City Arms, Manchester

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user reviews of the City Arms, Manchester

please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.

Lovely little hole with just two rooms and nice friendly atmosphere. Great location for the middle of everything! Nice beers and nice food.
miffy4boys - 28 Feb 2010 14:37
8 handpumps in use in this two room pub. Also has a beer garden. Food not sampled put looked good being served to a party that filled the rear room. Range of breweries on offer though none represented the LocAle sticker on the door.
Leicesterbeer - 3 Nov 2009 21:52
I have to admit to being slightly disappointed by this place. The ale selection was reasonable - there were plenty of guests, but only 2 or 3 more unusual ones sourced from decent microbreweries. It probably didn't help that my visit was at about 9pm on a Friday night - and therefore it was packed, and I didn't see much of the pub (the bar was very small). We managed to find somewhere to perch outside though - nice to see somewhere where pavement drinking is allowed and tables are provided for standing drinkers. The service was friendly enough, but I won't be rushing back.
Sharp - 21 Oct 2009 13:46
One of my favourite pubs in Manchester, although I will admit there’s a fairly long list of them. I’ve never been let down by the beer here, there’s always something interesting on and the service is good. A decent honest pub that hasn’t changed much over the years and remains a good place to sink a few pints.

Millay - 7 Oct 2009 16:06
Agree with previous comments.Tasted several excellent beers and a mild.Lovely to find a real pub,right in the heart of the city.
delstefan - 27 Sep 2009 16:24
One of the hidden gems of Manchester though only 100m from the visitor centre. They currently have 6 or 7 guest beers on tap everyday, which regularly change, and not just your usual northern ales like Jennings but ales and ciders from everywhere in the country. The staff are very friendly and most know their stuff. It still looks very "18th century style" when they disappear down the floor hatch behind the bar! You can regularly see CAMRA members doing tasting sessions before they buy. Hardcore! The "upper" room and bar are small but if you can fight your way down the steps to the "lower" room it's quite snug. Yes it is hammered after work on Fridays but only til about 6.30 or 7.00. There's now a small "smoking area" (where I think they used to keep the delivered barrels?) next to the women's loos. The blokes loos have always been tiny and a bit rough but after a couple of pints of Adnams or Shepheard Neame you don't realy care! The Black sheep was especially good last time. It's not as homely as Briton's Protection but for real ale lovers it's definitely one of the best in Manchester city centre
jambon23 - 12 Aug 2009 00:07
lovely, proper city centre boozer. loads of atmosphere, friendly locals, excellent bar staff. excellent range of beers. sadly, all of them tasted slightly of chemicals. was drinking woodforde's wherry in norfolk the previous weekend and the city arms' version was nowhere near as nice. the tetley's and the st edmunds were also a bit iffy.

hopefully it was a one off as i work a fair bit in manchester and will definitely be back in here to try it out again.
porcus_volans - 25 May 2009 10:51
I'd say the City Arms would easily make the top 40 of any list, it's in my top three of Manchester pubs. Their range of well-kept real ales is unmatched.
m_j_t - 7 May 2009 20:10
Nice pub but didnt expect this to be in the top 40 on this site as its not that good, service was good and a mixture of friendly locals made this worth visiting.
superseagulls - 27 Apr 2009 10:20
One of the best city centre pubs which always has good selection of hand pumps. Can get very busy in the couple of hours after work and on a Friday evening. Bar is very small but atmosphere generally convivial and staff efficient so don't usually have to wait too long!
Howellsey - 15 Apr 2009 19:25
i want to apologise to all viewers about my terible swearing on my rating for this pub, i was drunk and disorderly, i hold my hands up when i am wrong, herres a song for verone, albert, albert, hes albert the fifth musketeer.
eddygilroy - 4 Mar 2009 22:06
Brilliant pub, I can't really add much more than those below have put, other than to say that the barmaid who served me was exceptional, despite being busy she still had time to laugh at my jokes. Which frankly, are terrible.
GoneFishing - 4 Mar 2009 10:50
Nice little pub. Very busy on a Saturday evening. Impressive selection of ales and good service.
mtgriffin - 2 Mar 2009 17:33
Excellent little pub, great beer. Very small though so can get busy straight after work.

