Live Sports — Pubs in Manchester

Brotherhood

2, Mount St, Manchester M2 5WQ

Sports bar on corner of Mount St and Central St. No cask ale.

Bull & Bear

4 Norfolk Street, Manchester M2 1DW

The Bull and Bear is the bar/restaurant in the Stock Exchange hotel. This grade II listed building was once the Manchester Stock Exchange built in the early years on the 20th Century. The building had been empty for many years before being converted into an upmarket hotel in 2019. The restaurant is run by chef Tom Kerridge and his team and the bar has two cask ales, one is rebadged and this is currently reported as Marston's EPA.

Pie & Ale

Units 1-2 Northern Quarter Arcade, The Hive, Lever Street, Manchester M1 1FN

Pie & Ale reopened after a short 2 month closure in May 2018. Originally opened in May 2013 on the ground floor of a recently built office block known as 'The Hive'. The name tells you pretty much what you need to know, it sells six real ales and a selection of pies. The beers are predominantly from local brewers but there is also a cheaper house ale called 'Yipee pie ale' brewed by Wells and Young. There is a selection of over 20 bottled beers from various parts of the globe. The decor is in a modern style with an island bar with tables in front and behind. There is a 'snug' looking to the front as well as seating outside the bar in what is effectively a corridor through the middle of the building. On a mezzanine above and behind the bar are a series of comfortable booths. The beer hall to the left is used for functions and showing sports matches on a large screen. There is 25% off cask ale on Tuesdays. During the week it may close early if not busy.

mon

42 Back Turner Street, Manchester, Manchester M4 1FR

New Northern Quarter bar with basement lounge for watching sports and French inspired food. Opened August 2013. No real ale.

Lower Turks Head

36 Shudehill, Manchester, Manchester M4 1EZ

The Lower Turks Head was purchased by Joseph Holt in 2021 after a period of closure and reopened in July 2021. It had originally reopened in August 2013 after 22 years of initial closure. There are several small rooms on the ground floor as well as an upstairs drinking area that leads to a roof terrace. The pub sits in a terrace opposite Shudehill tram shop and is close to the Arndale shopping centre and Printworks entertainment and bar area.

Mill

Mezzanine, Piccadilly Station, Manchester, Manchester M1 2PB

Formerly known as The Mayfield. Up the stairs on Manchester Piccadilly railway station concourse. Hand pumped cask ale no longer available.

Tib Street Tavern

74 Tib Street, Manchester, Manchester M4 1LG

Former Bar Centro reopened as Tib Street Tavern in May 2012. The bar and main lounge are upstairs and there is a downstairs lounge as well. Sports TV shows many football and other sporting events. There is a selection of bottled English and continental beers.

Rose & Monkey Hotel

31 Swan Street, Manchester M4 5JZ

This small and friendly pub has changed hands and is now under the stewardship of Chris Slater and Leigh Handford. It is a long narrow pub with 2 rooms one behind the other, the front room facing the street contains the bar. The pub has been refreshed and the removal of the pool table in the back room has created significantly more space. They continue to provide live music most nights and Chris and Leigh are also custodians of The Twisted Wheel music venue in the city. The pub may occasionally open on a Monday.

Crown & Kettle

2 Oldham Road, Manchester M4 5FE

This Grade II listed free house reopened in 2005 after 16 years in co-operation with English Heritage with particular attention to the fine and unusual ceiling. The central bar serves up to eight ever-changing real ales from all over the country. Refurbished in 2020, the pub has been smartened up following a change of ownership in 2021 and in some places the walls have been stripped back to the brickwork. There is a large drinking area in front of the bar along with a small vault and a snug at the rear. Two TVs in the main bar area list all the beers and ciders sold. The pub itself dates from around 1800 and was quite prosperous due to its junction location and proximity to the nearby Smithfield Markets. Food is available and is listed on cards left on the tables.. Greater Manchester CAMRA regional Pub of the Year 2015. Central Manchester Pub of the Year 2019. No children allowed - strictly 18+.

