please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
I overuse this phrase on this site but 'if you like pubs, you'll like this one'.One good beer is better than five crap ones. I think I saw a photo of Barry Cryer on the wall. Friendly, accommodating and unusual, this is one of the greats.
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Tiny city centre pub. The very limited space is matched only by its limited beer range. It doesn't matter, though, as the feel of the place is top notch. Opening hours can be erratic but it's worth going out of your way to pay a visit.
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Tiny pub with limited beer choice. Greeted and told to sit down and your beer is brought to you because of the size of the place.
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"i came down from Fife In Scotland 6 mths ago for a break, The Circus Tav is a good cosy we bar, in fact they say the smallest we bar in Britain, i wouldnt argue with that, when busy the manager whom was an elder man let me in then closed the door behind " Seemed a good guy, normally closes main door as would get to busy for size of bar which as soon as you walk in its just like a narrow hallway, there is 2/3 rooms to your right with tables chairs which are a bit more roomy, football photos on the walls both utd + city memorabilia from the past, i had we chat in here to both city/ utd fans, theres polish girls whom bring your drink through for you, its dear for a halve Vodka etc be warned, but beer is fine in Manchester, the chicken bar is practically next to it as is the Old Monkey, and The Grey Horse inn, so a good few drinks in each, then a we bite to eat in between then bobs yer uncle LOL, all in Portland street, Ps Beware out side the Old Monkey area though for females hanging around as this female she sounded Russian to me "an old tart" i told her to fuck-off, trying to search around me with her hands inside my jacket from behind,looking for a wallet, this came out of the blue likes, then a man told me prostitutes did hang around the area in evenings FUCKIN COWS.
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Funny little gaff, but a definate original. Choice a little limited mind.
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Lets hope the new owner/landlord will be a little more hospitable than George was to me. I may even consider going back there. Then again, I may stick with Mother Mac's off Lever St - Always friendly in there.
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Still open when I visited in late September.
Its a tiny unspoilt drinking institution in Portland Street. There are 2 small rooms off a central corridor.
The corridor contains the bar counter, which is situated under the stairs and is big enough for one person only to be serving at a time. There is one handpump serving Tetleys Bitter at £ 2.10 per pint - expensive by Manchester standards
One of the side rooms is decorated with football photos of past and present United and City players. The pub wisely maintains a strict neutrality between the 2 clubs. Rather oddly, in the middle of all these football pictures is a signed photo of the England Ashes cricket squad in 1993.
The second room ( the front of the 2 rooms )has pictures of various celebrities who have dropped in over the years - people from Corrie, boxers, film stars etc
One of Manchesters must visit pubs - I do hope it is still around next time I'm in Manchester
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I FIRST ARRIVED IN MANCHESTER IN SEP 2006 LAST YEAR JUST FOR A WE CHANGE FROM SCOTLAND+I WENT INTO THIS WEE BAR BY CHANCE+FOUND THE MANAGER FRIENDLY + THE WAITRESS, WHOM ASKED ME WHAT I WAS DRINKING THEN ASKED ME TO TAKE A SEAT IN RM AT BACK, SHE THEN CAME THROUGH+PUT MY DRINK DOWN ALONG WITH A BOWL OF CRISPS WHICH I FOUND UNUSUAL BUT WAS GOOD, I HAD A GD WEE CHAT TO BOTH MAN UTD+MANCITY FANS + I ENJOYED THIS PUB, AS A MATTER I WENT+TRAVELLED BACK TO MANCH/TER A YEAR LATER AGAIN FAE SCOTLAND+MADE IT A BAR I'D GO BACK TO, IT'S SO SMALL, BUT HOMELY WHICH I LIKE+I HEARD IN THOSE PAGES THAT IT'S CLOSED, WELL I HOPE THAT WHOEVER TAKES OVER WILL LEAVE IT'S UNIQUE STYLE AS TO MANY BARS ARE LOSING THERE IDENTITY+STYLE, SO I SAY LEAVE IT THE WAY IT IS TO WHOEVER TAKES OVER, AS TO MANY BARS LOSE THEIR UNIQUE STYLE.
anonymous - 9 Oct 2007 13:45 |
We are the agents for the Circus Tavern and dealing with the sale of the lease on behalf of George. If you have any question please call 01904 793333.
