Bar Fringe image

Bar Fringe

Bar

👍👍 Long standing pearl of the Northern Quarter. Excellent selection of real ales plus ciders and foreign beers. Always had a friendly and helpful service. Wife and daughter always feel comfortable drinking here. Martin Meerkat loves this bar. People often mention beer, beers, selection, good, great, friendly, staff, Belgian, Great, decor,


Address

8 Swan St, Manchester M4 5JN, United Kingdom

Website

www.facebook.com

Contact

+44 161 835 3815

Price rating

$$ $$

Rating on Google Maps

4.50 (640 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Thursday: 1 to 10 pm
  • Friday: 1 to 11:30 pm
  • Saturday: 1 to 11:30 pm
  • Sunday: 1 to 11 pm
  • Monday: 1 to 10 pm
  • Tuesday: 1 to 10 pm
  • Wednesday: 1 to 10 pm

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: beer (23) beers (20) selection (13) good (11) great (9) friendly (8) staff (8) Belgian (7) Great (6) decor (6)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 MADDOGLEP 1 year ago on Google
    Long standing pearl of the Northern Quarter. Excellent selection of real ales plus ciders and foreign beers. Always had a friendly and helpful service. Wife and daughter always feel comfortable drinking here. Martin Meerkat loves this bar.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Roy C. 1 year ago on Google
    We absolutely love this place. Great selection of belgique beers and great cosy atmosphere with regulars all around.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Garry H. 2 years ago on Google
    Cracking Boozer. Proper pub. With good beers. No plastic. No secret Tories. Great beer garden. One of the best hidden gems in town.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Liisa N. 1 year ago on Google
    Excellent beers and ales, super friendly staff, great place for dogs!

  • 5/5 appoNo1 5 months ago on Google
    Can’t believe I’d never been here until last week! Proper chilled place. Cheap for a city centre pub and love the decor. Highly recommend ✌️

  • 5/5 Alison F. 4 months ago on Google
    Perfect as always. Engaging team... Dan is a superstar...great range of hand pulls and bottled beers eclectic surroundings and a great vibe...only place for a beer lover to drink in Manchester;

  • 5/5 Andy & L. 6 months ago on Google
    Belgium beer on tap. Server gave us time to choose from the large amount of beer available. Cannot fault the place.

  • 5/5 Susan R. 6 months ago on Google
    Superb little bar, it would be my local where it not 8 miles from my house It's only a bus ride away though Thoughally recommended

  • 5/5 Brian D. 8 months ago on Google
    Small but really lively pub, definitely one for beer drinkers - huge selection of different, mostly Belgian, beers on draft. No Hoegaarden any more though which was a bit disappointing. Decor is eclectic in a good way and there’s so many little bits dotted around the place which catch the eye. Big beer garden out the back which they’ve done really well with the space they have.

  • 5/5 Daniel 1 year ago on Google
    Nice little bar with an outside area at the back. Very interesting beer selection with plenty of Belgian offerings. Helpful bar staff which is good as some of the beers are quite strong but luckily they'll let you know!

  • 5/5 Vic P. 6 months ago on Google
    A nice bar with a very good selection of Belgian beer. The staff are friendly. Nice seating - the two big chairs in the corner are very relaxing. A good place to visit in the city centre

  • 5/5 Matthew C. 10 months ago on Google
    The staff were brilliant. This is one of the best bars to get a “nice beer”, the atmosphere is lovely, the decor is fun, a bit kooky but accompanies the fun idea of a jukebox and wacky beers. The prices were a little steep but there are very few places that serve beers as nice and as consistently, there is a huge selection for all beer drinkers, plenty of adventurous beers, plenty of high ABV beers and a standard (but lovely) lager in the form of Budvar. The garden is lovely and kitsch, full of gnomes and funny ornaments and dog friendly. Met a lovely old dog and everyone there was incredibly welcoming. Lovely little bar, will return soon if I’m in need of a nice beer such as a Delerium on draught! (highly recommended) Total gem of a bar, keep up the amazing work