English Lounge

64-66 High Street, Manchester, Manchester M4 1EA

Open plan divided by structural pillars. L-shaped bar, front right area reserved for diners. Normally at least one beer from Timothy Taylor.

Green

Bridge House, 26 Ducie Street, Manchester, Manchester M1 2DQ

No real ale.

Millstone

65 - 67 Thomas Street, Manchester, Manchester M4 1LQ

Lively city centre pub catering mainly for older clientele. It hosts regular singing evenings performed by the locals. A former Wilsons pub it was acquired by J W Lees in 2004. The friendly landlord often mixes and chats with his customers. There are three distinct drinking areas and the large front windows are opened when the weather allows. It provides inexpensive accommodation (14 rooms) and this operation is known as the Little Northern Hotel. Underwent refurbishment in late June 2014 which included opening former office space into an extra drinking area at the rear of the pub.

Mitre

1- 3 Cathedral Gates, Manchester M3 1SW

This is a large residential hotel with abar fronting onto the popular drinking area of Exchange Square. There is lots of comfy and maybe some would say unusual seating. The hotel itself is a Grade II listed building with a mixture of sandstone and Jacobean styles. It was refurbished and reopened in December 2009 and sold to Enterprise Inns in late 2010. There are 33 rooms available for accommodation as well as a function room with a capacity for 80 people. Food is available until 2100 (2200 Fri & Sat). Dogs are allowed at the manager's discretion. Newspapers and WiFi are available for hotel residents.

Mother Macs

33 Back Piccadilly, Manchester, Manchester M1 1HP

The L shaped room has several separate fixed seating areas. Please note that during the week if the pub is quiet it can close from around 8pm.

Smithfield Market Tavern

37 Swan Street, Manchester, Manchester M4 5JZ

Once one of the premier cask pubs in the Northern Quarter it was returned to its former glories, extended and improved and is now a modern day proper pub run by Manchester based Blackjack Brewery. It was refurbished in 2020. North Manchester CAMRA Best newcomer 2015; Central Manchester CAMRA Pub of the Year 2016; Manchester Food and Drink Festival 2016 AWARDS Pub of the Year. It has been selected as Central Manchester CAMRA Cider Pub of the Year for 2019 for its long-term stocking on tap of Hallets Cider from Wales and a superb selection of Fine Ciders, many of which are wild yeast real ciders. Serving six ever changing cask ales, including always one or two Blackjack Brewery beers; 10 keg beers; and an eclectic selection of bottles A family and dog friendly pub with games, books, a few comfy sofas, a hum of chatter, and newspapers.

Bar Rogue / Wave

Britannia Hotel, Portland Street, Manchester M1 3LA

Two keg bars located in the vastness of the Britannia Hotel. Appears to cater for non-residents in the main, where TV horse racing is popular. Wave Bar does not do food. It is open 10-6 (1.30am Fr/Sa).

Grey Horse

80 Portland Street, Manchester M1 4QX

A friendly single-roomed old pub, probably converted from early 19th century weavers cottages, and named after an act in the circus that used to overwinter in this block. It has a light, clean interior with tartan upholstered bench seating and stools, and dark laminate floor around a small semi-circular bar. Entered by steps from the street so may prove difficult for disabled. A tiny, heated outdoor yard at the rear can seat two people. Certainly one of the smallest pubs in the city. Can get busy on match days, when space is at a premium. On Mondays you get 50p off all cask ales. CAMRA discount of 10%.

Molly House

26 Richmond Street, Manchester M1 3NB

A former worsted tailors shop in a street behind Canal Street that may well have started a new movement in the village, it opened as a bar and cafe in December 2010. Not just a bar, it does 20 different teas, specialist coffees, and high-end spirits. The name derives from the London molly houses of the 18th & 19th Century. Set on two levels, its decor is described as post-Victorian decadent shabby chic. 'The Tea Room' where the kitchen is sited has the cask ale bar together with food servery. It is furnished with wooden tables, chairs and benches. Upstairs in The Bordello', the decor and lighting is more intimate with sofas and a fireplace. . An outside smoking and drinking terrace opens off this room. Food service is noon till 8 with tapas being a speciality. Vegan options are available. The beer range specialises in local brewers and the policy is to serve examples of many different beer styles.

