please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
THIS BAR HAS NOW CLOSED FOR GOOD!
It is now a restaurant called "Browns".
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This former Parrs Bank Building was designed by Charles Heathcote in 1902 and is a great example of Edwardian Baroque with some art nouveau detailing particularly in the wrought ironwork.
Now a pub known as the Athenaeum, it is in red sandstone with an imposing corner entrance topped with a dome and was probably one of Manchester's most opulent banking halls it is now a great place to grab a excellent value meal from about �2.50 and a cheap pint or two.
It's a large building and they do not seem to have any heating so if you are going in the winter you might have to keep your coat on.
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This place was probably one of the first bank conversions in Manchester. It�s a fantastic building inside with grey marble pillars and a couple of busts/statues. The carpet hasn�t been changed since it opened though and it�s pretty tatty in places. When it opened it was a very trendy place with a loud DJ and flashing lights all over the place. It�s changed track since then and is now a Wetherspoonalike with similar menus and clientele to match. There are loads of different types of seating around the one huge room with a raised area to the left as you enter and a number of sofas in the area to the right of the door. There�s also a pool table and a quiz machine towards the rear of the pub. It�s an ornate island bar that has 3 handpumps on. One was turned round, the others were Deuchars and John Smiths Cask. I asked for a pint of Deuchars and was served vinegar instead. It was changed for a John Smiths with no problem though. The John Smiths was OK as well. Now for the shock, a pint of JS plus a 175ml glass of red wine (Blossom Hill) = �3.14!!!! We thought the barmaid had got it wrong but when we sat down and looked at the prices on the menu it was correct. No wonder the clientele has gone downhill, the nearby Waterhouse (JDW) can�t compete with these prices. It�s worth going in for a look at the building but you wouldn�t want to stay for long unless you�re very price conscious.
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Lovely building, crap beer. No real ale on, looks like one of the bank conversions fashionable some years ago. But doesn't really compare to the likes of Old Joint Stock in Birmingham, Counting House at Bank etc. A missed opportunity really. Still, better than All Bar One around the corner.
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Don`t let on if your an MCFC supporter in there.`cos they`re all barred.
And I mean ALL.
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Quite an athmosphere in there, but needs a little refurbishing. Staff was very friendly!
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The place looks grand in a plastic way. Very big, and cheap if you get their on certain days.
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As a doctor, i can confidently say that this pub is shite now,.....it has de-volved
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fcking decent in here,...saw cantona in there with no shoes on once...
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Used this place for liquid lunches. It's a bit grubby but there are cheap beers to be had if you look out for the special offers. I found it to be understaffed so I'd get 2 rounds of drinks when you go to the bar because it gets busy at lunch time. Have never been in the evening. Food is ok - not the cheapest.
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quite a good one for a night out - but i havent been for years.
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High scally count when we went in there!
Nige - 31 Mar 2004 17:40 |
