My experience of Manchester
was probably a little biased as I was taken there on a pub crawl by some friends who live up there. But all the same, I got the impression they could have just blindfolded me in the town centre and let me scoot off in a random direction and even then I'd have stood a good chance of ending up in a friendly boozer with a fine selection of grown-up beer on the bar.

Edit: Should also add the disclaimer that I was particularly impressed as a fan of darker beers (milds/stouts/porters) which are much easier to get hold of in the North than they are for Southern Fairies like myself.
Edit edit: I think the most striking difference about Manchester, for me, compared to London, was that in the city centre, there's much less of a distinction betwee "bars for trendy young arseholes" and "pubs for old men." They seem to have a lot of straightforward "pubs," and in most of the good ones you actually see a very good balance of young and old and the atmosphere is so much less cuntish then any London equivalent.
(LongJohnBaldry, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 14:12, 1 reply, 16 years ago)

I like different beers in their own season, it is spring now so that means lighter beers. Belgian beers are my real fave though.
( Jimbuktu See? Right here, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 14:19, Reply)

I'm sure we went to a couple of places that stocked a lot of Belgian stuff
But I was on local stuff for the whole day so I wouldn't be able to remember where they were.

Still, if you're in London, have you checked out the Dovetail (Farringdon) or that place in Camden whose name I can't remember?
(LongJohnBaldry, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 14:23, Reply)

I am far from London
Though it is easy to get to. I'll look out as I may pop up to see the tate again. Thanks!
( Jimbuktu See? Right here, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 14:48, Reply)