Monroe's

38 London Road, Manchester M1 2PF

Former Whitbread house that at one time dabbled with cask Flowers beers. The interior is a tribute to all things Marilyn Monroe, with photos and images of the icon everywhere.

Old Monkey

90-92 Portland Street, Manchester M1 4GX

Manchester brewer, Joseph Holt's first ever new-build house in the city. Built on the site of the Queens Arms beer house, it opened in 1993 to great acclaim. The early success of the 'Monkey' inspired Holt to open the Ape & Apple nearby. It is set on two floors where the downstairs is seldom anything less than abuzz with custom and is definitely the main engine of trade. Popular with tourists who venture here from their nearby hotels. There is fixed seating round the edges of the room, but this is mostly a standing drinking area. Meanwhile upstairs has its own bar, and serves food and drink in a more relaxed, comfortable and intimate environment. The upstairs windows provide you with great views of the bustle of the Princess Street junction. On the first Wednesday of the month, the upstairs room hosts comedians sourced by the Trapdoor Comedy Club; these events cost roughly £3 advance or £5 on the door per ticket. Food is served 12-3 Mon-Wed; 12-6 Thu-Sun, where a menu of home-made dishes are the staple fare. The guest ales change once a week, and the guest beer from Bootleg Brewing Co (brewed at the Holt's-owned Horse & Jockey, Chorlton-cum-Hardy) change with availability. The Old Monkey is now the only Holts pub in Manchester City Centre that regularly sells the increasingly rare Mild.

O'Sheas

80 Princess Street, Manchester M1 6NF

An Irish pub housed in an old William & Glynn’s bank yet despite that pedigree, this L shaped bar is somewhat basic, almost like a 1970s works canteen with red painted woodwork, half-panelling on the walls, bench seating and wood flooring. On the walls is the usual Irish bric-a-brac expected of an ‘Irish’ bar. Round the corner from the entrance is a stage area that host regular live music, and a pool table. Irish TV sports are shown via RTE, the Irish broadcaster. A welcome conversion to cask beer took place in mid-2012, however that did not work out, so back to the keg beer it went in mid-2014.

Waldorf

12 Gore Street, Manchester M1 3AQ

The Waldorf was extensively refurbished in 2018. There are no radical changes but everything looks brighter and more comfortable. The bar has been reshaped slightly to run along the back wall, making it longer but narrower. Situated just off the bustling Piccadilly district, this old but attractive building stands quietly tucked away amid the modern office blocks to lure passers-by in. The interior though is of more modern times, yet it gives a feel of provenance with wainscoted walls and a match-boarded ceiling. Mainly open plan (which seems to amplify the piped music), screened-off seating areas (some with sofas) afford some privacy to those wishing it. Can become busy when televised football is on.

Yates

49 Portland Street, Manchester M1 3LD

You enter into a large open space with raised alcove area to right leading to outside seating and smoking patio, enclosed by a fence. A long curved bar sits along the back wall. Décor is dark wood panelling and strip flooring with purple carpet in the raised area. There is good range of food from light bites, pastas, main course and grills, burgers, a range of curries and a generous breakfast, all very competitively priced as is the wine. Toilets are a trek up four flights of stairs but there is a disabled toilet and baby change facility on the ground floor. Similar in many ways to a Wetherspoon but not so cluttered with menus, so giving equal balance between wet trade and food. Fairly noisy, low background music and TV. The Yates' House Best Bitter is from an unknown brewery.

Cringlewood Social Club

Yew Tree Lane, Manchester M23 0DY

Former GMT workers social club featuring a bowling green, indoor sports are also popular, at the rear of the premises is the concert room with regular entertainment a feature. The club features a bowling green, snooker, darts, pool a concert room and sports on TV.

