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Detail Pages
Crown & Kettle, Manchester
Ancoats
Manchester
M4 5FE
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about Crown & Kettle
Update 17/02/23 - Just a comment on the prices... I was warned that a pint of a 4.7% Elusive Brewing Miles per Hour was going to be prohibitively expensive at around £7 (I forget exact amount, in a rare turn of events, my daughter was getting a round). I then saw a picture that the brewers owner had tweeted from the Nags Head in Reading, where the same pints was £5.40. Who says the South East is too expensive to drink at.
Original Review
Doesn't necessarily look like a Grade II listed building from the outside. Inside, the ornate plaster ceiling is revered but it ain't gonna be there for ever. Great big chunks of it have been stopped from hitting the punters heads by some strategic netting.
Main bar has some very hard wooden furniture.... felt like nicking some cushions from the snug - but this was reserved for a group of people who kept turning up with suitcases. Full of what? We never found out.
Friendly staff who were happy to provide beer advice and samples. Another long list of hand pulls I had not previously seen.
The beer - Marquis by Brewster's Brewery - was acceptable.
On 19th February 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1338 recommendations about 1324 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about Crown & Kettle
I found myself back in the Crown & Kettle late on Wednesday evening after a hiatus of nine years. To be honest I didn’t realise I had been here before until I looked up at the crumbling net covered ceiling. The interior is much the same with the central bar splitting the left and right seating areas. The two televisions were displaying the beer menus, I counted 17 premium and craft keg options and six cask ales. I went for the Tonkoko, which was OK, but a milk stout is probably not the best choice after demolishing a Titanic Plum Porter in the previous pub. This is certainly a pub that beer fans should visit and I’m sure I’ll find myself in here again at some point. Maybe in the meantime someone will bite the bullet and decide to put that ceiling out of its misery.
On 11th March 2022
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5251 recommendations about 5219 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rob Hunter left this review about Crown & Kettle
Visited again on Saturday night. It may be my imagination, but I think there are more tables in the main front room than there had been previously. This was definitely welcome as the pub was quite busy and we managed to grab what appeared to be the only free table. Six(?) cask ales available. I didn't notice if there was any cask cider or not, but there are further hand pulls on the section of the bar that serves the back room - one of these had something on but can't remember if it was a cider or an ale. I definitely recall noting the presence of cider, I just can't remember if it was cask or not. There's also a craft keg selection.
Another Manchester favourite.
On 21st February 2022
- rating: 9
[User has posted 750 recommendations about 598 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about Crown & Kettle
The Crown & Kettle is another of my favourite Manchester pubs. Although, I was slightly less impressed than normal with this visit. So, I will downgrade my score from 9/10 to a 7/10.
As Rob Hunter notes, they now have outdoor seating, which was quite popular on our late Saturday afternoon visit. Getting to the bar was a bit like a rugby scrum, but we did eventually get served. Beers are now listed on electronic screens, which seems at contrast with the still crumbling ceiling.
Cask ales were Beatniksz Republic El Segundo, Seven Bro7hers Hoppy Pale, Cloudwater Mosaic A Place In Your Heart & Thirst Class Oatmeal Stout & Redder Than Red. They appear to have discontinued real cider, which was my main reason for disappointment. They do seem to have vastly increased the craft beer range though.
We did manage to secure a table in the secluded room at the rear, which is quite dark in comparison with the rest of the pub. A DJ was in action in one corner.
Still a decent pub. I hope the lack of real cider is just a short term thing, as this used to be one of the places you could guarantee a cider.
