Manchester Pubs
Dining and drinking in Manchester City Centre

• The English Lounge
  64/66 High Street, Manchester. Tel: 0161-832 4824.
  The English Lounge, (formerly the Hogshead, and originally the Wheatsheaf), carries one of Manchester's best selections of real ales with up to 15 on offer at any time, half of them "guest" ales, as well as a notable selection of fruit wines. Also famous for its sausages, with 14 varieties on offer. Lunchtime meals, and bar snacks all day until 7.00pm. Featured in The Manchester Evening News in 1882, after a daring rescue of a trapped barmaid by the landlord, following a severe thunderstorm when the pub was struck by lightning and 2 storeys collapsed.
  
  
• Grand Central
  80 Oxford Street, Manchester. Tel: 0161-236 0890.
  A traditional pub (The Grand Central), and a nightly entertainments venue (the Subway) beneath it. Pub lunches served 12noon to 2.00pm, with Sunday roasts, trimmings and sweets at very modest prices. Speciality nights and cheap drinks at certain times - enquire!. Function room available for hire.
  
  
• The Merchants
  4 Oldham Street, Manchester. Tel: 0161-236 0029.
  Traditional pub, plain and straightforward. Friendly staff and an excellent selection of bottled premium lagers, "Hot Toddys" and fortified wines. Live music or entertainment every night except Tuesdays. Musical acts ranging from Folk to Rock and Jazz. Karaoke on Friday and Saturday evenings. Bar snacks - no other food offered.
  
  
• Consorts
  Corner of Southhill Street / Albert Square, Manchester (below "Square Albert"). Tel: 0161-835 1000.
  A regular pre-club venue for Manchester partygoers, Consorts opens Thursday to Saturday nights. Special offers on drinks, free jukebox, popular with students. Reputedly, Consorts (also known as "the morgue") used to be a basement holding cell for hanged criminals, whose bodies were stored here, in the cool, until they could be collected by the local undertaker!!

The English Lounge

Grand Central

The Merchants, Oldham Street

The Shakespeare

The Abercrombie

• The Shakespeare
  16 Fountain Street, Manchester. Tel: 0161-834 5515.
  An inn has stood on this site since 1771. The present building actually dates from 1656, and used to be "The Shambles Inn" in Chester, until it was dismantled, transported to Manchester and reassembled in its present form in 1928. Reputedly haunted by the ghost of a young girl who died in the last century, having been raped by by the chef, who later hanged himself - the rope marks are still visible on a ceiling beam! Real ales, good food, popular with workers and shoppers. 2 Course luncheons at under £5.00 available. Also hot and cold snacks, vegetarian and children's menus. Evening meals . Thursday quiz nights, Friday and Saturday discos. Open all day 11.00am to 11.00pm. Private function room available for hire.
  
  
• The Abercrombie
  35 Bootle Street, Manchester M2. Tel: 0161-834 1807.
  Cosy inner-city 200 year old pub, (next door to Manchester's main police station). Serves Boddington's Beers as well as specialist ales like Cains and Wadworth. Food served all day.
  
  
• The Unicorn
  26 Church Street, Manchester M1. Tel: 0161-838 8911.
  Bass and Stones beers are sold at this Victorian pub. It has a distinctive central wooden bar and oak panelling all round - very traditional - very English. Particularly colourful on market days when it is the haunt of local street traders.
  
  
• The Beerhouse
  6 Angel Street, off Rochdale Road, Manchester. Tel: 0161-839 7019.
  Reckoned to be a must for any Real Ale fans, this 200 year old pub specialises in a varying selection ales and draught ciders. Frequent beer festivals with Belgian beers.