City Arms image

City Arms

Bar Pub

Traditional pub offering cask ales, familiar pub fare & local craft beers. People often mention beers, good, ales, Manchester, selection, great, Great, pint, boozer, friendly,


Address

46-48 Kennedy St, Manchester M2 4BQ, United Kingdom

Website

twitter.com

Contact

+44 161 236 4610

Price rating

$$ $$

Rating on Google Maps

4.50 (1.1K reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Monday: 12 to 11 pm
  • Tuesday: 12 to 11 pm
  • Wednesday: 12 to 11 pm
  • Thursday: 12 to 11 pm
  • Friday: 12 pm to 12 am
  • Saturday: 12 pm to 12 am
  • Sunday: 12 to 8 pm

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: beers (16) good (15) ales (14) Manchester (14) selection (13) great (11) Great (9) pint (9) boozer (8) friendly (8)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 1/5 Trevor G. 1 year ago on Google
    Good choice of ales. Toilets are an absolute disgrace. Hand dryer broken, one basin to dry hands and press down tap falls off basin when you press it(on flexible pipe). It was like this last week as well. Toilet floor has years of built up dirt on it. Been coming in here for 45 years. Tonight will be my last.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Ray T. 2 years ago on Google
    A proper old-school boozer, but has moved with the times enough to serve a great selection of craft beers and ales. Plenty of seats available, even when the place was heaving on the Friday night I visited. A warm atmosphere enhanced by the friendly service. The toilets let it down ever so slightly, but you don't tend to visit the pub to judge its toilets
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 g t. 5 months ago on Google
    Cracking boozer in Manchester City centre. Large selection of ale including gluten and vegan options. 2 main rooms both with a nice ambience for drinking. Small outside area at back which is sheltered. Very good service behind the bar. Sells jumbo packs of midland pork scratchings for £2. Highly recommended is this pub 🍻 🐷
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Butty Box b. 1 year ago on Google
    Great little old pub no frills 6 old fashioned beers on special just sit have a good pint and chill good old Manchester boozer
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 ben j. 9 months ago on Google
    For fans of old pubs, ale, pies and atmosphere this is a winner. Great gin selection, lovely atmosphere, excellent service. 8 handpumps, scampi fries and pork scratchings. Central Manchester but just off the beaten track.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Sean O. 1 year ago on Google
    Nice little pub, usually a decent selection of craft beers, mainly cask, and a favourite of a few people that work at certain breweries, which definitely makes it more a vibe.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Mike773 U. 1 year ago on Google
    29/09/22: not the first, and won't be the last visit here. Been coming for as long as I can remember. We enjoyed a very good pint of Titanic Plum Porter 4.9% and a pub staple..... Pork Scratchings! The City Arms was once a weaver's cottage and is over 200 years old; it has green leathers, quilted stools, that smell you hated as a kid but have grown to recognise as a true pub smell, and of course, a great selection of beer and ales. It's small, cozy and even offers books to read. It has all the comforts of home and all the sensual triggers that take you to that safe and secure place you feel in a good old fashioned pub. Grade II Listed Building The layout of this late 18th-century pub derives from a refurbishment around 1900 but some fittings are inter-war whilst designation as a ‘Tetley Festival Ale House’ in the 1970s introduced further changes such as the bar-back and panelling in the public bar (front). Through the left-hand door is a passage with tiled floor and attractive dado tiling. Halfway down, a hatch still offers service from the back of the servery. Inside are two small rooms on different levels with a widish gap between them. As noted, the public bar with its bare wood floor and fixed seating, has seen post-war changes. Much of the rear saloon décor is from the 1930s: an Art Deco fireplace with bevelled mirror in the mantelpiece, dado panelling, baffles and (probably) the ‘ladies’ stained glass panel. Another wooden floor here but the fixed seating seems quite recent.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Goster G. 9 months ago on Google
    A great hidden gem in the heart of Manchester - craft beers lagers ales - hard to find Budvar and others. Space to sit and chop it up with the fisherman of Manchester. Really love this place
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Craig H. 8 months ago on Google
    This pub is a quality boozer! It has some great ales both for traditional beer drinkers and for more modern style drinkers. Definitely worth a visit.

