than you can shake a stick at.) The Star and Garter is a great venue, with a pub downstairs and seats comfy enough to think you're in the Crescent, and a club upstairs where you can dance your socks off to the best of Manchester's music scene. The Smile clubnight, held every Saturday, is always filled to capacity and something of a phenomenon. Live bands often appear on Thursdays and Fridays, but one Friday each month is reserved for the worship of the miserablist with the quiff, the legendary Morrissey, and The Smiths. Yes, it's an actual Smiths disco. Where else would you find a disco dedicated to one man/band? Not only does this speak volumes about how important Morrissey is to Mancunians, it says a lot about Star & Garter's knack for pleasing their public. I've never had a bad night here. Brave it through the brothels and find your way to this gem of a place - you won't be disappointed.

    Photos
    The Star and Garter - The Star and Garter pub

    The Star and Garter pub

    The Star and Garter - Yes, this photograph of the Star and Garter was taken in the 1970s, but in terms of its appearance, not much has changed!

    Yes, this photograph of the Star and Garter was taken in the 1970s, but in terms of its appearance, not much has changed!

    The Star and Garter

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    The Crown and Kettle

    The Crown and Kettle

    4.3(20 reviews)
    0.5 miAncoats, Petersfield
    £

    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.

    Photos
    The Crown and Kettle
    The Crown and Kettle
    The Crown and Kettle

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    The Bank - pubs - Updated May 2026

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