On 6th October 2021
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rob Hunter left this review about Crown & Kettle
Visited on Saturday evening. The Crown & Kettle now has outdoor seating at the front and side of the building, and it was all looking pretty busy. We managed to get someone's attention (we later realised there was a designated point for waiting to be seated, which we had failed to observe) and they had a look inside to check if there were any tables but sadly not, so we were seated outside one what appeared to be one of just two unoccupied tables. There are heaters outside but unfortunately they were pretty ineffective against the wind so it was quite a chilly experience. Orders are taken at the table and after a bit of a delay drinks were brought out. Four or five beers available on cask, if I remember rightly, plus keg and cider options. Card payment taken at the table. The place seemed to be pretty busy but the staff were coping. We decided to move on after one drink, in the hope of being able to score some indoor seating elsewhere. The beer I had (Atom Dark Matter) was enjoyable and in good nick.
On 24th May 2021
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 750 recommendations about 598 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Brainy Pool left this review about Crown & Kettle
an imposing pub with that classic high ceiling that looks like it could fall on your head at any moment. it’s a friendly pub with a few rooms and good selection of ale (of which I ended up staying for two). a customer was invited behind the bar to pull his first pint which was a nice touch. it does lack a little atmosphere and that special something. but it’s worth popping in just to see it.
On 6th January 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1058 recommendations about 1023 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about Crown & Kettle
I could see why this Grade II listed free house reopened in 2005 after being shut for 16 years polarises opinion as drinking under a fish net with the danger of bits of plaster falling on your head may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But I was firmly of the camp of liking this one, especially when we moved into the wood panelled vault room with the ceiling restored to its former glory that was a more atmospheric room to drink in than the main bar, which does seem to lack a bit of character and comfort despite the impressive chandeliers and distressed original ceiling. Also the additional snug room at the back, despite being fairly plain does provide additional seating.
It also helps that the main bar sports eight handpumps with a good collection of differing beer styles. I went for a very good Mad Squirrel De La Crème Milk Stout and Bristol Beer Factory White Milk Stout, Tiny Rebel Frigg Life, Neptune Brewery Stowaway, Cromarty Brewing Raptor IPA, Magic Rock Rapture, Bad Seed Brewery Juice generator and Thornbridge Salted Caramel Lucaria made up the other offerings for our visit.
So, I am also in the camp that this is a should visit when walking down Swan Street.
On 23rd October 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2111 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about Crown & Kettle
A building that stands out from its neighbors, the tall decorative windows make it reminiscent of of a church or chapel, the main room inside is hall like with a high decorative ceiling, with a choice of eight interesting beers, I went for Thornbridge Salted Caramel Lucaria which was in very good shape. An interesting pub with interesting beers, Its a must visit.
On 21st October 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Crown & Kettle
An impressive looking building on approach, with equally impressive ceilings, the main room still in an original damaged state and a rear room with completed ceiling work brought back to its former glory. I also liked the high open archways, which separated the two rooms and the large brass chandeliers. The bar had a mixed clientele and the staff were fast and efficient and didn't mind taking a couple of photos of us all on our PuG crawl. Eight handpumps,, I went for the Tiny Rebel Frigg Life, whilst Mrs A went for the Cromarty Raptor, both were in fine shape.
On 16th October 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rob Hunter left this review about Crown & Kettle
Visited on a Saturday evening at the end of May, when they had their Tiny Rebel tap takeover. Somehow I managed to pick the only ale which was not by Tiny Rebel, but it was a very nice stout so I had no regrets. As has been noted in the many previous reviews, the front room ceiling is quite badly damaged and has a net underneath to catch falling plasterwork. The back room (to the right of the bar) has had its ceiling restored and looks in a much better state, but I did hear a rumour that it was not done to the specification required by English Heritage, so that may be why the front room ceiling has remained as is. The rumour could, of course, have been completely false, but there you go. There is also a room to the left of the bar which is more basic.
For the last few years there have been around 8 hand pulls, from what I can gather the quality has gone up and down during that time but I must have been lucky and caught them on good days as I don't recall a bad pint in there.
Other than the crumbling ceiling the décor itself is rather plain and possibly bordering on sparse in terms of furniture. I tend to judge a pub on the quality and selection of its beer, and for me I have had no issues there.
On 13th June 2018
- rating: 9
[User has posted 750 recommendations about 598 pubs]