please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Visited in March on a Saturday evening and had a pint of Black Rock Porter by Bude Brewery. Pleasant and tasty. I seem to recall there was a decent selection of ales at the bar.
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Great beer, Great place.
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Oh and every Monday they sell one of their real ales for £1.50 a pint until it runs out.
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Always been one of favourite places around here with a good mix of people and a good variety of ales and German,Belgium bottles. Great jukebox and interesting decor and pieces of memorabilia around the place.
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Odd place, with a touch of the Belgian browns about it. The beer was good and the barman was happy to talk about it, as the Wood Street I was drinking had a bit of a reputation for being odd. Everything's going well when suddenly a customer walked up and asked if I was alright then stood to my side staring at me. "Can I help you?" I asked. No reply. Still staring. The previously friendly barman looked over, must have seen something was amiss and took no notice. I drank up and left.
It was a pity, because I'd have liked to stay there and he was probably harmless, but better safe than sorry.
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Overdue return visit before City game confirmed this as a real gem. Lucky to get pleasant seat to enjoy superb Black Jack real lager. Most folk drinking from good real ale range, with the keg/continental selection looking a bit low key compared to the Port Street for example. Liked it (again) a lot.
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Pleasant hour or so in here on a Saturday evening, great selection of real ales, belgian beers and other tipples. Recommend the Limmerman Peach Lambic, very refreshing.
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remember this affectionately as the place that got me into belgian beers etc. Hadn't changed at all in 6 years. place is still good but there are better, even close by in Manchester
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A small and compact sweaty corridor of a pub, yet still offers a wide rage of ales (all well looked after) at a reasonable price. Well worth popping in should you be on your way between train stations.
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Great little boozer. Went in one sunny afternoon on a stroll. Got a nice selection of Europe's finest on in there. Worth a pint, at least.
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Pretty much everything that could written about this place has been.
Personally I'm a fan, but I can understand why some would dislike it. It's quirky, cramped, noisy & pretty much always busy, but surely that has got to tell you something?
From a critics stand point, I agree it has it's negatives. To little space and a lack of seating means that at busy times it's standing room only, the toilets too are sad, but actually on my visit they were clean. Unfortunately, however you try, white sealant/filler does not go with dated poreclian. Frankly they look a lot worse than they are, but I'd have to agree with the earlier comment.
But that for me is about it? Regarding the staff, I've never encountered a problem (other than getting served), but I am familiar with the landlady in question so I can understand some of the negative comments. Lets just say she can be vocal. In her defence she takes no prisoners and tolerates rowdy behaviour with equal measure. Her brash approach & colourful language can be off putting I know, but she does have a softer side.
Beer? Four or five constantly changing casks on tap (usually micro's), there's also a good selection of continental and fruit beers on tap too. If it's beer you like you won't be disappointed here.
To summarise, short on comforts, big on atmosphere, great for beer..despite it's negatives, it's still one of my favourite Manchester bars.
Les Walker - Beer/Pub Critic
(BeerNorthWestUK - Twitter)
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Can't fault the beer/cider/continental range of beers. It's interesting the comments about a certain female behind the bar. I was ribbing a mate of mine about his choice of lager and she joined in. All good fun but I can imagine how this could kick off the wrong way! I thought I was in an episode of "Shameless"!!
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We saw this was in the Good Beer Guide. After arriving at the site of the pub, the missus made a "not sure I fancy the look of this" face outside. In fairness, I can see where she was coming from, but I decided it was at least worth giving it a chance. I'm glad we did. Far nicer inside than out, good range of British ale and quite a few foreign options too. I must say, the gents toilets left A LOT to be desired. However, overall, not a bad place for a quick pint.
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James Stannage you are my hero! PLEASE DO NOT GIVE THIS OBNOXIOUS BITCH THE TIME OR PLACE WHEN IN MANCHESTER!!