Bridge Tavern

58 Bridge Street, Manchester M3 3BW

The Bridge remains a food-led pub, despite the departure of celebrity chefs, but it now feels much more welcoming to customers who only wish to drink. A narrow façade on Bridge Street disguises a rather large building behind, which stretches all the way through to Wood Street and the John Rylands Library. At ground level is a single, long open space, which morphs from bar to dining room. The front part is mainly for drinkers, the central part for those who’ve not yet made up their minds, and the rear part mainly for diners. Furniture varies from high wooden stools to “tub” armchairs. The bar is along one wall (currently graced by a pair of statues of the Buddha). A large serving hatch gives views into the kitchen (though this may be remodelled shortly). At the rear there is a small patio for those who wish to drink and smoke. Upstairs are a function room and a dining room. The function room also gives access to a small roof-top garden. Food is varied and includes a good value carvery (every day) and daily specials. Recorded music is played and can be somewhat intrusive.

Castlefield Hotel

Liverpool Road, Manchester M3 4JR

The Lounge bar of the Castlefield hotel formerly sold cask ale but as of January 2020 it was confirmed handpumps have been removed because of poor sales. The decor of the bar is what you would expect from a modern hotel - clean, smart but without the atmosphere of a traditional pub. A TV shows news channels with the sound off. The Castlefield Hotel is attached to the YMCA's Y-Club Gym & Sports hall to which guest have access to facilities. The hotel has 48 en-suite bedrooms & extensive conferencing facilities. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout. It is opposite the Museum of Science and Industry.

City Road Inn

14 Albion Street, Manchester M1 5NZ

The pub dates from 1898 and is situated on a busy corner location close to the Bridgewater Hall and the trendy Deansgate Locks area. From the outside the pub appears to be a typical large inner-city pub, but look can be deceptive. Inside the pub has just two rooms, one housing the main bar and another with a pool table. The decor is suprising, best described as rustic, bare wooden beams and brewing paraphenalia. The pub is extremely busy on MUFC match days with several tv's and drop down screens.

Lost Dene

144 Deansgate, Manchester M3 3EE

Large open plan pub on busy through road. Big screens and TVs visible from all directions, often showing sports. Formerley a Hog's Head the pub was rebranded and renamed in 2011 however the interior layout is little changed. Children are allowed in until 6pm.

Mr Thomas's Chop House

52 Cross Street, Manchester M2 7AR

Mrs. Sarah's is one of only a handful of Manchester pubs listed in CAMRA's National Inventory Of Historic Pub Interiors. A long, narrow room devided by green tiled arches leads from the entance along the bar and opens up into two further rooms divided by the same arches at the back. The rear room is a dining area and there is a magnificent ceramic fire place. The pub is famed for its food and is popular with theatregoers to the nearby Royal Exchange Theatre.

Old Nags Head

19 Jackson's Row, Manchester M2 5WD

A classic Victorian pub interior with plenty of wood paneling and a fine island bar and staircase. Access from both Jackson's Row and Lloyd Street. First floor provides pool room with 4 pool tables and function room with a second bar. Second floor has roof garden, but this is not always open. Resident DJ Friday and Saturday nights. Live music on the second Sunday every month.

Oxnoble

71 Liverpool Road, Manchester M3 4NQ

The Oxnoble (formerly known as just The Ox) describes itself as a gastro pub/hotel, 'serving excellent, modern, English food sourced from the finest local ingredients'. The pub is definitely food led with the area to the right of the bar reserved for diners occupying over half the total area of the pub. However, drinkers are welcomed in the area of the pub in front of and to the left of the bar. A range of up to five real ales is on offer alongside an extensive wine list. Low level lighting & a traditional rustic decor with solid wooden furniture give the pub a welcoming atmosphere. There is a quiz night every Sunday from 9.30pm with wine & cash for the winners. Food is served Monday to Saturday: 12 – 10pm & Sunday: 12-9pm. Menus frequently change to reflect seasonal produce and regular daily specials are available. A special 2 courses for £10 offer is available 12 - 10pm Monday - Saturday with a choice of 4 starters, 4 main courses & three deserts. This is good value as the main courses are typically priced at £9.95 on their own. The hotel offers ten stylish en-suite rooms. with free Wi-Fi access, tea and coffee making facilities and freeview TV. Room types available include; single, double, twin, triple and family rooms and prices start from £49.95 per night.

