Old Monkey

I like the name of this pub it is basically quite
bland inside, with surprisingly little seating.
They seemed to have run out of quite a few beers too, leaving just Holts IPA,
which was just Ok.

Large old-​fashioned pub. No thrills with no spills in here. Good drinks, good food including the usual traditional pub favourites and other things. Good spot for pre-​drinks before you head into the city.

Slap bang in the middle of Portland St, The Old Monkey is a proper, slightly stinky old boozer.
It’s a proper trad. arr ale house that probably puts the fear of God in some people (without good reason I’ll add).
As so, what do you expect from a classic pub?
Well, you’ll get the ubiquitous gammon with a pineapple ring and a good pint of ale. As such, it’s like a comfy pair of slippers. This is no doubt one of the reasons why it is rarely empty.
It’s a Holts’ pub, so those who are fans will love it here.
It is very down to Earth and without frills. It is almost refreshing that there’s somewhere this archaic in a Manchester that is enjoying something of a spurt in suave bars.
Warning — it can get rammed at the weekends and sometimes… well… shall we just say that the drainage in the toilets seems like it can’t cope with the traffic.

The Old Monkey is allegedly one of Mancunian musical luminary Mark E. Smith’s favourite boozers. Allegedly. You can kind of see why, it being possessed of a certain kind of dank that would appeal to belligerent front men. Personally, I’ve never seen the appeal myself.
This isn’t to say that the Old Monkey is bad — but it will never win any awards either. At the end of the day it’s just an average boozer, which doesn’t aim to do anything fancy. It serves pretty decent booze, pretty decent food, and is always, ALWAYS packed to the gills. Go in on a typical Saturday night and you’ll often find it difficult to nab yourself a seat unless you’re very quick off the mark.
If you’re ever in the Portland Street area and want to have a decent pint somewhere with a bit of atmosphere then do pay the Old Monkey a visit. But whilst it’s a great place to go to start a night off with a bang, it’s just your average everyday pub, nothing more, nothing less.

The Old Monkey sits right on the corner of Portland St and Princess St, across the road from the old warehouse once turned into a boutique hotel and now lent as luxury apartments.
This is a traditional English pub, with everything that goes with it: good food (gammon with pineapple was cooked well), good beer, generally good atmosphere. There is no question about its popularity because it enjoys visitors every single day. Whether people have a pint inside or a smoke outside, I have never seen the pub or its doorway empty.
It can be packed downstairs, especially on a weekend afternoon, but the space upstairs should serve you well, particularly if you are after a meal. One thing is certain, though: if you are struggling walking up and down the stairs, visiting The Old Monkey may be a challenge, since there are a few steps at the entrance.

We went on Saturday lunchtime 12 December, for a quick drink and some food, very nice interior, good prices, nice food, friendly customers too, nice atmosphere

Holts have now turned it into a fancy ‘bar lounge’. Haven’t been in since but if it’s anything like the other decent boozers they’ve ruined prices will have rocketed.

Top Boozer, smashing location, Great place to meet up to start your saturday night.

Have only just added the Old Monkey to my list of fave boozers in town. A recent discovery with plenty of seats upstairs, a a great pint of Holt’s and a pleasant atmosphere whether it’s rammed or only a few in

This pub means well and i like the range of ale. Have to say there is a serious smell of wee and poo here :(I think its the clients but have never wanted to investigate.

Typische Kneipe für Manchester — das heißt sie werden nichts extravagantes hier finden! Aber deswegen ist es toll: Bodenständige Leute und Bodenständige Preise. Freitag u. Samstag Abend gibt’s eine gute Partylaune! Gute Lage für die Nachtklubs.