Soup Kitchen, Manchester

Soup Kitchen, or Soup, or even just SK is a single room bar with a concrete floor on which some benches sit. A beer shelf with stools runs along the front windows and the bar counter is on the left-hand wall. I was the only customer inside as my visit was just after lunch on a recent sunny Saturday so everyone was sat outside on the picnic tables on Stevenson Square. A board up on the wall lists regular live DJs and there was some dance music playing during my visit. The available draught was mainstream craft keg alongside San Miguel and Guinness. I was served half a Brooklyn Lager for £3 by a very friendly barmaid. I would maybe of used this place in my twenties, but not anymore so I don’t plan on returning.

The Pug Crawl pulled in at 3.30 on a Friday afternoon to find no cask(drinkable) on at all, we didn't stay.

Visited on Saturday evening, when it was pretty packed. Seating is mainly long benches with seats each side with some stand alone benches round the edges and some further shelves at the windows for you to perch at. Five hand pulls at the bar, but only one of which was in operation at the time of my visit. This was Bees & Donkeys by Blackjack, a 6.4% IPA and was a nice ale, if a little stronger than I would normally choose to start an evening with. I had half a pint but it was served in a "Havana Club" glass rather than a proper half pint glass, which I found a bit odd. Service was quick though. I would be happy to go again, but being so busy in the early evening it may be hard to find a quieter time. There isn't much fun in it being standing room only and having to constantly shuffle out of people's way.

Despite it having 5 handpumps all working I found this place a bit grim. Then again if you're setting yourself up as a supposed soup kitchen themed place its not meant to be nice. It is a thoroughly modern soup kitchen I guess though.

Don't let the name fool you, this is another eclectic bar in the Northern Quarter. It's one medium sized room and it is quite foody as you might expect from the name. As you enter there is a menu written on the wall directly in front of you and the food servery is just to the left of it. There are several bench tables to sit at plus a number of stools against the wall near the windows. They advertise live bands, for some of which there is a charge, but I've no idea where they put them. Over to the left is the bar which had 4 cask ales on tap during my visit and a couple of craft kegs. I got talking to the chatty barmaid and she offered me a taster of one of the craft beers a collaboration between Weird Beards & Happy Valley. She gave me nearly a half and I'm afraid it was horrible, I couldn't finish it. A typical craft keg offering of the "throw any crap in and see what happens" school of thought. Having said that the 2 cask ales on the bar that I tried were in good condition. I like this place and I'll be back again soon, but I'll stick to the cask.