October 9, 2009
A positive addition to the northern Manchester pub trail. Impressive gothic interior, with the ceiling in the lounge almost falling down (saved by the net). Six handpumps, they only had two beers on visit in July 2009. A couple of ciders were available as well. They were well kept. Friendly and efficient service. If you’re pub crawling in Manchester you’ll probably be passing by, so you might as well drop in for a couple of pints.

July 30, 2009
Very short stop at RBESG. There were a few casks available, all fair quality. The cider was probably off, but they still served it. Didn’t order anything myself, as Tom took care of that. (thanks Tom). A bit crowded, yet spacious, when we were there. Cool ceiling, yeah!

June 21, 2009
Visited 10/06/09. I would echo the comments about the interior - the ceiling is unique. A decent range of ales was available, the service was efficient and the locals were friendly. Well worth visiting if in the area.

November 29, 2008
I can only echo what I wrote on beerintheevening.com: This is an object lesson in how to renovate a pub. I only went once before the fire all those years ago but this is such an improvement I’m astonished. Fascinating architecture and you can still see the remnants of the fire when you look at the arched ceiling. Whenever I’ve visited the beer has always been in top nick with an adventurous choice of guests. Gets rammed when City are at home and they post security on the door on match days. Amazingly, they are always polite and professional. This is a great addition to the already strong Ancoats area.

April 18, 2008 [ Updated January 7, 2009 ]
Amazing architecture. They have a net over the ornate ceiling, presumably to protect customers in case bits fall off. However, for a pub that was only renovated a couple of years back, the furniture and interior is getting a bit scruffy. Almost deserted on a Wednesday evening. Four beers on handpump but only one was a scoop for me - that’s assuming that the house beer from Greenfield is not a rebadge. If you’re in Manchester to drink, you are going to be in that area anyway so it’s a must-visit but, beer-wise it is probably the most dispensable of the Northern Quarter stalwarts.

August 26, 2007
An absolute must stop, an architectural delight by Manchester’s pub standard. Solid selection of beers from varying breweries, many of which I had not seen previously. No-nonsense service, direct and effective. Comfortable and warm feel despite the building’s cold lines.

August 10, 2007
This place had been long shut from back in the days long before I started even drinking let alone scooping! Nice to see it open because the Northern Quarter has lost both the Beer House and the Pot of Beer in recent years so this at least goes some way to redressing the balance. Usually an interesting range of ales on here, worth a visit during the Winter Ales weekend as they tend to get hold of extra beer from a good selection of UK micro breweries.

September 4, 2006
A classic old pub with an amazing gothic interior - closed 20 years ago, survived a fire, and now reopened as a real ale pub with some decent beers so far. One half of the ceiling has been restored, the other half left as it was. A very welcome addition to the scene in Manchester.