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The lease is for sale (July 07). There is no price given. We have to hope it will stay a pub, but it is a pub from another time and another world; with its counter so small on one can fit behind it to serve and they have to open the cellar door to get to the till!
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I'm shocked to see the treatment meted put to Jaybone as described below. He appears to be someone you could regard as a regular and yet gets turfed out on a whim.
As I previously described, we visited the pub for the very first time as completely unknown strangers from the soft South of England and yet we had no problem getting in, even though we did have to knock on the door. We have been back a second time since, again without a problem, although that was early on a Saturday lunchtime and the door was wide open.
I know that the place is run as something of an invitational institution, but I am amazed that someone such as Jaybone would be treated in that way, especially since he had been greeted so warmly initially.
Jaybone - perhaps you need to visit again soon in a quieter moment and gently ask why you were treated like this.
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I was introduced to this pub about 6 months ago and have always found it to be an excellent, warm friendly place for a few drinks without the hassle or blaring music usually associated with city centre Manchester. Sometimes the door is closed - which I took to be a sign that the place is full - so entry isn't always guaranteed.
I generally go to The Circus for a few drinks on my way home from work on Fridays. The lovely waitress remembers me every time, knows what I'm drinking and brings it to where I'm sitting. Fantastic!
Recently I had the pleasure of meeting the landlord George. As usual on a Friday at about 8 o'clock I arrived at the door to The Circus. The door was closed but a couple in front of me had knocked on. The landlord opened the door, welcomed in his 'spanish friends' and shouted to the waitress to get them a drink on the house. I hadn't met the man up to now although I'd seen him around the pub a few times so I introduced myself and asked if it's ok if I come in for a pint. He shook my hand and I came in and was shown to a seat by the lovely waitress who knew what I was drinking. Unfortunately, as I was waiting for my drink the landlord decided for some unknown reason that he didn't want me there anymore. I hadn't done anything to upset anyone as far as I could see and I tried to explain that I do frequent the place, I haven't just stumbled in from the street. The man didn't want to hear and simply said "nonononono". Fair enough, it's within his rights I guess. But I will forever wonder what the reason could have been for his change of mind. Apparently, the closed door isn't a sign of full capacity, it means that tonight it's friends of the landlord only and if your face doesn't fit then goodbye. A shame that such a great place is so exclusive. I have a sneaking suspicion that it's perhaps because at 25 I'm too young to fit into the decor (Although in the time I've been going I've met some great people from 30 to 85 and gotten along famously). This however would be discrimination on the grounds of age which was rendered unlawful by parliament at the end of last year so of course I wouldn't suggest it for a second.
I've rated this a 6. it would have got a 9 as I really do think it's a lovely place but if I can't get inside to drink then it renders the place obsolete to me. I probably won't be returning but I would recommend this pub to people as a fantastic pub full of life and energy from rugby teams singing heartily to guitarists playing all the old greats!
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I have used this pub for 20 years and the Tetleys bitter, I always find, to be excellent. The present landlord, George, is a friendly person and regularly on hand to greet you. I travel 36 miles to Manchester from Leyland and this is always one of my stopping off points. For the older person, there is a photo on the wall of Ronnie Morgan, the ex landlord of the Swan with Two Necks on Withy Grove, sadly no longer standing. Of course, there are numerous other pics. of varying interests.
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Very friendly pub with waitress service even at busy times. There's a living history of the pub in photographs on the wall. There's quite a few pictures of the landlord's previous pub - the Douglas - on the walls too.
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Unique, fantastic...we had to knock on the door to get in, but made to feel very welcome. Tetley's was excellent, had to spend whole time standing in corridor with people squeezsing past evry few seconds, but the experience was none the worse for it. Ladies' loo may be a bit rough and ready for most - no lock on door! Timewarp drinking at its very best...
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Can't possibly visit manchester without a pint or two in here. It's unique and always enjoyable
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Amazing pub!! So tiny yet packed with trivia, photos (see if you can spot Pigeon Joe!) and footy memorabilia. The bar is well possibly not a bar (cider is in cans in cool box under it but there is a great girl who serves your drinks at the table and brings a bowl of crispst. Outside toilets for the ladies which had a copy of the Daily Mirror on the floor - lovely touch!! Everyone is so friendly and you can honestly lose all track of time say in here. Definitely worth a visit.
