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The Smithfield Market Tavern, Manchester
Manchester
M4 5JZ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about The Smithfield Market Tavern
Called in many times since my last review. This is now the Blackjack brewery tap with usually 2 or 3 of their ales on the bar plus guests. Called in on Friday night and noticed that they now have a bar billiards table. It's a much improved pub since the takeover. A good pint of Black Edge Zinc as well.
14/10/2014
Reopened after a massive refurbishment by the new owners and has been extended into the building next door. It's now almost unrecognisable from the old Smithfield. Smart seating to the left as you enter, the old pool table is now raised between two supporting posts and is used as an ordinary table. There's a downstairs area, but we didn't visit. The toliets have been fully refurbished and you no longer need to hold your nose to visit them. The only area that looks similare is at the rear of the pub where the big screnn TV is situated and even this has had a spruce up. The only negative point is that the beer range is much reduced from the old days and isn't as inventive either. 2 beers from Wilson Potter and one from First Chop available on our visit and that was it, although it's early days yet and there were a couple of free handpumps. My pint was in good nick though. MS CAMRA quite liked the pub as well, so we can visit again now as she hated the old Smithy.
On 30th January 2017
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3317 recommendations about 3227 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Wynne Route left this review about The Smithfield
Blackjack Brew pub.
A lively meeting of Rochdale Oldham and Bury CAMRA on their annual post Christmas walk
On 30th December 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 341 recommendations about 326 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about The Smithfield
A pretty basic pub decor wise and I can only assume it been done down since the last review. It does have an very good selection of real ale from 7 handpumps though. I couldn't see any smart seating and the downstairs was closed. Though I was here before 6 o'clock
On 4th November 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Strongers . left this review about The Smithfield Hotel
I popped into the Smithfield Hotel just after 17:00 on a recent Thursday afternoon when there were a handful of locals present. Although quiet I found the service and the other customers to be very friendly and there was a good atmosphere.
At the front of the pub is a pool table and a jukebox that was playing some sixties music. The bar is located on the right hand wall in the centre of the pub and there is some seating opposite. At the rear is more seating, a dartboard and a large plasma screen which was off with no signs of Sky Sports. I thought that this pub had a comfortable lived in feel, but the wallpaper is hideous.
The bar supports nine hand pumps that were drawing different beers from 8 different breweries. I went for Cottage Brewing Company’s Boundary which was on top form.
I would have no problem revisiting here and would include it again if on another crawl of the area.
On 22nd August 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 6277 recommendations about 6240 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Smithfield Hotel
A hit or miss pub in my opinion, we visited on a bad one. First of all I thought the interior of the pub was awful. Mrs Ale also said there was a funny smell in here. I commented that it must be one of the three customers in here. The barmaid didn't really give us much inspiration either. I asked about one of the 9 ales on handpump and the barmaid said 'I don't drink that stuff, all I know is it's down in the cellar'. My Slightly Foxed Brewing Co Fox Glove was OK, but Mrs Ale's beer choice was on the turn, it was rank.
On 14th June 2013
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3716 recommendations about 3716 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about The Smithfield Hotel
Called in here while in Manchester in January for the Winter Ales festival as they usually have extra beers on and do cellar runs. Had Cotswold Lion Golden Fleece and Ramsbottom Whites Kent. Not too bad condition but get worried if the beer comes from the large jugs on the back of the bar as they may have been there some time. They do get a good variety of breweries though.
On 5th March 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Smithfield Hotel
This pub had nine real ales on, which is a remarkable number for a pub as relatively small as this one. My companions had pints of something called Old Tom, which is a rich, dark beer at a stonking 8.5% ABV. Being a southern softy I obviously went for something at less than 4%. The rotating ale policy is advertised by the very many pump clips displayed above the bar counter on the gantry. This looks like a basic drinkers’ pub. There’s a pool table just inside the entrance, and with mainly normal tables and chairs, although there is a smallish recessed area on the left with two or three armchairs. The pub stretches back to a carpeted area at the rear, where the TV is located. The main decorative features on the walls are hundreds of black and white disembodied faces, some reminiscent of the Face of Boe. Most unusual, in an avant garde kind of way, but inoffensive nonetheless. This is a perfectly good pub in which to enjoy a range of decent ales.
On 24th September 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2610 recommendations about 2524 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Smithfield Hotel
A slightly run down, seen better days local/area, its the sort of place you wouldn't want to take a posh bird on a first date. But its taking what it's got and making the best of it. Full of real ale fans when I visited who were there for a beer festival. There were 9 real ales, and the quality of the beer here was superb, better than anywhere else I tried in Manchester City Centre, so extra marks from me for the beer here.
A fine drinking house.
On 31st August 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1585 recommendations about 1562 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about The Smithfield Hotel
The Smithy has had a little bit of a spruce up inside recently. The main change is that the kitchen area on the left has gone and has been replaced by a small raised seating area. As you walk in through the front door you almost walk into a pool table. There's also a quiz machine in this area so it's a bit cramped. At the rear is a small area with a few tables and a large screen TV. The bar is on your right and has 9 handpumps serving changing ales mainly from microbreweries. I have to call in here on my own as Ms CAMRA hates the place. I quite like it, although there can be some lowlifes in here occasionally. For me it's a place to call in for one or two rather than stay for a session.
On 2nd August 2010
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3317 recommendations about 3227 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about The Smithfield Hotel
Intention was to call in for the beer list for the current festival and have a couple before going on to the NWAF in Manchester, but we were in great company and the beers from the 9 pumps and cellar runs were so good we stayed for 8. Enjoyed beers from Bees, Blue Bell, Castor, Graffiti, Ha'penny, WC, Beeston and Tydd Steam before moving on. Kitchen area has been converted to extra seating and we will be back to sample lots more of the festival beers this week. Grand pub, They had sandwiches on, and do B & B at reasonable rates.
On 21st January 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]