  • 3/5 Louise P. 11 months ago on Google
    This was a disappointing visit for me. The beer selection was average. Two of the beers we got didn't taste right, we brought them back only to be told that's how they are supposed to taste. We know our beers and they definitely weren't right. The smell from the gents toilets was overpowering. I had high hopes for this bar but left feeling disappointed 😞

  • 5/5 ben j. 1 year ago on Google
    Keep it under your hat like but this little belter is a Manchester institution. Belgian beer, excellent ale and top shelf snacks. I've only ever been 3 times and the last time was probably 15 years ago. So I was pleased to find it was just as good if not better. Amazing beer garden, fish tank, piano, decor, glasses and beer mats. If I made a tick list of all the things I like in a pub this place nailed it. Huge thanks to the staff, absolutely on point. I'd like to say more but you are so efficient it's difficult. Oh and you will not get stuck behind someone ordering a cocktail.

  • 5/5 Ian D. 11 months ago on Google
    A real hidden gem. In these days of characterless generic bars It was great to find a proper old school pub. Good selection of beers, interesting decor and the bar staff were very friendly and had me laughing out loud with their banter. I will definitely make a point of visiting again next time I'm in Manchester.

  • 4/5 Matthew W. 1 year ago on Google
    Really nice pub with traditional vibe. Friendly patrons and land lady. Smoking area out back and open till 11 ish!

  • 5/5 Michelle I. 1 year ago on Google
    What an incredible little bar!!! An awesome selection of Belgium beer. Staff are hilarious. Jukebox is PHENOMENAL

  • 4/5 David l. 1 year ago on Google
    Great little city center bar, fantastic beer selection and not over priced, down side can get busy with Limited seating especially in winter, but summer they have a large seated area outside

  • 5/5 SmrtArs 1 year ago on Google
    Good beer selection, friendly bar tender, quirky place

  • 5/5 Richie A. 1 year ago on Google
    My favourite bar in Manchester great staff/owners. Great beer and friendly locals.

  • 5/5 Bryn H. 1 year ago on Google
    Great beers and unique vibe

  • 5/5 Heidi L. 1 year ago on Google
    Always a go-to for when I visit Manchester. Fruity beers is always a winner with me. But to have more than one choice makes me even happier!

  • 5/5 Helena R. 2 years ago on Google
    Sort of place you don’t really want to review because part of the reason it’s good is the ease of getting a table and not having to yell all your conversations compared to most of the surrounding NQ/Ancoats bars, but it is really great. Cosy, great range of reasonably priced beers with a Belgian focus, staff are fun, really good outdoor area and there’s some cardboard cutouts of characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer about inside. Been one of the best spots in town for years.

  • 4/5 Michael R. 2 years ago on Google
    Totally Belgian beer - well, almost! Very good selection though!

  • 5/5 Mark On The M. 6 years ago on Google
    really cool bar. Belgium beer, real ales and everything else you could want. over 18 beers on tap!

  • 5/5 Sara H. 1 year ago on Google
    Have visited this place a few times.I love it.The decor is quirky.Always a good choice of ales on that are well kept.Staff are welcoming.The type of pub you can relax in

  • 5/5 Lauren L. 1 year ago on Google
    Love this place. Good owners - very good choice of beers and snacks! Nice seating outside too

  • 5/5 Olivia W. 1 year ago on Google
    Lovely friendly pub with great interacting decor. Particularly loved the massive green Man on the wall! Lovely beer garden with some beautiful plants!

  • 4/5 Toby P. 1 year ago on Google
    Nice bar that always seems busy. Great selection of beers that you are unlikely to find elsewhere in the Northern Quarter, particularly if you have leanings towards Belgian beer. And with Delirium Tremens on draught, what's not to love.


Call +44 161 835 3815 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Payments
    • ✓️ Debit cards
    • ✓️ Credit cards
    • ✓️ NFC mobile payments
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Beer
    • ✓️ Food
    • ✓️ Wine
    • ✓️ Alcohol
    • ✓️ Spirits
  • Accessibility
    • ✗ Wheelchair-accessible car park
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible entrance
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Seating
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✗ Delivery
    • ✓️ Outdoor seating

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