Piccadilly Tap, Manchester

Bloomsbury Leisure ale and craft beer outlet in the parade of small shops under the 'Lazy S' office blocks on the main approach to Piccadilly station, so very handy if waiting for a train. Features a 'U'-shaped counter, an impressive row of taps on the bar-back and a chalkboard beer menu on a side wall. Not a lot of seating in the bar, but there is also an upstairs room and a little pavement space outside. On my first visit I found six cask beers (including the Great Heck Voodoo Mild, £3.60) and 16 keg offerings.

Official site of Piccadilly Tap - piccadillytap.com

Official site of Piccadilly Tap - piccadillytap.com

Visited on Saturday evening while waiting for a train at Piccadilly. The Smokeless by Redwillow took our fancy, at £3.80 a pint on cask - yet they somehow feel justified in charging £5.00 for two halves. To be honest this is just a piss take and takes a couple of points off what I had previously found to be a good place with a decent beer selection. My friend was ordering the drinks and he did query the price, pointing out the £3.80 a pint listed on the chalk board, but was assured that £5.00 was correct for two halves. Apparently another couple of punters at the bar looked on in disbelief. I have no issue with places rounding up the price of a half to the nearest 10p for convenience but I am not sure how adding 60p on can be justified at all. This would definitely deter me from going back if I knew I would only be in for a half.

I do like this place, with its ever changing cask and keg options, the great big chalk board listing everything in clear detail, and despite my initial uncertainty even the strange understated interior with retro mock wood panelled walls has grown on me. It feels part industrial and part 1980s café. Plenty of tables and chairs, though I think most, if not all, of those were high tables and stools (or high chairs). I normally have a preference for cask but on my most recent visit the Session IPA by Shindigger on key took my fancy, and very pleasant it was too. Busy, as you would expect on a Saturday evening, but I managed to find a perch by the shelf against the wall. Very handy for Piccadilly station but also worth going out of your way to seek out.