please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Closed at 3.30 on a Thursday afternoon, no sign of opening hours and Whatpub! didn't have the details either. All in all a disappointment.
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Turns into a private members' club on a matchday apparently. There's no admittance unless you're a member. No beer in the evening possible here. 1/10.
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A proper bare boards pub. Has a bit of an Irish theme to it, when I was in on Tuesday night they had a band practicing some Irish sounding music. The place itself isn't very big, with two main seating areas and the bar takes up a small corner of the room. The bar itself has a very limited selection. The ales were Hydra 1863 and 'Solstice (I believe also by Hydes). I went for the Solstice, pretty solid but nothing special. They also had Guinness, Amstel and I believe Becks vier as well (it has an Amstel symbol on the front but the tap was Becks, so can't be one hundred percent sure but if assume they want some variety right?!). The barman was very friendly and told us how it was a family owned pub. One worth making the 10 minute walk from Piccadilly and patronising.
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Not many like this left. I've always enjoyed it in here. Long may it continue.
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Tried to call in yesterday for a pint but told it was "members only" on matchdays (we were unconnected with the City game and just wanted a pint). I know it must be difficult for pubs near the city centre on matchdays but disappointing nevertheless. What do you have to do to become a "member" and what are you a member of? Who knows!
alexw - 23 Mar 2014 19:00 |
There are some great beer bars in the trendy Northern Quarter (it was never called that when I was at university in the Eighties) so this unspoilt traditional pub makes a lovely change around the corner from all the hipsterdom. Hydes Original bitter was on tap on two pumps and we were treated to some entertaining stories by a grizzled regular.
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Just been back after fifteen years and the place hadn't changed at all. Splendid old fashioned basic boozer selling excellent beer.
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Very disappointed to visit the pub on Saturday lunchtime to be informed that it is members only on match days. As a CAMRA official I was not impressed given the distance between the pub and Etihaad Stadium to find such a restriction. I will definitely remove this from my list of pubs to visit in Manchester as my custom was clearly not welcome.
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Best place to start your manchester pub crawl but difficult to not stay too long! And for a change the Port Street Beer House is not far away. Good impromptu guitar music, great Hydes and a proper taste of Manchester. If you are tired of 'bars' and want a pub, come here
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Love this pub but as one reader has pointed out its worth finding out the opening times. Last time i was in there was some Irish music being played which was at a pretty good standard. Pub has never changed and it wouldn't be out of place in Life on Mars. Make this a must see if your ever doing a pub crawl around manchester.
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You have to get the opening hours right,but when you do this is one of the best pubs around. What it lacks in interior design it makes up for in beer; atmosphere;friendliness and simplicity! You go to the JA for a chat and a great beer with the occasional jam session chucked in for good measure. Handy for Piccadilly station and well worth missing a few trains for!!
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Only Hydes Original at a splendid price. Not too far away from the station and a nice way to start or end a crawl of the eastern edge pubs of Manchester. Contrasts with the Port Street Beer House just opened not too far away across the canal!!
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Been visiting this pub for many, many years, back to the days when the legendary Dave was the landlord and anything could happen. (Loved that guy!) Any road, it's still worth a visit for good Hydes beer. But a recent lunch time visit found the doors firmly locked. to my disappointment. Evenings only these days???
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I frequented this place way back in the late 70s & 80s. With Dave behind the bar anything could happen. Pea & ham soup you could eat with your fingers. Glad to see it is still attracting the eclectic clientele and always try and have a pint when passing.
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SO glad to see that this pub is still unchanged and unspoilt. Used to work around the corner in Rail House in the early 90's and spent many happy hours in here, including the day the IRA bombed the Arndale centre when with no trains/buses running I and many other people spent a thouroughly pleasent afternoon in here waiting for normality to resume. Used to have a very pretty girl serving here who I fancied rotten, I think she was the landlords daughter, wonder if she still works there?! Long may trad pubs like this survive.....
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Had an hour to kill before my train back to London,ventured in here and i'm glad i did.Outstanding trad boozer �2-10 for a cracking pint of Hydes,very friendly barman and i chatted to all the locals who were in there (ok it was early evening Thursday and there were only 3 of them) and they were all dead nice.Will certainly be my first/last stop before boarding train from Piccadilly in future.
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Great pub. A perfect example of not needing loads of real ales to be a good pub. The hydes is perfectly ok for what it is, and at two guineas who is complaining! Friendly staff and clientele. A gem.
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Well worth dropping into (as I've been doing on an irregular basis for over 25 years) before catching your train at Picadilly. Only Hydes Original on offer at �2.10 - excellent condition yesterday evening and served by a friendly and polite barman. Only 2 other people in there though.
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Excellent example of the traditional backstreets Manchester boozer, about 5 minutes walk from Piccadilly station and over the road from a canal and a metalworks (I assume the factory accounts for a good chunk of the trade). Decent staff/locals, no-frills decor, Sky Sports and Hydes' Bitter at �2 a pint all contribute to a goo 8/10 from me. My only warning would be that it doesn't tend to open before 1730 in the week, so earlier visits are not recommended.
