The Bank

I came on a Sunday night and the place was pretty deserted. I should have taken the hint.
2.5 max, but I couldn’t give it a 2 star rating.
There was no table service to speak of, just one bartender/​server who would take your order at the bar and then bring you your food.
I ordered an ale and fish and chips.
It was a nice piece of fish but the batter was gooey on the inside. I ended up removing most of the batter and just eating the fish.
Everything was quite bland. Other than the malt vinegar and salt I used to try to give it some flavor, I couldn’t taste much else.
I agree with the assessment of the décor. Other than the bar and ceiling, there isn’t much to speak of. I could do without the 70’s remixes too. Definitely not a cozy pub.
I won’t be coming back any time soon and I won’t be recommending it to you.

The Bank is a Nicholson’s pub and is a converted library. It is a very grand and historic building located on Mosley Street in the City centre.
The interior is very spacious featuring a high ceiling and tasteful décor with a pleasant atmosphere.
Ideal pub if you fancy lunch and a couple of pints. The food is excellent with generous portions served.
Real Ales are also available at The Bank.

Came to The Bank for the first time when I had an hour to kill before going for an evening meal, so me and my friend came in here. I was quite impressed — I thought it would be a little bit representative on a Wetherspoons bar for some reason, and have a rowdy crowd in and be a little more ‘rough round the edges’. But it was filled with business men and people coming straight from work, who looked fairly smart.
This was a Thurs evening so not sure if it’s always like this, but I was quite happy with the clientèle and the atmosphere. Drinks were affordable, and I quite liked the large, grand interior.
Can’t really comment on food prices or what it’s like as I didn’t eat, but would advise this as a place to pop in after work on a Thurs/​Friday night.

After finishing my sushi meal in China town I had a massive craving for chocolate brownies — that’s right my sweet tooth hit again. My friend suggested this place which was perfect as it’s just on the outskirts of China Town.
There’s certainly a mixed bag of visitors in this pub, from the locals, to the daters, to the business men, to the indie chic. Very friendly and welcoming and the décor (which I hear is quite new) was very bright and fresh.
As people have said before this is definitely a more classy version of Wetherspoons but the drinks and food are fairly similar albeit a little more expensive.
I would 100% recommend the chocolate brownie and vanilla icecream pudding. I can’t even describe how good it was. I really didn’t want it to end.
The only complaint I could make is that the tables do not have numbers so when you’re ordering food you just have to tell the staff where abouts you’re sitting, or point awkwardly at your friends. Table numbers would make things run more smoothly for sure.

I have always seen it from the outside be never gone in, me and my partner was near by and needed to kill some time so though we would go in. When we went in it was very nice high ceilings and lovely décor. I didn’t really know what to expect from the outside but I’m really glad we went in. It was really big inside. we both had a gin and gingerbeer which was served really well. They also served food I didn’t see anyone eating were I was sat but the menus looked good so might give the food a try next time. The staff were very friendly and I liked the atmosphere so I would go in again

My friend and I were looking for some authentic British pub style food, and The Bank was recommended by our hotel concierge.
The Bank is located within its’ namesake, and I love the interior, they didn’t really change that much of the original building, and just seem to have added tables and chairs. This would be a great place to grab a drink and just chill for hours. The people working here are very friendly and accommodating.
Prices are very fair about 3 –4 pounds for a drink, and 10pounds for a dish. I had the pork blood sausage with mashed potatoes, and fresh onion rings. This dish was great for 10 pounds, the sausage was super tasty and the onion rings were light and crispy.
My friend had the fish and chips, and it was HUGE. Fish and chips were a bit plain but I think that’s how it typically is. I would definitely recommend the food here if your looking to try some British pub food.

