The Crown and Kettle

Judging by the outside, you probably wouldn’t even imagine that this is a pub: quite isolated and inconspicuous, I dare say almost gloomy, you must know what you’re looking for if you come here. The inside is rather original: dim lights, high ceiling, wooden furniture, candles on the low tables, everything contributes to create a unique atmosphere.
Nonetheless, beers are amazing: I had the opportunity to try several of them before choosing my favourite, and what a hard decision it was! I’m very grateful to the bartender, that patiently waited for me to choose. In the end, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the peculiar taste of the raspberry flavoured stout beer.
Unfortunately my rating can’t be higher than this, due to the fact that all my visits here have been hardly enjoyable. The first time the place was extremely crowded; on the other hand, the last time the fire alarm went off, lasting for quite a long time, and this scene happened repeatedly all over the night, while members of the staff kept reassuring customers, saying that there was no reason to be worried. This was particularly annoying because my friend and me had chosen this pub in order to avoid places with loud music, that forces you to shout to have a normal conversation, but the fire alarm had obviously the same result. Moreover, we have been told that the pub was closing only a few minutes before the actual closure, so that I had to drink my beer extremely fast.
Yet, I reckon that this pub has got potential and can turn out to be one of my favourite places in the city; therefore, I can’t wait to come here again to give it another chance.

Just on the edge of the Northern Quarter is this impressively evocative venue recalling the flavour of old Manchester’s grand municipal pride. Four interior bars and snugs with C19th decorated high ceilings and stone arches and dark wood furnishing gives it an old school feel but with a youngish crowd. Still under renovation it recalls Manchester’s ‘other’ hay day. It is very busy, and hardly surprising, in addition to a good standard bar range of drafts and bottles it always has a large selection of guest beers and ales, all priced at £3. Possibly the most affordable bar in the City Centre not aimed at students.

So I’m here tonight to see Jason get North Manc CAMRA pub of the year — you can probably tell I agree.
It’s aesthetically unique, cosy and inviting. The beer is kept in superb condition, rotated every day and it has some of the best bottles in town.
It’s just one of the best pubs in Manchester for beer and atmosphere!

By far my favourite pub in Manchester! The staff is very friendly and welcoming and they have a lot of different cask and keg beers, as well as cider — in the back room. It used to be my local but I now live on the other side of the city centre so i always use the excuse of «picking up a parcel at the sorting office» to stop for a pint (or two) at C&K! Oh and they do cash back as well ;)

I hadn’t even noticed this place before viewing a nearby office space. We made a point of popping by for an early evening drink one Saturday to see what it was all about.
It looks fairly modern until you look up.
There’s a net.
A net that catches any parts of the crumbling ceiling that happen to fall.
In any other pub, this would be pretty disgusting but this roof might just be the oldest thing in Manchester… when my Dad isn’t visiting. It’s a little bit of history and is really quite impressive.
There’s a good selection of beers on tap — I had the Tickety Brew, which was fruity and very strong! The snug is a nice area to sit and sup. The chairs could be comfier but I presume that’s to stop punters falling asleep.
Toilets are tinyyy with no soap — so be careful who you share your crisps with.

A lot of the boozeries that I frequent in Manchester are bars. Very nice bars, but definitely bars and not pubs. Pubs are in my blood. Sometimes I need some solid time in a real pub.
The Crown and Kettle meets that need for me, in a handy NQ-​border location that makes it easy for me to swan off for a cocktail or a burger afterwards if I want to.
My first trip here was for work drinks one Friday night. It was pitched by the birthday boy and while making the arduous trek along Oldham Road (past quite a few bars…) I began to question how much I liked him.
As it turns out, a lot, mostly for introducing me to this place. They have cheap beer, with a rotating selection that nicely skirts the line between standard session ales and stuff that’s more exciting — for example a Jasmine green tea ale, so you can feel like you’re detoxing as you’re filling your body with booze.
Since then I keep dragging people here. Jokes aside it’s not far at all from Piccadilly Station or Gardens, and it makes a great rest stop if you want to work up the energy to head out to the Marble Arch.

I’ll admit I was pretty smashed before I ended up at The Crown and Kettle, so I can’t give it a proper review at this time (darn, guess I’ll have to go back!). I remember the fruity machine stole my money, the pints were flowing quickly even though it was pretty busy, and we got to watch football on the tele.
From the short bursts I remember, I’m a fan of this pub. Love the high ceilings and nooks in this place; great atmosphere.

I LOVE the Crown and Kettle. The building is beautiful and massive, the prices are decent and it’s a really relaxed atmosphere, but can get very lively at night.
It’s the perfect place to go for a few quiet drinks, especially in the winter when they light the fire and you can relax in the comfy chairs.
The staff are really nice and chatty and there are a lot of regulars but they’re all very welcoming and nice.
A lot of people see it as a bit of an old man pub but I’ve been there with friends and it’s just as good for young people.
The pints are relatively cheap too!