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Cracker - been drinking here for 30 years - puts to shame the rest of the crap trendy Manc pubs.
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Great as a traditional friendly boozer, not so great as a pub for beer - just Hydes Original when we were there. Take your pick.
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i was waiting for my train and was told about the jolly angler
and its real ale by friend. so i thought id sample it while waiting
i entered was plesently greeted when i asked for a pint of hydes
beer.i only went in for two pints but liked it so much stayed for
two more and when it was time to leave the friendly regulars all said
farewell and i will be visiting the pub again but i will be bring friends
next time. really nice time
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A backstreet boozer located some way behind Piccadilly Station, we did not especially rate this place. It's clearly an Irish pub, with lots of old Man United photos on the walls, of George Best in particular. This and the other memorabilia are nice to see, but beyond this, the place felt tired and dingy. It wasn't especially full when we visited, so I can't really comment on the friendliness claims, but the only real ale on (I think it was Hydes) was as dull & drab as the surroundings, and we regretted getting pints not halves.
No doubt the kind of place much loved my regulars, but with standard of real ale in Manchester set so high at the moment, there's little reason for anyone else to seek this place out.
Roy22 - 17 Aug 2009 18:47 |
Some strange negative comments on here regarding this manchester pub. I think its a little gem with great beer. If you looking for music blasting out and loads of girls to chat up then its not really for you but if you want good beer and a chat with your mates then its hard to top. Cant wait for next visit.
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Bit of a back street local that could do with a touch of decorating but good quality ale on (all from the Hydes range). Visited here just before a Man City game at the end of the season and found the locals to all be welcoming and friendly (even to the point of one of them, who we'd never met previously, offering us a lift to the stadium - thanks Jonathan). I found the barman to be friendly but we had a mutual interest in music and had a bit of discussion about recent gigs we'd seen - in most cases having seen the same band on the same tour but in different cities. (So were The Specials better in Manchester or Briston on the recent tour?)
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Took one step in and walked out not a sole to be seen dark and dingy pub bloke behind the bar looked asleep watching the tv, such a let down after reading some of the reviews on here
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Was Ray in a bad mood Smasher 123? He has a very dry sense of humour (no doubt I'll get my bum kicked now!) Never had trouble ourselves and a lot of people we know love it too. Ne'er mind, must have caught it on a bad day eh.
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Nothing 'Jolly' about this place when I went there in Feb 09. Miserable Angler more like. Utterly rude staff, nobody serving becuase the football was on. Berated for standing in front of the screen, which was stupidly placed behind the bar - where I was hoping to be served! Left soon after. Do not under any circumstances go to this pub, it is an overated dump. That doubly applies if there's football on. Go to Marble Arch instead, about a million times better than this excuse for a pub. 'Jolly' Angler could learn a lot from the Marble Arch: polite and knowledgable staff, good beer. Doesn't even deserve 1/10
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Can only echo previous comments. Well tucked away pub near Piccadilly with friendly locals and Hydes bitter. Great United photos on the wall.
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A friend and I (both Scottish Man City fans) visited a couple of weeks ago. The place is a true classic. Superb beer, and the friendliest bunch of staff and locals you're ever likely to come across. Ray, the sardonic United supporting barman ensures a very high banter quotient. Will be making a beeline for the place on our next visit.
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Fantastic back street pub. Revisited when cruising the canals last week after several years since our last visit. Unchanged. Hydes bitter in great shape & only �2 pint. Live music. Very friendly locals.
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The most back-street and run-down of all the back-street run-down oubs I've been to. And it's a gem. Great quality beer, a fantastically knackered football table and (much as it galls me to say so as Liverpool fan) some great Mau.U photos on the wall from way back when.
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Pleased to discover it's still here and not been redeveloped. Beer fine, the pub's nicer without the smokers. Everyone friendly, Man U was mentioned so I guess I met Ray.
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My fave place...Sunday night,lovely tunes,the nicest people,Michael and Sheila pull out all the stops and whip up sarnies for the regulars....and I have been known to croon a tune or two too!
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Er....I meant naive as Ray pointed out to me last time I went in!
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Home of traditional Irish music in the city centre, and another pub that needs to be maintained for future generations. The barman is a bit sardonic and dry, but he is a United in a part of town swamped with City fans!
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I especially love Ray's niave charm and the Angler is now the home to Man City fans too, which is great to wind Ray up with. ;)
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Don't let the mention of the barman being a filthy Red put you off. I've had so many great times here and can actually remember some of them. It can be a bit hit-and-miss wrt the opening times.
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I've been drinking here for nearly 30 years and it still delivers everything you need from a basic boozer ie fine beer.
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Great back street boozer. So close to Piccadilly, but you need to know where to go to find it! En route to City ground, but Ray the barman is an avowed United fan. Very friendly, with music sessions Sat & Sun night, pioneered the new licensing hours! Hydes Bitter plus seasonal ales, sports on TV. Pretty small, the doors are sometimes closed when busy.
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