  • 4/5 Martin H. 1 year ago on Google
    Reasonably good choice of beers, always have me favourite plum Porter on everything time I go in to Manchester.

  • 5/5 Paul L. 1 year ago on Google
    It’s a great little pub with a great choice of beers. Staff always friendly.

  • 5/5 Jonathan 1 year ago on Google
    Traditional real ale pub tucked away behind Wetherspoons. The most reliably excellent pub in Manchester city centre.

  • 5/5 Kevin M. 1 year ago on Google
    One of the best boozers in town. No loud muzak just the buzz of conversation. Enough cask ales to make you late for whatever you thought you had to go to.

  • 4/5 John R. 10 months ago on Google
    When in manchester this is one I always head for because its so traditional and has a great atmosphere.Try a pint of dead man's fist it's delightful. If the young man who sits in the corner drawing check out his talent his art work is exceptional.

  • 4/5 Gazza P. 10 months ago on Google
    Proper old boozer with lots of rooms and nooks to enjoy the decent range of beers. A respite from the busy streets outside.

  • 4/5 Trevor C. 1 year ago on Google
    Have always loved this Pub but on a recent visit I was very shocked by the current prices ! For a Pint of standard 3.7% Beartown Bitter it was £5.45/pint !!!! I know many costs have risen but this is very excessive. A 5 min walk away I paid £3.30 and have just had a weekend in York town centre (a top tourist destination) and never paid over £4.80/pint....

  • 5/5 Richard B. 7 months ago on Google
    Superb side street traditional style pub in Manchester City Centre, offering a great selection of cask ales and a few keg in lovely condition. As you can see from the photos, the range of styles on cask - all of the board is cask except from the bottom two, and is constantly rotating - is very varied and well balanced from a DDH Pale, bitter, mild to porter - and the breweries they are supplied from are absolutely top notch. I paid £5.50 for a pint of the Brew York DDH Pale, which was served in the correct glass with a lovely head. Staff are friendly, and the atmosphere was good with a nice splattering of couples and groups in on a Monday lunchtime. Definitely one for ale lovers to seek out.

  • 4/5 john b. 7 months ago on Google
    I am a born and bred Mancunian. Yet this was the first time I visited the City Arms. A little gem, this Is one of the few pubs to resist change and retain its identity. A good range of beers and other drinks are available. Friendly service, a good place to drop in and wet your whistle.

  • 5/5 John Carr (Corinne and J. 3 months ago on Google New
    Excellent pub less than 10 minutes walk from Manchester Piccadilly Station. Eight cask beers on handpump including two porters and a mild when I last visited. A few seats outside on the quiet street. Very friendly and helpful staff. The pub is located between a Wetherspoon’s pub called the Waterhouse and the Vine Inn.

  • 5/5 FaRaZnotYou 4 months ago on Google
    Great selection of ales. Not over priced and over all a great place visit.

  • 2/5 A G. 3 months ago on Google New
    Bit old style but not in timeless classic way in a tacky way. Very small inside and town priced beer - wouldn't recommend it small basic but still pricey pints

  • 4/5 Dave S. 3 months ago on Google New
    Good old man's drinking pub, decent selection of beer.

  • 5/5 Rich C. 1 year ago on Google
    Great choice of ales. Would recommend.👌

  • 4/5 Giles D. 1 year ago on Google
    Good selection of beers and a good like minded clientele. Happy to share a table with strangers, even those of us from the right side of the moors. ;-)

  • 5/5 Michael B. 2 years ago on Google
    Great beer just a shame they don't fill the glass......btw they did when asked

  • 5/5 Richard W. 1 year ago on Google
    Haven't been in for a pint in years. Hasn't changed; quality boozer! 5 stars as they had a gluten-free beer on tap when i visited.

  • 5/5 Bryan K. 1 year ago on Google
    Great traditional pub off the beat and track. Always a brilliant selection of beers and served by very friendly staff peeps. Had the Wander Beyond Brewing (a Manchester brewery) Milk Stout. As expected absolutely beautiful. I certainly recommend a visit here if you love your beers.