If you love history and real ale, I’d definitely recommend this historic pub. Yes, it’s slightly tucked out of the way, just outside the Northern Quarter. But the friendly, welcoming atmosphere, beautiful interior and long history mean that this grade II listed watering hole is well worth making a special journey for.
Before the Crown and Kettle was reopened in 2005, it had been closed for more than 20 years. But it’s been lovingly restored and brought back to life using a lot of the original materials. These days, it’s a real beer nerd’s pub. So there’s always a choice of CAMRA-​friendly cask ales, many from micro or local breweries, such as the Marble on nearby Rochdale Road. And there’s a great range of tasty, well-​priced pub grub available, too. It’s a good job, really — you’ll probably end up staying in here for a few hours!

My word, a local pub in the Northern Quarter that actually has a WEBSITE? I’m flabbergasted.
Goodness, I just realised this week I hadn’t given anyone a big fat red five stars this week. Well, let this pub buck the trend, because the Crown and Kettle is steeped in history, full of real ale and very pretty. It’s CAMRA-​recommended and big on foreign bottled beers as well as cask ales and superb guest draughts. Having reopened a few years ago after being closed for years, it’s a welcome addition towards the top end of the Northern Quarter and it relishes in its antique status. The ornate ceiling has been painstakingly restored and even without the alcohol it’d be a great place to just sit and stare at things.
That’d be pretty dull of us though, so I should talk a little more. There’s traditional and tasty pub tucker on the menu, it’s a great stop on the beer festival tour and I couldn’t think of a nicer place to take the weight off when you’re vintage shopping round the Northern Quarter. This is well worth a visit, but be careful — you might not find yourself moving for hours.

The Crown & Kettle is a traditional real ale pub on the very ouskirts of the Northern Quarter. Housed in a listed building at the top of Oldham Street, it has a great selection of cask ales, serves traditional pub food and offers a quiet place for those people dying to get away from the Saturday crowds. It has a cosy snug room with an open fire, plenty of seating and a relaxed atmosphere.
The prices are very reasonable and the staff are really friendly. It’s a very welcoming pub and well worth a visit if you fancy a break away from the ‘trendier’ Northern Quarter haunts.

This is a very interesting pub to nurse a good ale in… there is an impressive stone-​carved ceiling and narrow stained glass windows, which gives the pub a vaguely ecclesiastical feel. The main bar is housed in a high-​ceilinged room with wooden floors. This bar runs through to the Vault, a slightly smaller area. There is a third room which connects the Vault to the main bar. The main bar has some impressive chandeliers, though these were not lit on my visit. In fact, the main bar was barely lit at all, and the candles that a member of staff put out on the tables barely compensated. I like dark pubs but this was a bit over the top. Four pumps, the beers I noted were the pub’s own Summer Ale, Howard Town Wren’s Nest and hugborough Mi Lady’s Fancy. I had the Summer Ale which was okay and the Wren’s Nest, a light, hoppy ale and actually quite good. A musician was setting up his gear as I left. I will definitely be back to soak up some more of the atmosphere and beer soon!

I love a bit of history, me, and this pub is just teeming with it. Although the building dates from the 19^th century, the site itself has been home to a pub since 1734, which I find mind blowing.
From the outside, you can tell the building had some kind of state purpose, yet the stained glass gothic windows give it an ecclesiastical or ministerial feel. Inside, this theme continues with a beautifully restored stone-​carved and vaulted ceiling, so striking and ornate. The gothic doorways and large wooden bar surround only add to the appeal of this place.
Beauty aside, the other main reason you’d want to come to this pub is for the real ale. As the website confirms «We offer at least 6 cask conditioned ales from far and wide with a strong emphasis on local breweries such as Marble Brewery, Boggart Hole Clough Brewery and Bank Top. In addition to this there is traditional cider poured from barrels on the bar itself and fruit beer, wheat beer and Belgian ales on draught». What more can you ask for? A snug you say? Done.

Reopened about four years ago now, this Grade Two listed pub is really intriguing in many ways. The Crown and Kettle used to be a courthouse in the 19^th century and rumours still circulate that it is haunted; its that kind of place you see.
An absolute must for real ale lovers, there is no brewery attached. Instead, they have up to eight pumps (a minimum of four) of both real ales and more mainstream beers like Fosters. Both these and drinks that I myself actually drink are very reasonably priced for a pub just on the outskirts of the Northern Quarter. If you’re not familiar with the area just walk all the way down Oldham Street then cross over the main road– its right in front of you.
It is very quiet during the day but that is what some people want after all. No, where the Crown and Kettle really could do with improvement is the food. I think it really lets itself down as it just isn’t good pub food– maybe if they perked up the menu more people would straggle in during the day. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure they don’t want trade to be roaring at all hours — just a thought.