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I wouldn't give this a second glance if passing by, and I have passed by this place before without noticing it. However once inside, I was suitably impressed. The decor is rather strange with cardboard cutouts motorbikes and more unusual items such as bats, skeletons, gargoyles and rats. Contrary to previous reviews, we found service to be good and friendly from the two male barmen. The customers were also very friendly. Beers available were Acorn Bullseye, Green Jack Orange Wheat Beer, Moorhouses Witches Brew, Phoenix Spotland Gold and Irwell Works Richard Mason. Thatchers Cheddar Valley was the cider. Although it appears they had also had a Gwynt y Draig Farmhouse Pyder fairly recently. Another enjoyable experience in an area which is rich in decent pubs.
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Splendid - as always!
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I would tend to trackback on my earlier comments I have made. If you have never been here before then it is definately worth a visit!
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One of the regular ports of call on the northern circuit. The real ale is ok if a little uninspired. We tend to stick to the Krombacher. Can get very busy.
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I would not go back here if you paid me!
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Spent a few hours in here yesterday, convivial atmosphere due to the chatty and very helpful barman Rick and not a chav in sight! Sampled the Pitchfork golden ale and a beer by Phoenix, both more than acceptable. The Fringe will always have its detractors, drink elsewhere i say.
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bar fringe is a great pub to go to the landlady is great she will have a laugh with anyone beer is good price is good beer garden is good cannot ask for a better place would tell anyone to go there
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Had a couple of pints of a Phoenix beer in here about 5pm on Saturday - it was excellent. No issues with the bar staff - polite enough.
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The landlady is like a character from 'VIZ' comic! Obnoxious and down right rude. Apart from that the belgian beer and thatchers 'cheddar valley' cider makes this place 'worth a visit'. I think the landlady must have escaped from risley prison!
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In response to your post wilson the dude, the crackhead you refer to is actually one of the co-owners i believe! Admittedly service can be eccentric at times, a bit like some of the clientele really. This boozer is an acquired taste for many, even i had doubts early on. Still, good belgian beers at "reasonable prices" makes me overlook the surreal nature of the place.
Patience dear boy, patience.......................................!
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Second review here from me. is this place going downhill? the woman who works here at night (the err...more mature one) looks and behaves like a crackhead. on saturday night she ended up drinking the place out of vodka, she was permanently sipping it from a china cup...nice.
great beer selection as always but this place needs to act its act together re customer service, its simply terrible most of the time. people really will stop coming here, i suspect the owners think these bizarre characters add, well, 'character', but they dont. believe me, there's loads of great pubs nearby where you DONT get shouted at/insulted/denied vodka.
seriously, ive loved bar fringe for years but they need to sort out their recruitment policy. still a solid 7 though, for the real ale and belgian beers alone.
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I visited Bar Fringe tonight,having spent many a pleasant afternoon and evening in there a few years ago. Unfortunately, tonight was very much the opposite. My mistake was to sit on a table. I didn't tread on or damage the table but the woman behind the bar started to make a massive issue of this. At first she started to treat this as a joke but then became quite aggressive in her approach, refusing to allow me into the toilet on my own and haranguing my wife and friends. Even after profuse apologies, this landlady continued to behave in a threatening manner, loitering in a corner and gesturing at me and mentioning how her husband was upstairs. She then began to abuse my friend, accusing him of being 'a Southerner'. When he informed her that he was actually from Inverness, she said that he was gay and should get his hair cut! She then also informed us that the previoulsy stated closing time of 12:00am had now been changed to 11:00pm because she was 'bored'. Upon asking this woman to please leave us alone, she became quite intimidating so we retreated out the back door and sat in the beer garden. She then locked us out there! Some of us left but then she re-opened the door and presented two of my friends with a bottle of cheap rose wine by way of an apology!
Ironically, the pub itself seemed decent enough, although quite dirty. It reminded me of Subway, underneath Grand Central and would probably appeal to crusties and a certian type of student. However, the owner was downright rude and offensive, threatening, unpleasant, aggressive, bullying, homophobic and downright horrible; probably the worst pub owner that I have ever encountered. Beware!!
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A real curiosity on the edge of the northern quarter( manchester). Looks like a belgian bar but not quite if you know what i mean. An eclectic clientele add to the rather strange surroundings although they are a tolerant if somewhat aloof bunch. BEER is usually acceptable although a more imaginative range of ales would be welcome. Good range of belgian beers at fairly reasonable prices. A pub that will grow on you after a while.
