Crown & Kettle, Manchester

The main bar in the Crown and Kettle is located to the left where there is conventional seating and wooden flooring throughout. I counted two plasma screens that were both off and I didn’t see Sky Sports advertised. The likes of ‘Ride Sally Ride’ and ‘Shaft’ were playing in the background on the recent Thursday afternoon I visited. There were only three other customers who looked like office workers having an extended lunch break. I found the barmaid to be very friendly and I enjoyed a decent pint of Osset’s British Pride. There are six hand pumps that were all drawing ales from different breweries and Hoegarden was available alongside a standard draught selection. At the rear of the pub is a ‘snug’ area and to the right is the vault bar which is smaller than the main bar. The ceiling in the main bar is crumbling away so a net has been put across it to catch failing debris. There is also a net across the ceiling in the vault bar, although this has been restored to its former glory. I thought that this was a decent pub and I would revisit.

This venue is much improved in the last few months, feels like an old fashioned city center pub should. My pint was in good condition and the crowd was lively and friendly. A good mix of people all getting along. I have visited this pub at quieter times and I find the staff very friendly, either happy to chat or leave you alone to read the paper. Busy on match days, like it's neighboring venues, this place has the added advantage of screens to watch the match on, or you can go to the vault if this is not your cup of tea. Well worth a visit.