The Molly House, Manchester

I visited the Molly House on a recent Thursday evening when all the tables in the small bare board bar area were taken, mainly with diners. I didn’t venture upstairs where there may have been more seating, to be honest I was ok stood at the counter that runs up the left to a small open kitchen in the left rear corner. Open plan seating is found up the right with high tables at the front and standard seating the rear. Craft keg was available alongside four hand pump that were drawing Mallinson’s Parallel Realities, Tatton brewery’s Best, Big Trip’s Nobody Gets Left Behind and North Riding Brewery’s Parkin Porter. The Porter was very good, but a bit pricey, which explained why the polite barmaid put a teaspoon of it in a glass when I asked if I could try it. There are better, and cheaper, places a stone’s throw away so I doubt I’ll ever find myself in here again.

Set back by one block from the busy Canal Street pubs in the Gay Village area, converted into a café-bar in 2010. Alehouse-style bar up a few steps from the road, with a bigger lounge bar upstairs that also has a small balcony (that can be a sun trap if you are lucky with the weather). Duplicated selection from the five handpumps on each counter, featuring First Chop's MCR, Hop Pale Ale from Blackedge (£4.80), Big Trip's Non-stop Disco Pangopack, Distant Hills Escapade oatmeal stout and a Lilley's cider.

Official site of The Molly House - www.themollyhouse.com

Official site of The Molly House - www.themollyhouse.com