The Wharf, Manchester

The Wharf is another Manchester pub I've been meaning to visit for a good while. However, it's a little off the beaten track and involves traversing a few canals to reach it from Deansgate. I'm always impressed by the Brunning & Price chain and this one was no exception. A sign on entering requested that we wait to be seated. We did and the waitress found us a table on a lower floor, as we were only staying for a swift half. The pub was busy, although an upper section overlooking the main bar was closed off, presumably due to a lack of staff to man it. There certainly wasn't a lack of trade. In fact, some hardy souls were even taking up outdoor seating overlooking the canals. It's probably a nice view in the summer during the daytime. However, it didn't seem quite so appealing to me on a winter's evening. A total of 8 cask ales were available at the bar - Brightside Brunning & Price Traditional Bitter, Weetwood Cheshire Cat, Distant Hills Kerala, Mobberley Beer House Bright Spark, Wishbone Blanc Stare, Lancaster Chinook, Beartown Claws & Penning Christmas Cranberry Stout. I have a feeling that there were ciders too, which I didn't note. This place has a fairly upmarket feel, but whilst diners appear to be priority, drinkers are not completely ignored and with 8 real ales on offer, there must be a good turnover.

Visited on Saturday and The Wharf was absolutely heaving - on getting to the bar discovered 10 hand pulls (split across two banks of five) but unfortunately only two ales were available and these were duplicated across both banks. One of these was Weetwood Cheshire Cat, the other Peerless Red Rocks. Service seemed a bit on the slow side considering there were plenty of staff for the number of customers. We managed to find a table and the Red Rocks proved to be a decent drop. There were several craft keg options available, though not as many as I remember from my previous visit. Combined with the reduced cask ale selection, I felt this was not as good as on previous visits. I'd happily give it another go, but not in any mad rush.

The Wharf is a large canal side multi-floor pub that was fairly busy when I visited on a Wednesday evening back in November last year. A long bar on the rear wall faces a few high tables and the entrance. To the left and right are lots of seating and to the left and right rear of the bar are sunken seating areas. Stairs to the left lead up to the toilets and yet more seating and more stairs. I didn’t spot any televisions and there was no background music playing. The bar supports two banks of six hand pumps and a premium keg selection. Food is available. I will visit here again when next in the area because I want to sit at the table right in the roof of the building.

Currently no service at the bar. The normal entrance is closed and is used for staff only. You enter and exit the pub via two smaller doors at each side of the building. One way arrows are marked on the floor. You are greeted at the entrance and seated on arrival, and asked to sanitise your hands. We booked a table beforehand, and this is recommended by the pub even if you just want to go in for drinks. If you book they have your details from that, otherwise they take contact details for someone in the party once you have been seated. A decent selection of cask and keg ales available and the food we had, although not the cheapest, was delicious and very filling. This is a popular spot even during current strange times and was fairly busy both inside and out, especially for a Tuesday afternoon which I don't imagine is peak trading time.

Decent real ale offering, much better than you would expect for a food led pub, and sets it apart from its immediate neighbours. Twelve pumps at the bar split into two banks of six. At the time of my visit on Saturday night Pink by Poynton, South Island Pale by Saltaire, Bear Ass by Beartown, Weetwood by Cheshire Cat and Brunning & Price Bitter. There may have been others that I failed to note. I wasn't overly impressed with the Pink, seemed rather bland with the tart and citrus tastes claimed on the pump clip not detectable. The South Island Pale was pretty nice though, although it did have a strange aroma to it the taste was good. Definitely a pub I would return to (and indeed, this was not my first visit).

A decent pub that is a world away from what is in the immediate vicinity. A large open plan interior on two levels and 12 handpumps dispensing 9 real ales. An outside area by the canal for fair weather drinking.

Classy canalside pub quite rightly in the 2014 GBG, aimed at a more traditional market than many of the bars in this part of town. Well described below and an excellent place to stop while nosing round the area. The terrace is a lovely spot to while away a sunny afternoon watching the goings-on. Recommended.

After a protracted period of closure it's good to see this pub open again. Smartly decorated in typical B & P style it's got several different areas on the ground floor and another upstairs area that is mainly food led. There's a great terrace at the front where you can watch people messing about on boats. Twelve handpumps on the bar with 11 clipped and only 2 doubled up on out Thursday evening visit. It wasn't that busy, but there were still quite a few in. We went and sat in the room to the left down the steps next to the bar which was very comfortable. Both the pints I had were in good condition and the other half thought the red wine was good as well. We were heading just along the canal basin to Choice for a meal and I can see this being a regular stop off on the way in future.

Brunning and Price have invested a lot of money to create a pub where you could impress your bird with a meal while slipping down a few quality ales yourself.After walking around the fountain at the front,the entrance leads to a large wood floored saloon with an island bar and several different sections around the ground floor.The tables are individual wooden affairs but all are numbered , have a candle and a bottle of Sarson's.There is a large area infront of the long bar for vertical drinking,and you order food from the bar.Upstairs is a large dining room with waitress service but also it's own bar with just two handpumps serving a subset of what's on below.At one side there is a one table gallery with terrific views of both the interior as well as the entrance to Castlefields Basin,boats and all.The restraunt looks classy,and the ground floor has several fireplaces and a wood burner,it's all done in the best possible taste. On the ale front there are two banks of six handpumps,some clips repeated at each bank ,but still a very good range which encompassed Weetwood Cheshire Cat (£3),Brunning and Price Bitter,Moorhouse's Pendle Witch's Brew,Tatton Brewery Blonde,Wincle's Wibbly Wallaby,Thwaites Nutty Black,Conwy Beachcomber Blonde and a real cider.Quality was very good and pleasing to see so much Locale. The food menu showed light bites generally around £10,mains ranging from £10 to £17.The portion sizes is more substantial than other gastro chains and one course was quite enough for me at lunchtime when the pub was quiet.I suspect that in the evening and in fine weather this place would draw in a crowd and it seemed a leading light among the many bar's and diners in Castlefields.It so close to the moorings that I can see a revisit for a well earned beer after a hard days boating,a very decent place for a meal as well.