Peveril of the Peak

127 Great Bridgewater Street, Manchester M1 5JQ

Re-opening on 06.07.2020. The 'Pev' is a famous Manchester institution, still run by the city’s longest serving landlady. A splendid etched mirror hangs over the fireplace in the snug (formerly the Smoke Room), commemorating the first forty years of her tenure. The pub, like its landlady, is a great survivor. It stands as a small triangular island of civilised drinking, shorn of the rest of the original terrace but surrounded by much taller office and apartment blocks of both 19th and 21st century origin. The glorious green tiled exterior hides an even more splendid interior, full of polished wood, stained glass and traditional bench seating along the walls – much of it with the original bell pushes that once summoned bar staff to take customers' orders. There are four distinct drinking areas. Entering from the street you find yourself in a long and twisting drinking lobby surrounding the island bar. Behind the bar, in the V of the pub's wedge shape, is the public bar, featuring an unusual and antique “table football” machine. In the opposite direction are another wedge-shaped room (the afore-mentioned cosy snug, often the venue for folk groups) and the L-shaped rear room. The pub is now open all Satudays, no longer just when Manchester United are at home.

Sam's Chop House

Chapel Walks, off Cross Street, Manchester M2 1HN

A low ceiling pub with a restaurant attached that specialises in traditional British food. Sam's dates back to 1872 and has been on the current premises since the 1950's. The bar is ahead of you as you come down stairs from the street. There are 6 handpumps dispensing 4 beers (2 are usually duplicated). There is a small space to the left with high barrel tables and a larger area to the right of the bar. Steeped in history and once patronised by LS Lowry who is commemorated with a life-sized statue at the bar.

Sawyers Arms

138 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2RP

The Grade II listed Sawyers Arms is a dramatic looking pub from the outside. It has stunning bevelled and engraved glass windows of a by-gone era. The bar is on the ground floor and upstairs is a restaurant area. In December 2014, the pub re-opened under the ownership of the Nicholson's group, with 7 handpumps installed.

Shakespeare

16 Fountain Street, Manchester M2 2AA

The pub has occupied the site since 1721, although the frontage was brought from Chester in the early 1900's. Cask Ale Club (£2,60 a pint) every Thursday.

Sir Ralph Abercromby

35 Bootle Street, Manchester M2 5GU

Re-opening on 06.07.2020. For details of any changes to opening times, please contact the pub. A traditional back street local, located next door to the city's main police station. It was under threat of demolition from 2014 to 2017 due to a new development but was saved after a determined battle by friends of the pub assisted by CAMRA. It is close to the site of the Peterloo massacre and is believed to be the only pub remaining from that period. A mural has been painted commemorating the massacre and adorns one of the walls. Decoration places the emphasis on light colours, polished wood, and all neat and tidy with plenty of drinking space. Catering for the young and older crowds alike, it has a central bar serving all areas of the pub, the former games room now being converted into a function room. Soft, piped music is broadcast, to match the furnishings. The food servery with a new fresh menu is towards the rear, near the entrance to the beer garden, which spans an L-shaped area, ideal for the summer months.

Slug & Lettuce

Heron House, Albert Square, Manchester M2 5HD

Long, open-plan, one room bar comprising of resturant, bar and small lounge area. Overlooking Albert Square and the Town Hall. Beware of trip hazard from step up to the bar. Long veranda with outdoor tables. Cask ale not always available, no disabled access to bar serving area.

Bishopsgate

7-11 Lower Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3DW

Large open plan bar & restaurant on ground floor of Premier Inn hotel. A mid-2012 refit took down internal walls which had separated the entrance from the bar area, making the pub much more welcoming to visitors not staying at the hotel. The layout has the rear area which wraps around the back of the hotel reception set out as a permanent restaurant dining area serving the extensive Table Table group menu. The front of the pub has a mixture of fixed and free standing seating with a variety of table sizes making it suitable for drinking or more casual dining. TVs built into the walls show news & terrestial sports without the sound. The pub is interconnected with the Costa Coffee cafe next door which opens during the daytime. The pub's disabled toilet is also in the Costa section.