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Bowled into this cosy bar after a few pints at the nearby Crown and Kettle. I don't think I'll bother leaving the former next time I'm in Mancheser. Tacky interior which a collection of random articles on the wall - seating was very limited, and to be frank, by Banktop Bad To The Bone was very disappointing. I browsed the Belgian beers, and nothing really jumped out at me, so I switched onto the Thatchers Katy, an unusual sight in the North of England. Wouldn't rush back.
Sharp - 14 Feb 2010 14:01 |
Had a 'locals' pub kind of feel to it, slightly alternative which was a good thing. Beer was pretty good as well.
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Good range of ale but I was a little disappointed with the Belgian beer selection - indifferent to the fruit beer selection on draft and not much in the fridge - unless I'm missing something?
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Five beers on here and as we were on our way to the Winter Ales Fest, we chose Nelson and Boggart beers from the 4 new ones to us. The beers were fine, and I do like this pub, but it seemed acceptable for a small child to run up and down the pub and behind the bar screaming. Not what I need in a pub really. Sorry. It will always be on my list of pubs to visit for the excellent beers though.
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Slightly bohemian bar on a run down thoroughfare on the edge of the city centre, and within spitting distance of the Smithfield and the Crown & Kettle. One narrow room is dimly lit and has the usual items adorning the walls, from saucy postcards to road signs etc. A high-ceilinged part at the front has an interesting collection of bottles and vehicles if you look above. Not many seats and apart from the walls decor quite spartan.
The pub's real strong point is the beer, with a vast array of Continental beers complemented by 5 handpumps serving microbrewery ales. Kelham Island, Allgates and Salopian often feature alongside the more local Phoenix and Bazen's. Had a Salopian Oracle which was brilliant on a previous visit, this time Allgates went down well.
Nothing of great note for the pub architecture fan here, but I recommend anyone to visit as part of the Northern Quarter ale trail.
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After having this place built up by a couple of people, I left here a little bit disappointed. Sure, it stocks an impressive array of continental beers as well as some interesting ales from various micros (I had pints of Great Newsome Sleck Dust and Abbeydale Chocolate Stout) that are well kept, but the place struck me as a bit soulless. Maybe I caught it on an off night, for it certainly was not busy. Its also more than possible that my perception is coloured by its location in one of the less salubrious parts of Manchester City Centre. I'd give this place another go, for sure.
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Sounds like the staff have changed or improved. A quality pub then, and worth a stop at when your in manchester. Good middle ground between the marble arch and the crown and kettle also.
Good sized beer garden for the summer as well
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Fairly quick (ish) visit last Saturday night before dashing to get train home. Not as busy as usual. Tried 3 of 5 ales on (Holdens, Kelham Island, Phoenix) and all were great so I didn't get chance or excuse to sample the vast bottle selection or the cider.
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Called in here on Saturday whilst doing a crawl in the area. First ever visit and it didn�t disappoint. Different in nature to the Smithfield Hotel in that it�s a caf� bar style pub serving continental beers, although there was a beer festival on so they had five decent and well kept real ales on, although we only had the one. Good atmosphere and good mix of customers � young families, people reading the newspaper, mates�..you name it! Certainly one to try again when in the area. Staff friendly and helpful didn�t have a problem with them at all.
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This place is great. If you like pubs you'll like this. Keep off the real ales and sample the bottles and continental draughts and forget all about the afternoon...
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Visited many times over the past few years, always enjoyable, good selction of beer well kept. Good dukebox and a mix of clientle which gives it special buzz. Have never had a problem with the staff or service.
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I have never been to a better pub in my life. the beer is always excellent, cask, lagers and bottles alike. The interior is quirky and there is always something new to see. The outside area is the biggest i know of in the city centre, and there is always a happy mix of people throughout. The staff have never been rude to me or my friends, cheeky, yes, but always in good humour. I think the best thing about the Fringe, however, is that the staff all really care about what they do, and about each other, they are knowledgeable, and it is very evident that they enjoy themselves at work. None of this pretentious stuff you find so much these days.
perhaps in previous comments the staff were rude because you deserved it for thinking you're better than other people, they will take no sh*t in here.