The Bank in Manchester City Centre is a beautiful distinctive building with a rich history. Originally The Portico Library, it was conceived in 1803 by a group of businessmen and built in Runcorn stone and in a neo-​classical style. The library and newsroom opened three years later in 1806 and the Portico Library still survives upstairs.
Today, it is one of Nicholson’s great British pubs, offering good hearty traditional pub food, and a diverse and ever-​changing selection of real ales. As you enter, you can instantly tell that this is a historical building simply by the architecture and wonderful high ceilings. It has also been decorated sympathetically with grand brass chandeliers and photos on the walls of Manchester, and the building itself during its history. Not too long ago the colours were overly rich, in golds and reds, with busy fabrics and swagging drapes, but now it is decorated in cool modern greys and whites for a more streamlined and contemporary image whilst retaining its historical charm and style with stylish tiled floors and warm wood tones in abundance. On the day of my review, I walked in to the wonderful smell of freshly mulled wine being stirred at the bar. Delicious!
One thing that The Bank is known for in Manchester is its high quality food, and in particular its sausages! Happily, they offer a lunchtime menu, where you can order said sausages or one of a few of their other tasty options along with a drink, for £7 or £8, which for the quality of food and drink offered, makes it one of the best deals in the entire city centre.
I ordered sausage and mash. Yup.
The sausages were substantial and meaty, like a good old fashioned sausage should be. The mashed potatoes were creamy and fresh, and lavished in a beautifully rich gravy. This is real food. I did get a few little ball shaped bits in the sausage though, which were soft to the bite. Possibly cartilage.
The service is friendly and professional, and another «order-​at-​the-​bar» deal, and service at peak times can predictably be slow, but that’s what comes with providing high quality at a good price in a British City Centre… popularity, which it greatly deserves.
I highly recommend The Bank to anyone visiting Manchester City Centre who is in search of a good old fashioned British meal, which will leave you stuffed and contented afterwards!

Small beer festival on til 17^th nov.
The interior feels pretty grande, as an ex bank should be. I went with a couple of fussy eaters, and they were happy enough with the food. I found it slightly better than a Weatherspoons, but it’s in that ballpark. Slightly more money than them, but a much grander surroundings. It was very handy for heading to after leaving the City Art Gallery, and I shall probably pop in again if I visit Portico which is nestled above, however generally I think I’d go into Weatherspoon’s Waterhouse for similar, or City Arms if I just wanted a good ale.

This pub is located in a beautiful old building with large windows. The fish and chips special consisted of a full cod filet served over fries with peas on the side. This is part of the Nicholson chain of pubs. A great place for a quiet weekday lunch.

A really grand pub. The building in which it
resides is a classic. It felt like quite a good place to eat a boar burger and
because it is a Nicholson this means good beers. I had a quaffable Mill Hill
IPA. (See photo below)

Why everybody be hating on The Bank?
I admit I have had some rubbish eating times here, namely when they told us that they had run out of particular meals, clueing us into how pre-​prepared they really are, but as a drinking den I love the damn place. Relaxed, friendly (enough) staff, tables to suit both large and small groups, and actually quite a fascinating history. For example, the private library above was founded by the man who wrote the thesaurus. Now he hasn’t helped in my life as much as Mr. Dictionary, but come on, I owe the man.
The boyfriend and I have overstayed our welcome on numerous occasions here because we always feel so comfortable about just talking away the hours (n’aww!) without anyone listening in or shouting over pretentious. The same cannot be said for many student bars, hence why The Bank stays close to our hearts and the place where we always always end up drinking.

An excellent pub with a wide selection of lagers and ales. Nicely decored, ignore people who label it pretentious or a tippy bar. I’d echo other people’s compliments about the food-​good and reasonably priced. Also worth a mention is the great selection of malt whiskeys on offer.

Bank is not a place I frequent very often, by virtue of the fact that it feels a bit… faceless. Now, that’s not to say it looks like some horrible chain pub. In fact, when you get in, it is quite impressive to look at with its high ceilings and bookshelves. However, it just feels a bit unremarkable.
However, that’s not Bank’s mandate. Basically, what we have here is a pub that wants to serve you a decent pint or some food and not bust your nuts with the price. A fiver gets you a big portion of perfectly reasonable homely grub.
There’s a lot of real ale on offer too — I liked the fact that the tables have a real ale menu, telling you snippets about what you might order.
Bank is definitely a favourite of many regardless of my pointless reservations. Who knows… I might go here a bit more and end up loving it unreservedly. It certainly has all the ingredients of a pub that could win me over with very little effort.