Town Hall Tavern

20 Tib Lane, Manchester M2 4JA

This popular town centre pub was refurbished in 2016 and you enter it up steps from Tib Lane. It is on 2 levels with a seating area surrounding the bar with a more secluded raised area opposite the bar and steps leading down to a lower lounge area. Up to 4 real ales are available. The food menu is based around the highly rated Pieminster pies. There is a function room upstairs. The TVs in both rooms show live sports.

Vine Inn

42-44 Kennedy Street, Manchester M2 4BQ

A traditional pub with an impressive tiled frontage and stained glass windows. Inside it is decepively large, being split over three levels. Alongside the bar a short flight of stairs runs to an upper level with more fixed seating at the front, with a mixture of sofa's and bar stools to the rear. Taking the stairs down to the lower level takes you to Malt & Cask - the pub's specialist ale & whiskey bar created by conversion of the under utilised cellar bar in late 2013. Malt & Cask offers three handpumps on the bar and a wide selection of single malt whiskeys. The exact age of the pub is uncertain but the main bar has been part of a pub for many years, while the upper & lower level rooms were added by knocking through into the adjacent building in the 70s. The pub retains a traditional feel. Sky sports etc are shunned, but there are TVs in all rooms showing news channels with the sound off or sports when on BBC/ITV. The upper room has a dartboard, while a selection of board games, including Monopoly Manchester Edition are available from the bar. The CD jukebox has a wide selection of music and the pub hosts occasional live music evenings. Quiz on Tuesdays start 8;30pm.

Courtyard

2 Chester Street, Manchester M1 5SH

Situated on the ground floor of the 'Student Village' accomodation block, The Courtyard is understandably popular with students attracted by value food & drink prices (it prides itself on being 'cheaper than Wetherspoons'). Although does get very busy with students of an evening, especially Friday and Saturday nights, it is open to all at all times and away from the peak times, can be a very pleasant place for a quiet drink or bite to eat A short walk from Oxford Road, in previous incarnations the bar was known as Scu 2 & before that O'Sheas 2, both targetted purely at the vertical drinking weekend crowds. New ownership & management in late 2009 have refocussed it on being a friendly & welcoming pub. Although there is plenty of open space to cater for the weekend crowds, there is also more than enough seating for the daytime trade. To the rear of the pub are three pool tables while in the front area are a table football table & a pinball machine. The pool, table football & jukebox are all free until 8pm weekdays and until 3pm at weekends. There is a pool competition every Thursday from 8pm with the winner taking all. Sundays there is a quiz night beginning at 9pm. TV Sports features heavily and the bar can show up to 4 separate matches at one time on it's selection of screens. There are even two screens in the extensive courtyard to the rear, over 60% of which is under cover.

Revolution

Arkwright House Parsonage Gardens, Manchester M3 2LF

Slug & Lettuce

Left bank, Irwell Square, Manchester M3 3AN

This modern L- shaped bar in the heart of the Spinningfields district features a wooden floor with a mix of comfy sofas, tables and chairs and bar stools. Clientele range from business people during the day to the younger set in the evenings. There are outside drinking areas at both the front and rear of the bar; the one at the rear is a terrace overlooking the river Irwell.

Bar Eight

Middle Warehouse,, Castlefield, Manchester M15 4NT

A small bar situated on the Castlefield Canal basin, next door to the studios of Magic 1152 & Key 103 radio stations and adjacent to The Wharf restaurant bar. The bar is small but welcoming with comfortable seating and tables either side of the main entrance with the bar directly in front. Despite the location drinks prices are reasonable, significantly below the norm for the area. The bar's ethos is 'we believe it shouldnt cost the Earth to get high quality service.' The Cafe bar is open from 8:00am serving coffees & dine-in or take-away breakfast & lunch menus. From 5pm reverts to a bar with dimmed lights and nightime menu.