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Called in while doing a crawl in May. Don't miss it as you never know what beer you may find, and it is intersting with the wall decor. Enjoyed a couple of beers new to us here.
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1st visit here yesterday, it was recommended to us from a nice couple who we spoke with in the Marble Arch. What a treat, great ambience, beer spot on and a very nice girl in both looks and service. Will be here again on our next visit to Manc.
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Good pub , always a good selection of beers and ciders on, excellent range of bottled beers. Beer garden is pleasant enough as well on a sunny day. Good as part of a crawl, from the marble or crown and kettle etc
Staff are generally abrupt with you though. Maybe its the high turnover of staff i dont know, but they do need to sort this out. A smile and a please and thank you every now and again wouldnt go amiss, instead of the scowls and grunts you sometimes get.
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this is almost a great pub - excellent beers at reasonable prices. however, as other reviewers have pointed out, the staff are unfriendly to the point of out and out rudeness. in fact, one of the reasons i still go there is to see just how rude the staff can be! strange i know. despite all that, i would (grudgingly) recommend it. great for a beer crawl of: Marble Arch, Angel, Smithfield Hotel, Bar Fringe, Crown and Kettle and the recently reopened Castle Hotel.
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staff rude in this place???always been attentive wen ive been in there..still got that bloody good cider on...although i missed out on that hanby cherry bomb by one bloody glass again..still a must place to visit wen in mancheter
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Having read the reviews we nearly gave this place a miss - what a mistake that would have been. Despite the other comments on this site the staff behind the bar were great. Huge choice of Belgian beers. Great music. Give it a try!
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I've never been to a pub before with staff so rude.
The staff don't care about the customers, I was being very friendly to them and some of the time they were completely blanking me.
They were very miserable too and rude in general aswell.
Would never go again and would recommend people boycott this place untill they start caring about there customers.
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Very inconsistent for beer quality. Not one to rely on I'm afraid. I agree with the comments about the staff - they need to be sent on a course!
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Great bar on the N4 crawl. Eclectic mix of regulars (and staff), lots of tattoos/piercings/bright hair dyes in evidence. Almost always busy in here. Has huge rats & bats adorning the walls along with cartoons. Has a sign over the ladies saying "Caution Moose Crossing". You get the idea. It's a really interesting place. 5 handpumps but often only 3 or 4 on, usually involves a Bank Top beer. It's always a decent pint in here. Loads of Belgins draft and real cider as well. We always call in for one or two when in the Northern Quarter. Give it a try, you'll like it.
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Have been in here a few times and the beer is decent if Belgian beer is your particular interest. The ales are good when they are on (Invariably at least half of the five hand pumps are off) and the building itself is interesting. All I can assume is reviews saying "efficient" service are coming from regulars as the staff are at best aloof (in a provincial, pseudo-hipster kind of way). Went in here yesterday and the "large girl" behind the bar wearing a t-shirt with "69" on it had a face that wouldn't have been out of place on one of guards in an episode of prisoner Cell Block H. She managed to serve me without the slightest nod to service and had the worst manners I've encountered in some time. And as for the music there was a track from Dark Side of the Moon and another by Sting (if this is your idea of good music, you must be drunk). If you like a shot of rudeness with your pint this is the place for you, if not the Marble Arch is a three minute walk with great service, twice as many ales on and better food (that's where I went).
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Still the best place to drink in Manchester City Centre!
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Fantastic place, friendly bar staff and locals. Great ales and reasonably priced for the (outskirts of) city centre.
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Bar Fringe continues to serve a great selection of beers. 5 changing real ales on hand pump, multiple fonts selling Belgian lagers & fruit beers and a large selection of bottles from Belgium and beyond. Friendly and knowlegeable staff. Walls full of interesting items, bottles, rats, motorbike! etc. Belgian "Brown Bar" style boozer and a must if you're in the Northern Quarter.
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lovely charming bar on the outskirts of the 'Northern Quarter' aka Ancoats.
Nice Decorations and a wide selection of real ales & foreign bottled beer.