Best is half day off to work your way through the beers
Saleblu - 26 Feb 2009 11:49
i have been in this pub a few times and was made very welcome
by the staff and managment,there was a wide selction of bitter and cask ales on offer,and a great food menu.It is a realy good pub in a great location,i was impressed to see all the periodic features in this pub in suberb condition.
many thanks to all the staff at the city arms
carl morris
carlmorris2009 - 19 Feb 2009 20:18
8 real ales. All in perfect nick. A hidden gem. Can't fault the place
AlePacino - 17 Feb 2009 22:02
Visited this pub for the first time on Friday evening. Great choice of ales on offer and friendly quick service even though the place was packed with office workers. Had a pint of Arundel - top notch.
Chubbyduck - 8 Feb 2009 20:15
Tetleys, Arundel Sussex Gold, Moorhouse’s Witch Hunt, Tom Woods Shepherd’s Delight, HH(gk)Olde Trip, Jennings Cumberland, York Mordic Fury, Thwaites Nutty Black. Nice old bar positioned to left of entrance in smallish front (‘upper’) room, old lead-light windows to street, display barrels above bar, wood floored throughout, incorporating an old brass plaque near door pronouncing ‘Tetleys Festival Ale House’. Couple of tables with banquette seating, drinking shelf with high stools opp bar, small tv in corner showing skysports news, dartboard next to this. Walls carry small number of old manc photos & brewing diagrams such as cask taps. Down a couple of steps to larger seating area with leather banquette seating around 3 walls & fireplace at far end, wood tables & stools. After a few pints I found myself imagining a commons-style debate between punters facing each other along the opposite, longer sides of the room, hopefully on important subjects such as football, or beer. A blackboard down here reminds what beers (&abv) are on. Side entrance leads to a victorian tiled corridor, gents, and this lower bar. Good sountrack, Dylan playing as I left. Closed when I last tried coz Sun hrs are 12:00-20:00. Well worth a visit, even if £2.80 is slightly dear up here.
trainman - 4 Feb 2009 10:33
Great little pub tucked slightly away from the madness of a city centre, Real Ale a-plenty! Blackboard on the wall, Hemingway quotes and Dylan on the jukebox.


ToxtethOGrady - 1 Feb 2009 00:02
Small pub with a large selection of real ales, usually 8, all well kept Has been changed a bit over the years but not so much you really notice e.g used to have an old wooden glass rack over the bar. It's often busy in here especially early evening and weekday lunchtimes. The hatch down to the cellar is actually behind the bar so the barstaff have to be careful when a beer's being changed. It's a very friendly pub and one we call in all the time.
ROBCamra - 13 Jan 2009 15:22
Nice backstreet pub just off one of the main drags. Real ales on during our visit last weekend were Batemans XB, Goffs Jouster, Jennings Cumberland Ale, York Nordic Fury, Beartown Bitter, Wallsend Mordue Brown Ale and Oakleaf Hole Hearted.
blue_scrumpy - 19 Dec 2008 20:25
Visited this pub at the weekend. A real unspoilt pub in the heart of Manchester near the town hall. Small with 2 rooms and a great selection of real ales.
argy - 15 Oct 2008 17:58
Most disappointed to find this closed Sunday nt, as was the Vine next door. Recall enjoying a previous visit but review & rating will have to wait.
trainman - 7 Oct 2008 13:02
Beautiful & newly refurbished little back street pub, right in the heart of the city.
Tucked away gem of a boozer, friendly atmosphere, good choice of ales & now the smoking ban is in force a pleasant atmosphere.
a must see if you are visiting the city
gunninm - 16 Jul 2008 11:32
Excellent boozer; always a good range of real ales and a friendly atmosphere and pleasant decor.

The pub itself is on the small side and it doesn't take many patrons to make it crowded. Still, highly recommended.
EFC1878 - 29 Jun 2008 14:03
Friendly two roomed traditional City Centre pub with a fine tiled exterior.

I enjoyed a good pint of Moorhouses Premium Bitter in this cosy pub.

Its best avoided at lunchtimes apparently, when it gets taken over by the office crowd.

Notably, there's a pub also on either side ( The Vine and The Waterhouse ), neither of which I visited, although the Vine looked tempting.

In conclusion, the City Arms is not a must visit pub, but well worth seeking out if in the area
JohnBonser - 7 Apr 2008 17:49
Decent city centre boozer. It always seems to be busy
Beer good, always a few guest ales. Good atmosphere
Scottie_chorlton - 11 Mar 2008 17:59
Good, traditional city centre pub, with well-kept ales.
wobblybob - 18 Dec 2007 23:02
A traditional pub with a very good selection of well kept ales. Gets very busy at times as it's only a small pub.
alexw - 6 Dec 2007 18:55
Certainly not closed & positively thriving on our recent Saturday early evening visit. Cosy layout & decor, 7 wide-ranging & varied ales from Punch Taverns' approved shortlist of regionals & microbreweries. Decent quality too.

An ideal haven away from the horror of weekend Christmas shopping.
young_camra_collectiv - 6 Nov 2007 16:45
Yep - the City Arms is definitely still open and serving an excellent, ever-changing range of real ales in a quiet street of the city centre. Always loved this pub although it did use to get very smoky - obviously that's not the case any more.
NellySays - 28 Oct 2007 17:58
I FIRST WENT INTO THIS PUB WHEN I CAME DOWN FROM SCOTLAND, AND IT WAS OK, EVENTUALLY I WENT THROUGH THE BACK ROOM+SPOKE TO A LAD WITH HIS WIFE+HAD A WE BLETHER, THANK GOD FOR A WE CHAT, THEN WENT TO PUB NEXT DOOR THE VINE INN, WHICH I LIKED OK, IF I EVER GO BACK TO MANCHESTER I WOULD GO BACK TO BOTH THESE PUBS. "STEVIE FAE BONNIE SCOTLAND"
anonymous - 10 Oct 2007 23:34
This pub is not closed and was very much open last night.
fairport79 - 10 Oct 2007 23:27

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