The Old Monkey

I don’t know about you but I like chillin in a pub with a bunch of elderly English chaps talking shit about y’all dirty Yanks.
This place is old. Nay, classic. The décor is simple and perfect for the ambiance.
There are a couple of little bartender chicks servin up tasty cask ales.
This ain’t a cheesy lounge or pick-​up bar. Sorry, New Yorkers.
They serve food… when they feel like it.
Hahaha…respect the swag.

I’d forgotten what a great little pub this was until recently, as I keep ending up in here towards the end of my mid-​week nights out. Hence I thought it fair I finally reviewed the place!
I like Joseph Holts city centre pubs (they also have the Crown and Anchor near Sinclairs, plus the Ape and Apple) and this one has a great crowd of after-​work drinkers. Last night (a Wednesday) was rammed with seasonal revellers. Santa hat and Christmas jumper central, which made for a great atmosphere.
Holts Brewery (near Strangeways if anyone fancies a visit) make a great range of craft beers (showcased here obviously) and the added plus here, are the modest prices. A bottle of wine is just over £9 quid too, not bad at all!

Normal but really nice boozer.
The Old Monkey is a lovely old pub with some great architecture. A really classic old pubby pub. And they’re a dwinldling breed so its worth supporting them.
I love pubs like this and this is one of the better ones around. Plus Joseph Holt pubs are just great.
Great ales and great lagers, which is unusual as you normally find every pub to be lagging on one of these important accounts. My account is lagging too but thats irrelevant here.
The Old Monkey is right in the middle of town as well so its easy to pop in for one. I like going there for a daytime beer on a rainy Manchester afternoon.

This little pub is full of stories. Really it is. I have that habit, that I associate every place with something or someone. This is the first pub in Manchester where I went with my boyfriend. Well, they redecorated it since, they changed most of the staff and now the clients are way different than what they used to be. Older, and with other tastes than before. I must say, I’m afraid, I’m disappointed. The old monkey will always be closed to my heart, but nowadays I can go in there and enjoy myself. You can have a boring beer with a boring conversation, with no music on the background. Before that, was always busy, and full of life, and colors. It makes me sad that I can’t go to the same place and relive wonderful moments from the past. All I can see now is just another pub, and only the walls are full of mystery and secrets from our history as a couple, as friends, as people that used to enjoy this little place. At least, on the outside, the same lovely flowers are showing them petals to all the people in a rush.

This is another pub that American Gran makes us go to when she visits. Because she likes real ale, and is under the mistaken idea that English people like having loud Americans in their pubs talking about Charrrrles De Gawwwwwwwl airport and iPhones (my gran’s quite technologically advanced for an old bird).
This pub is OK. Nothing to write home about. It serves Holt beers and lagers, and they’re nice enough to drink (though not a spot on, say, Heineken…) The problem is, there’s not enough atmosphere. There’s a lot of empty space, on the wall and the floor, and it all seems a bit too well-​lit. It feels like a stage set for a pub scene. Not exactly high praise.
If you want wacky Northern old man pub times with bigotry and character, go to the Grey Horse (but keep your opinions to yourself unless you hate minorities, too)

This place is nothing fancy. It is a proper northern boozer. Great ales, great people, great prices!
The Old Monkey is a favourite of mine to go to before going on a big night out. Its just as fun and simplistic as its name. I recommend getting your close mates and getting down there early evening for good music, great service and gooood times!

It really wouldn’t matter if it served no booze at all, it wouldn’t matter to me if the seats where made out liquorice flavoured jelly and the bar out stacked carpet samples, it wouldn’t even matter if the cost of entry was to be licked on the face by a tutu wearing Komodo Dragon, facts are facts damn it!
And the fact is that what we have here is a pub called the Old Monkey and that’s awesome.
The two stories of cosy pub décor, well priced food, tasty local ales and happy clappy staff don’t exactly hurt the Old Monkeys case either.

The old monkey is a fantastic two story pub right in the heart of Manchester. It’s a great dinner time retreat for those that are a fan of the liquid lunch. I always have fantastic conversations with the barmaids and the regulars here.