NO POOL TABLE THOUGH as stated in the brief
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still always efficient service in this pub and the juke box still has all me faves on it..only pub i can go into in manchester were the barman actually knows wat i drink...efficency is a standard i like to see..shows they take an interest
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Second visit last night, five ales (all new to me), the Elgoods was taken off (so many pubs will still squeeze out the last pint and hope you won't notice), with the York Centennial and Otley O-Garden particularly wonderful. Great music, great atmosphere. A great, great pub.
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Another pub on my must visit list when doing a Manchester crawl. Was pleasantly suprised on my first visit by the ale choice, and have never been disappointed.
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Possibly the best bar in city centre Manchester.
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excellent bar on swan street..bloody good ale and cheddar valley red cider...good range of belgian beers on draught and in bottles..still got the old cds on the juke box at a reasonable listening price too!!staff are friendly and dont keep ya waiting too long wen it gets very busy..always makes me feel like im in a continental bar abroad,excellent establishment.
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I didn't think I would like this place, as my crawl around Manchester was seeking out traditional pubs. But my friend persuaded me otherwise and he was right!. It's good fun, has a nice atmosphere and if you like real ales there is quite a choice here (and lagers too, whatever they are!!). Definitely to be include in a crawl around the Northern quarter.
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Fantastic pub, so regular visitor, alwsys a good range of handpulls that vary and plenty of lagers and continental brews available
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Feels like a dutch bar. Fantastic range of beers on tap and in bottles - many unusual and interesting
A nice mix of people with a 'rock' edge.
Interior is fun and cosy. Beer garden out back for the smokers
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Good choice of foreign beers and staff who usually know the beers. The real ale can be hit and miss.The scrumpy is always worth a go!
Opens late which is a bonus if gone to a concert or show.
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Very chilled continental-style bar with foreign lagers & 4 changing, unusual cask ales. Lots of fruity Belgian bottled beers to keep the ladies happy. Quirky, interesting wall & ceiling hangings & enormous antique urinals in the gents!
Welcoming & friendly bar staff & well-behaved jovial punters. Definately worth a visit if only to unwind.
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Based upon typical Amsterdam brown bar although the choice of European beers is not as big as you might initially think. There are perhaps 20 + bottles, 5 or 6 Europeans on tap and 3 or 4 British ales on the pumps. There is also Thatchers cider and other bottled bits and bobs. Jukebox is good as is the beer garden / smoking area out the back. The staff are very helpful with recommendations, tasting notes etc.
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Good pub with 3 handpumps, 2 were on with very tasty beers. Recommended!
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We have just been in this evening after quite a while of walking past to the SMITHFIELD. �2.60 for half of Frambozen is far to much. Will continue to walk past.
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This is the best bar in Manchester. Incredible selection of beers and ales. The best indie/punk/rock jukebox ever. The clientele range from Camra stalwarts to ageing Hells Angels with a few lost students in between.
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Dutch-style bar which also has three handpumps. Only had a half during a rather hectic crawl, but no issues with beer quality and I liked the laid-back atmosphere.
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Characterful pub with tasty range of mainland European draught beers and real ales from local microbrewers. A TV- and football-free zone. Keep up the good work!
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Nice relaxed atmosphere, great interior, superb jukebox, love the outside area (nick a bit of rosemary for cooking!), great bar staff. Everything. Apart from the beer, that is. They have something for most tastes but not mine, usually. Wish they'd put on a fall-back option such as Budvar/Krombacher for when I don't fancy the other options. Other than that it's great...
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awful ale, really after 3 different halfs none even average with JPH present then nothing but bad all round!
Should be avoided and instead visit the true ale fan's welcome at Crown and Kettle with non-rip off prices and higher standard.
almost got annoyed in here tonight!! twas that bad.
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Still as good as ever in here..I often call towards the end of a walkabout of the Northern Quarter, to drink the raspberry beer as a treat. Have met some characters in here at weekends such as "Hairy Mick" and "Boz" who frequent the place.
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WOW - Belgian and other continental beer heaven! Not everything comes in pints - authentic glasses for most of the drinks too which is a nice touch.