The Bank is one of my favorite of these Nichollsons pubs, along with The Old Wellington, which is my far the most similar. Both top the abysmal attempt of The Athenaum, which is poor.
Whereas the Welly specializes in pies, The Bank specialiizes in sausages. The welly has 15 pies to choose from, The Bank has 15 typpes of sausage. They are delicious. Also, they have a board up behind the bar tellnig you how many sausages they have sold that week. And they have a sausage quiz on British Sausage Week. Yes, there is such a thing.
Other than that its like any Nichollsons, with a good range of drinks. Particular emphasis in on the quality of beer, particularly the ales, of which there is a wide variety.
The building itself, like that of the Welly, contributes to its charm. This is situated in an old library, some of which still remains.
Lovely.

Sausages are probably my favourite thing in the whole world, so I love eating here! It has an huge menu that’s dedicated to meaty and non-​meaty varieties, all available with mash, in a Yorkshire Pudding or on a humble sandwich. The prices are great too, just five or six pounds for a huge plateful!
But there’s much more to the Bank than sausages. Located in the old Portico Library, it’s a historically significant building with an ornate interior. Until a couple of years ago, the building’s grandness was let down by shabby décor. However, the place has since had a full refurbishment, and it’s looking lovely again.
As well as tasty food and beautiful surroundings, the Bank has an excellent selection of beers, wines and spirits. The bar has Cask Mark status, so you should find a particularly good range of real ales, such as Jennings’ Cumberland Ale.

I have to say I’m not very taken with the décor in here, its so stuffy and over the top, putting the ‘g’ into gaudy. Not at all the kind of atmosphere that makes me feel relaxed, but despite this the staff are rather friendly and the food is cheap and hearty: Angus burgers, steaks, risotto and ale pies are all around £6−8 and sausage dishes even less than this.
The ales too change seasonally, with some wonderful labels that aren’t easy to come across in most places including Beartown Ginger Bear and Wychwood Hobgoblin. It wouldn’t be my pub of choice but if it’s not a bad alternative if you can’t find a table anywhere else.

What’s in a name? I judge: people before I’ve met them, bands before I’ve heard them, books before I’ve read them and clearly pubs before I’ve even been in.
It just sounds cool. Its not actually that cool. I ate there with a few friends and had a few drinks. I can remember who was there. Neither the staff or the interior left any impression on me though. The only other thing that sticks out in my memory is that they put the table numbers on wooden spoons. And that a friend of mine put it down her cleavage, later to be found by the bouncers in 5^th Av.
The bouncers did not get an explanation. And I did not see anything special about The Bank…

So your mate says «Where should I meet you?»,
and you say «The Bank.», then hilarity ensues whilst he visits the nearest Abbey, unaware that you, being the prankster genius you are, actually meant the pub that is CALLED the bank!
Oh how you both laugh when he turns up half an hour late, stressed and sweating and you’re bored to tears as your own joke has backfired to make you look like you’ve been stood up!
Mirth…
The pub itself is even more witless and is an over-​sized testament to just how wrong the modern take on the the traditional pub is.
I know it’s all Yates’s fault but nobody made the Bank follow (such an ill fitting) suit. New ideas are needed if we are to avoid lazy places like this taking over our towns.

Bank is really good place to go if you are in town and want to avoid all franchise shops.
The food is amazingly reasonable for quality but tastes really nice. The atomsphere is pretty good, probably main are young professional and not too busy during weekdays. I also love thier pudding and pot of tea. Yes they serve a tea with a nice pot!
This is good nice pub, highly recommended!

Bank is a great pub that serves food as cheap as Weatherspoons, but with classier surroundings and much better quality. The interior is low lit with bookcases and high ceilings because as the name suggests, it is a converted bank. The bar is long and you never get any trouble there either. The drinks are cheap, there is a chilled out atmosphere and the bar staff are friendly. Highly recommended.