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An absolute gem of a pub - well worth seeking out. You could spend an entire afternoon just looking at the photos of former Man Utd and City players and actors , actresses. The Tetleys bitter was in good nick on my recent visit. Roger B's brilliant report below says it all and there's little if anything to add
REAL PUBS RULE O K !
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Theres more photos in here,than in a Heathrow baggage handlers house.Two small cosy rooms and a bar which is so small it should be called a ba or even a b.
The tetley draught was a pleasant drop.Its run by George who years ago,used to run the late lamented Douglas on Fennel St (opposite Pips).The Douglas still holds the record for the smallest pool table-with the biggest pockets I've ever seen.You had to have 20/20 eyesight to find somewhere to put your chalk round the side of the table that wasnt pocket...
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Absolute gem, visited for the first time a few months ago and couldn't belive the place, definate must for anyone who hasn't been here.
Only dissappointment was on my occasion there was no bodily contact or a request for my photo.
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This is the cutiest pub in Manchester. It has all the character any one could wish for. Has loads of pictures on the wall (few famous faces with George the owner) lots of football memorabilla as well. Really nice to go and have a beer. Really should go in and see how small the bar is. Well recommended
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The Circus Tavern has been operational for over two hundred years and has survived the ravages of heavy wartime bombing and the subsequent major city redevelopment schemes. This is probably the smallest pub in Manchester and it shows. The bar itself is little more than a cupboard under the stairs, with room for no more than one person to serve and one person to queue. Every inch of bar space is precious. There is not even room for a proper till, the money being placed into a small coin drawer that pops in and out of its hidey-hole beneath the optics. The size of the bar may in fact be the pubs biggest drawback, being only able to stock a limited selection of drinks however all but the fussiest drinkers would appear to be catered for. The rest of the pub consists of two tiny rooms leading from a wooden partition that forms a corridor from the bar. The cosy front room is simply furnished and the lightly coloured walls are bedecked with photographs of local celebrities. The rear room is similar but the décor is geared towards the football fraternity. Both City and United's supporters clubs use the pub, an unusual choice of venue given the logistics of having organised meetings in such a small space. One wall of the room is dedicated to the red and white of United with photographs of old players and matches mixed in with various items of memorabilia whilst, in a rare example of football harmony, the adjacent wall pays homage in a similar fashion to the pale blue of City.
The pub is at it’s best when it is at its busiest and most claustrophobic. It is virtually impossible to move without squeezing past other customers and, in a different environment, one could possibly feel quite uncomfortable. In the Circus Tavern, however, bodily contact is necessary, unavoidable and all done with great tact and northern humour. Striking up a conversation with a complete stranger in such intimacy is almost expected and all adds to the fun of being there in the first place. What the Circus Tavern lacks in size, it more than makes up for in atmosphere and ambience. It is truly one of the few great, unspoilt inner city pubs left in the country.
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Called in, for the millionth time, on the 11th June (2005)as usual top ale and friendly atmosphere. Waitress service is the norm during busy periods.
Give it a go!!!
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Excellent pub - small,quirky and original, to say the least. Nearly everytime you go to this pub, you end up talking to someone new - the place is that small that you just can't help getting involved with other people's conversations!
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Splendid little pub,usually only open during the day,2 small rooms rooms with plenty of character/s...
The beer quality can be up & down...but well worth a look....backs on to chinatown.
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if you are a big fat sod go and find another bar to drink in
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A little gem.Quite literally.Fantastic place.V.friendly v.cheap
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A great little pub in the centre on Manchester. Friendly atmosphere and friendly staff. Cheap beer as well...what a bonus
Dave - 15 Nov 2004 17:55 |
Thanks, Dan - as a result of your review, went for a pint there on my first visit to Manchester, last weekend. Great little pub - an old guy on the steps outside unlocked the door to let us in! Smallest bar I've ever seen, but a couple of little rooms meant there was sufficient seating space (on a Saturday afternoon to watch rugby too!) Very reasonable prices, and the bar-staff brought the beer to the table! Excellent - will be my first port of call on any future visit to Manchester.
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Tiny litle gem nicely tucked away. Serves only one lager and a bitter ( alternating, but usually Tetleys)! You wont find anywhere in Manchester with such History. The bar can only fit one barman behind it. The back rooms are very inteesting!
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