Weird interior, a bit run down but atmosphere seemed good. Filled mostly with middled aged blokes from what I remember. Seemed friendly enough - chatting whilst waiting to be served.
Beer "garden" out the back was a nice to get away from the noisey bar area - but nothing special to look at.
Toilets were disgusting - the smell was vomit inducing.
budda - 29 May 2006 12:36 |
Recently re-opened after being closed for renovation, but the only difference I could notice was that the old 'Heiniken recycling' sign has gone from the toilets.
Still has a good selection of beers and in particular continental beers.
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was the beer in here being above average just an accident tonight? hope not...however, the semi-friendly welcome didn't feel genuine whereas years ago when we used to visit weekly there was this really fit barmaid who was genuinely friendly, especially when you got back to her place... , very tasty , she did a TV ad for a well-known cosmetics co. and told the Fringe where to go. Or maybe the other story is her released fella told the Fringe where to go. Either way she is definately the one thing missing cause the place is so boring!
anonymous - 4 May 2006 00:46 |
Looking at the outside I�d walk past this place every day of the week without giving it a second glance, so I was grateful to the mate who suggested a visit. It�s not much to look at inside either but the real action is behind the bar. Although there were some interesting beers on, even the hardened real ale drinker that I was with eschewed these and opted for the Belgian experience. All the old favourites were available plus some I hadn�t seen this side of the channel.
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How come it only has 4.9 out of 10 ? This must be a testament
to the narrow-mindedness of some real ale types, who overlook
the superb range of Belgian beers. A unique establishment in my
top 10 out of the country!
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Add Pinball table to the features - that alone makes this a great bar.
Superb range of Belgian and other continental beers put this in my top 10 in Manchester. As others have noted the Real Ale can be variable.
Great jukebox - some times too loud - but the bar has a great atmosphere especially when busy and should be visited at least once to see if it is you glass of lambic.
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Erm, I didn't say the barmaid was rude, I was merely making an admittedly unfunny joke on a previous poster's comments referring to Camera (a piece of photographic equipment), rather than CAMRA, the real ale society. Bah.
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Good Jukey,not a bad mixture of customers-from lotsahair/leather to a normal drinking crowd....I tend to prefer the foreign brews...(Belgian raspberry & peach beers etc...although they aren`t cheap)...The real ales here probably need to be bought by the half to check they`re on form....but overall a very decent bar in the northern quarter.
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Hello Drinkers, I too am a CAMRA member and have drank here several times. I would say that the beer has been acceptable to good on most occasions although not consistant and unfortunately on one occassion when poor the barmaid hadn't a clue and was, as Big_Lad states, was quite rude when I complained, so I (and friends) don't go here anymore. However the last visit was 3 or 4 months ago and maybe I will give it another try. It would be interesting to here recent views from other CAMRA/beerintheevening members
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I am a CAMRA member and always call in the Fringe when in town because contrary to other comments,I think the beer is fine. If there was a problem, I would take it back anyway.
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No you can't trust that beer guide can you. Agree, beer's crap in here but also crap at Bar Centro who also in the kamra mag but not the guide, maybe, dunno do I? Never bean English Lounge? location?
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I thought the camera never lies?! Maybe you mean CAMRA?!
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This bar proves that you can't always trust Camera and the Good Beer guide. How they got listed is baffling but suspect it may have a connection with their full page adverts in Cameras' regional magazines?? I've visited many times over the years and it's almost the opposite to cameras' politics. Here we have poor to average ale at prices which would be considered rip-off in central London. The bottled beers may be alright and to be fair an effort is attempted but listed in the guide, no way!! Last visit, last week barmaid dull and rude hence quick exit.(where's Suzy?) Better pint and value at English Lounge or even Bar Centro just down the road.
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excellent pub - you get a real mix of people, young and old (although i wonder if some of the old men are having a post coital pint because of where the pub is located - its in sauna central!!), but no one seems to notice each other, probably because they are steaming from the excellent selection of belgian beers available. well worth a visit if you're bored of the same old cr*p.
tone - 3 Sep 2004 17:05 |
Interesting friendly bar with fruit flavoured beer on tap.
Sean - 31 Aug 2004 18:29 |
