Whatever your tipple there’s almost certainly a Manchester bar for you. With around 500 to choose from offering everything from craft beer to cocktails and live music to live sport there really is something for everyone.

Craft Beer

My second love (after food of course) is craft beer, and Manchester has some brilliant bars and pubs in which to enjoy it. My favourite is the beautiful Marble Arch Inn where you can enjoy Marble Breweries own beers at their very best, along with others from specially selected guests. The food is also excellent and they offer one of the best cheeseboards in the city.

Closely followed by BrewDog, who may like to appear edgy but are big softies really. The staff are passionate about beer and really know their stuff, they’re always happy to talk, recommend and even offer samples to help you make up your mind.

Then there’s The Knott, Font, Cask, Common Bar and Port Street Beer House all serving a variety of quality, interesting craft ales. There’s no food at Port Street or Cask but the others have menus good enough that you never have to leave!

(Read more about craft beer in Manchester in Manchester’s Real Ale Tales)

Cocktails

Cocktail lovers are well catered for too. Step off Deansgate into Epernay Champagne Bar in the Great Northern Tower; you’ll find dim lights, jazz music, classy cocktails and vintage champagne.

Nearby Cloud 23 serve equally impressive cocktails and boasts a stunning view of the city from the 23rd floor of the Hilton hotel. For more experimental cocktails head to uber cool bars Dusk Til Pawn, Elixr or Guilty By Association.

(Read more about cocktails in Manchester in Cocktails to Match The Food)

Football

Manchester is the football capital of the country so it’s no surprise to find several sports bars where you can watch the big games on big screens. It’s not just Premiership football either; most show matches from all over the world along with other sports including cricket, tennis, snooker, rugby and golf.

Two of the more interesting places to catch a game are:

Tib Street Tavern - one of the few sports bars in the Northern Quarter. With loads of screens, comfy leather couches, cask ales and decent food. What more could you want?

Mulligans - a traditional Irish pub on Deansgate with nine screens that show Gaelic football and hurling as well as the English Premiership. Food is authentically Irish and they claim to serve the best Guinness in Manchester too!

(For more ideas on where to watch football in Manchester read Where to Watch Football in Manchester.)

Live Music

Manchester has always been synonymous with live music, from huge shows at the Arena to unsigned bands in many of its bars. You can catch live gigs across the city in the likes of The Deaf Institute, Gorilla, The Gaslamp and The Roadhouse.

There’s even one bar that ticks all the boxes. Joshua Brooks have some of the best value cask ales around, a decent cocktail list, several screens showing up to three live games at a time on match days and they host regular gigs in the basement too!

(Read more about live music in Where Manchester’s Coolest Music Promoters go to See Live Bands)

Related Reads

Focus On: The Marble Brewery

Best Manchester Music Venues

My Love for Liquor

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