Northern Monk Refectory, Manchester

With its head firmly up its arse this outlet for Northern Monk beers just reinforces the fact that expensive doesn't equate to good. Full of easily pleased 20 somethings being oblivious to the fact they're being ripped off good style. A number of overpriced craft nonsense available.

Used to like Kosmonaut, the previous bar at this site. Sadly it's now a ripped out soulless barn. Even the robots mural in the rear room has gone to be replaced by bare drabness, I hated it on sight. Then I was charged a rip off £5.50 a pint for one of their own 5% cask beers that had travelled all the way from Leeds and hated it even more. Mainly bare brick walls with a few prints around. Is it trendy now? HTF would I know. Won't be going again!

There are two large, rather austere rooms, the walls are bare brick, beams on the high ceiling, the flooring is wood, furniture is a mix of high and low tables, chairs and bench seating. They offer up to four cask ales, but only TT Landlord was available on my visit,there are twenty two numbered keg taps along the back wall behind the long bar in the left sided room as you enter up a few steps from street level,most of the taps had an offering and I tried Northern Monk Eternal, very bitter in taste ,but decent all the same.One for beer tickers rather than casual pub goers, I quite liked it.

Paid a visit to the newly opened Northern Monk Refectory on Saturday evening. There are four hand pulls at the bar for cask ale but surprisingly only one of their own beers on cask, which was Eternal - the other cask ale was Tim Taylor Landlord, which seemed a bit out of place really. The two other cask pumps were not in use at the time of my visit. There is also a massive array of 20 keg taps on the back wall, with three of those out of action. We went for the Bombay Dazzler on keg, which was perfectly fine. Very busy on Saturday evening, though I don't recall the service being inefficient. I'd probably go back at some point but not in any mad rush.