The Bank, Manchester

Can't agree about the choice of real ales, although what I had (Santa's something or other, 4% ABV) wasn't too bad at all. I had been lured in by the sign outside for Jenning's Cumberland Ale. When I asked for it, the barmaid looked at me as though I was from another planet, and said she'd never heard of it. When I was half way down my first pint of Santa's whatever, I happened to glance at the drinks menu on the table, and the beer section started: "You will ALWAYS find Jennings Cumberland and Fuller's London Pride," which made the barmaid's comment even more bizarre.

No complaints with the food I had (gammon and eggs), but I was queuing for a good ten minutes to place my order, and by 1.45pm the whole place looked like a bomb site with dirty glass and plates on every table, used napkins littering the floor, etc. The place was way understaffed for the steady stream of people coming in.

17 Dec 2008 18:14