  • 3/5 joecares 1 year ago on Google
    Came for drinks passing through Manchester. Lads toilet definitely needs some care and attention. Drinks were fine, bar staff were polite and pleasant

  • 5/5 haych3 1 year ago on Google
    Great little pub with a nice cask selection

  • 5/5 Clair N. 1 year ago on Google
    Traditional pub, it's not very big but great atmosphere. Sells traditional cask ales, wines and spirits. Lovely original period features in the building.

  • 5/5 Tony G. 1 year ago on Google
    Some brilliant ales, with friendly and welcoming service. We were in Manchester for three days, and visited this pub on all three nights. The beers were different each day, which was great, except I fell for one on day one, which I couldn't then replicate. Probably a good thing as it was 6.5%. I'd recommend the bub to any ale lover.

  • 5/5 Nick D. 1 year ago on Google
    What a find, and right in the centre of the city! If you like proper old pubs with a proper old atmosphere, and staff who genuinely like working there, City Arms is for you. Titanic Plum Porter virgin here. I might move to Manchester 🤔

  • 4/5 Peter W. 1 year ago on Google
    Very good old city pub. Very good selections of beers.

  • 4/5 David W. 2 years ago on Google
    My 'go to' pub' in the city centre. Traditional, small, two roomed bar with lunchtime bar snacks and a good selection of real ales, including gluten free and vegan. Great for a quiet pint or two, weekdays.

  • 4/5 Alan S. 1 year ago on Google
    One if the propper old fashioned Manchester pubs full of character, friendly staff and plenty of guest ales to try as well as regular beers and spirits.

  • 5/5 Joshua C. 2 years ago on Google
    Great little old style pub. Busy but friendly. Recommend if you are in the area and just fancy a quick pint.

  • 5/5 Richard H. 1 year ago on Google
    A good old fashioned boozer! Bags of character, excellent choice of beers and gins. Hard to fault.

  • 5/5 Sam D. 1 year ago on Google
    Proper boozer with a decent selection of well kept real ales. Traditional decor with some nice, salient quotes written on the walls in the lower seating area.


Call +44 161 236 4610 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Payments
    • ✓️ Debit cards
    • ✓️ Credit cards
    • ✓️ NFC mobile payments
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Beer
    • ✓️ Food
    • ✓️ Wine
    • ✓️ Alcohol
    • ✓️ Spirits
    • ✓️ Free water refills
  • Accessibility
    • ✗ Wheelchair-accessible toilet
    • ✗ Wheelchair-accessible car park
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✗ Delivery

Trends



Last updated:

Similar Pubs nearby

Turtle Bay Manchester Northern Quarter image
1
Turtle Bay Manchester Northern Quarter
Caribbean restaurant
👍👍 I was craving curry during my stay in Manchester. And Google suggested this place to me. It's in the centre, almost 6 minutes away from my hotel. The interior design is very hip and it has a great vibe. The music that is being played is modern. The curry was amazing. And the prices were perfect for...
$$ $$
4.80 (9.9K reviews)
Turtle Bay Manchester Oxford Rd image
2
Turtle Bay Manchester Oxford Rd
Caribbean restaurant
Caribbean cuisine and cocktails served in contemporary bar-restaurant with floor-to-ceiling windows.
$$ $$
4.70 (9.7K reviews)
MyLahore Manchester image
3
MyLahore Manchester
Asian fusion restaurant
Colourful decor in a bustling modern cafe/diner with a globally-inspired menu, with halal meats.
$$ $$
4.50 (8K reviews)
Wetherspoons image
4
Wetherspoons
Pub
Child-friendly chain pub, serving real ale and food all day, with subtitled TV news in background.
$ $$$
3.90 (7.4K reviews)
The Moon Under Water - JD Wetherspoon image
5
The Moon Under Water - JD Wetherspoon
Pub
Casual pub offering a diverse menu of comfort foods, plus outdoor seating, TVs & Wi-Fi.
$ $$$
4.00 (7K reviews)
Last updated:
()