Circus Tavern, Manchester

Blink and you miss it place; very narrow, squeezed back from the road in a terrace and listed in the CAMRA National Inventory. There’s a corridor to enter with a teeny servery at the end which appears to be part of the understairs cupboard. Two little rooms off to the right of the corridor, both with fires and traditionally furnished in a basic manner with bench seating and old bell pushes. Two cask, Wainwright and Tetley Bitter. My Tetley was in fair nick for what is now a shite brew (NBSS 3). I liked it here, despite its obvious limitations…time your visit for a quiet period else you’ll easily end-up standing in the corridor. Perhaps file under ‘do it to say you’ve done it’.

One of the great things about doing no research before I go on a crawl is that I’m sometimes genuinely surprised by what I find, and my visit to the Circus Tavern was one of those times. I walked up the front steps to be met by a friendly lady who was standing beside a bar that had been set up in the cupboard under the stairs. Tetley’s and Wainwright were the two cask options and there were a couple of keg fonts. Along the right wall are two small seating areas, I was directed to sit in the one nearest the entrance. In here three gentleman were quietly supping on their pints whilst the large TV on the wall was playing All Saints, “I Know Where It’s At”. I actually laughed out loud as I sat to wait for my pint opposite the coal effect gas fire. Yes, this is a historic pub and a must visit, even if only to drink in a tiny pub (my rating reflects this), but now that I’ve done it I don’t plan to return.

A famous and tiny pub on one of the main drags in Manchester. The bar is is effectively a piece of wood across a corner. The only beer on cask is Tetleys Bitter, which is by no means my favourite beer, but it is well kept. Photos all around the walls of the two small rooms. It's OK to pop in for one, but it is a tourist trap.

still positively unchanged, a real iconic Manchester pub with the tiny bar and two rooms with no space to swing a cat. Two hard working friendly barmaids brought the pints out - don’t rush here for the beer, Tetleys Cask and Wainwrights this time. But rush here for the atmosphere and inevitable conversation with strangers. Best enjoyed at busy times actually when it really becomes a unique experience, it’s a homely unpretentious place that defines what a ‘public house’ is supposed to be.

Very small very Victorian pub, apart the upholstery and football posters not much has changed, there’s a big screen, Engerland flag and some other 20th century bits. The woodwork, some glasswork and maybe the fireplaces could well be original. Just two pulls on the small quadrant counter , I had an indifferent Tetleys, fortunately just a half. Amazingly there are two “rooms”.