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MichaelJM
MichaelJM
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
1
Review
4
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Drinks in Contrasting Environments

  • August 8, 2007
  • Rated 4 of 5 by MichaelJM from Nottingham, England
Drinks in Contrasting Environments

There couldn’t be two different environments for a night stroll around the City bars than the two I’ve chosen to tell you about.

Right at the edge of the City’s gay centre is “Velvet”. It’s on canal street, one of Manchester’s newly developed streets and probably one of its oldest thoroughfares – which is predominated by pub, clubs, and restaurants most of which are aimed at the gay community but which hold no “threat” for the straight guy.

The bar is glitzy with subdued lighting from loads of mini chandeliers and although the seating has perhaps seen better days it’s comfortable and plush. The beer here is fairly ordinary and I ended up having a Guinness – a bit heavy at the start of a night out but nicely chilled and well kept. As I was “treated” to the drinks here I have no idea of the prices, but I just suspect that they’re probably a bit inflated. I might be doing the place a bit of an injustice, but that’s the impression I had.

Now, I’m told, by a colleague who frequents the place, that I should have checked out the toilets here. Apparently they’re unique in their extravagant decor. But at the time no-body told me so I regretfully don’t know for sure!

In contrast the City Arms is an old fashioned “spit and sawdust pub” which is really aimed at the serious drinker – the lover of real ales. The City Arms is only a ten-minute walk away from Canal Street and is off Princess Street, behind Wetherspoons pub and restaurant. It is often referred to locally as the Town Hall Tavern (don’t ask for it by that though because there is separate establishment with that name) due to its proximity to and popularity with council workers and if you didn’t know of its existence you’d miss it for sure. Apparently it’s full to bursting during the daytime but at night you really don’t have to fight for a seat.

It’s a grade II listed building and has a beautifully tiled corridor and a great stripped floor bar at the front. It’s not huge and you are literally straight off the street into the bar. I’ve been a couple of times and this is clearly where the serious drinkers stand leaving an area to the rear for those who want to “sit and sup.”

When I visited they’d got six guest beers on tap (this is not unusual and the manager told me that every week they have a change round of the ales) including one from my home county of Lincolnshire (a rich and heavy beer) and a lighter “hoppy” beer that was recommended to me by one of the locals. Indeed he was so confidant that I’d like it, that he offered to pay for it if it wasn’t to my taste! All the beers are reasonably priced, certainly not the exorbitant prices associated with the more trendy “designer” pubs.

From journal Manchester - a City of Food and Drink

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