A brief encounter with a sample of Manchester’s pubs; it rained a lot so we needed somewhere to shelter…
There may be ambiguities regarding the apostrophe, but The Britons Protection near the Bridgewater Hall is a hybrid of town pub and backstreet local with a long front public bar and two other rooms. It has a historic interior and is highly rated by local CAMRA, the guest golden ale (I have forgotten the name..!) I sampled was very drinkable. The Unicorn is situated on the edge of the trendy Northern Quarter with its bars, record shops and music venues but it retains plenty of traditional charm, an interior that seems to contain various nooks, crannies and open snugs with some reassuringly cheap beer and friendly service. The open door makes it difficult to pass as the rain pounds down.
The Bulls Head behind Piccadilly Railway Station is exactly as you might expect, largish single room and people passing through rather than making an evening of it; the beer was not cheap but they made an effort with the range, also there was a pub quiz nearly happening but cancelled due to lack of contestants. More of a bar/venue than an ale pub, the Night And Day Café in Oldham Street was a quite relaxing retreat with friendly staff and the prospect of live music later in the evening.
The find of the trip had to be the Sandbar opposite the Victorian frontage of the Deaf Institute music venue in the University quarter. The unassuming exterior all seems a bit haphazard, spilling out onto the paths on a hot day as if the pub has only just taken over the building (it hasn’t, it has been there a while). The staff were enthusiastic, the food was reasonably priced (they specialize in pizza) as was the beer and it was well worth paying for a couple of pints of ‘Arizona’ a 4.1% Golden Ale (‘Dry as a desert. Refreshing as an oasis’) by the Phoenix Brewery based in Heywood, Greater Manchester.
It is a huge city, there must have been so many other hidden gems…
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