Bar Fringe in Manchester

Stumbled on this mainly Belgian themed bar, quirky and interesting interior, genuine staff, attracts a mix of hip clientele, and has a big garden to smoke in. Clean, and good prices!

Bar Fringe...a place I have frequented often over the years. A truly delightful pub, situated just off the busy part of Ancoats. Luckily this place has survived the influencer invasion on Ancoats unscathed and has kept it's authenticity. Kudos for that. A rare gem in the city centre. Shine on Bar Fringe, shine on.

Limited ciders available. Traditional boozer.

Great range of beers in a very atmospheric northern quarter boozer. Deffo going back.

Splendid service. Beers and fruit Belgian beers excellent! Oakham Citra and chilled ciders a highlight. Pretzels a soaking up method! Carmen a joy.

What an experience! It's becoming increasingly difficult to tempt me out during the week; bad foot, backs going and the hairs doing a runner with it, but in the blueprint itinerary Bar Fringe was on the cards and if that's true, I'll have a hand dealt... STREWTH! What can I say - with such a varied selection on tap and in-bottle it is absolutely no surprise that every time we take residence at Bar Fringe of an evening that I am steaming as a rocket. Firstly, this is a superb watering house with some magnificent decor and features, albeit questionable, it's alright for me my led! From streets-view, it is missable and almost hides amongst its neighbouring shops, mind you keep an eye out if visiting! The staff are second to none and have always made the party feel welcome. On several occasions, staff have offered extended support when selecting the right drink for me. Drinks; as above - what an experience, what a varied selection. From pilsner to plum and everything in between but with a particular focus on beautiful Belgians. On this occasion, I had sampled several better-known beverages before becoming accustomed to the 250ml 'La Trappe - blond' and that is lush, and I mean lush. Certainly an agreeable ale with a defined rich taste; often demonstrating a slightly sweet, softly bitter and malty taste - it truly is an investment for your tastebuds. I have attended Bar Fringe on many occasions now and I do particularly enjoy going during the warmer months as they have a superb seating area outside equipped with large parasols for maximum UV protection. Situated on Swan Street in the Northern Quarter, Bar Fringe is easily walkable from Piccadilly Gardens and Shudehill (if public transport is your mode). Concluding; I would recommend this bar to those who enjoy sampling a breadth of speciality in Belgian beers. One of the finest gems in NQ. Nectar hehe 👍

What a great pub with the best Belgium beers available.

Great vibes, great selection, great beer garden, friendly staff.

Should really be on the Belgium beers in here

I returned a pint straight away as it tasted bad. Bar manager wouldn't swap it, saying nobody else had complained. I asked why that mattered? Rude staff. Used to be my one my favourite bars in Manchester. Won't spend my money in there anymore. Plenty of more friendly bars.

Fantastic find and was able to have our favourite cherry chouffe

This place is so quirky the beer is the best quality and loads to choose from the landlady is amazing you get what you see xx always worth a visit xx

Great bar with plenty of cask & keg beers on tap along with done Belgium beers, some great decor, like a motor bike on the wall. Staff very friendly and good prices

Ways pop into Bar Fringe when I'm in Manchester. Lovely selection of beers and just a chilled place to have a sit down with your beer.

A great little bar, my new fave. Loads of options, reasonably priced and funny charming service from a very honest barman. Loved it, can't believe it's taken this long for my to find it!

Great little bar with an excellent range of beers.

11/04/24: Delirium Red or Delorian as Rob calls it! 01/04/24: Delirium Red 30/01/24: met Milo the Kangol/Rhodesian Ridgeback tonight for some play in the bar. Playing bitey face! We sat back and enjoyed Lilley's Mango cider and Green Duck Beer Co: Duck Dastardly (dandelion & burdock) stout! 20/01/24: been here many times in my lifetime. Rock/Belgium beer hub of NQ. Today exceptional service today from Dan. Bar Fringe (can't believe I've not received before) always great for Belgium beers and just spotted Lilly's Cider. Massive contrast but fantastic!

My favourite bar in Manchester. Couple of Belgian ales on draught. Lots more in bottles. Good choice of Cask beers and other continental choices. Nice relaxed atmosphere. Good jukebox (but could do with turning the volume up sometimes)

Good selection of Belgian beer.

Quirky pub, good service, good range of beers

Great atmosphere great selection of beers

Manchester’s best pub, best atmosphere and cool decorations even has a motorbike on the roof! Lovely staff , Locals and landlady 11/10 Massive Beer Garden too

I love this place. Met a girl here for a date, eleven years later we've got three kids and a multi car insurance policy. Great beers and a sweet jukebox. Viva the Fringe!

This real ale bar near Manchester Victoria is a good honest real ale boozer that also has a Belgium Bar feel to it This pub also serves bottled and on tap foreign and European ales When in Manchester a must to visit On Tuesday 6th September 2022 i revisited this establishment the interiors exactly the same still served good range of european ales but it has now a lot better range of hand pumped ales great cls and bar staff so 5 stars ive upgraded this pub to I again came back yo this great pun Sunday 12th March 2023 This pub has same landlady as before seems like same local following and the rail ales and Belgium draft beers still on As before, fffing excellent landlady still as loud but adds to the places good value I wish 1 thing though🤫 that the Belgium draft ales become cheaper Saturday 30th December 2023 We again came into this quite superb Belgium theamed pub on the edge on Manchesters Northern auarter These great locals and visitors to Manchester is a place to behold for drinkers of hand pumped real ales and bottled and draught Belgium beers A must to visit for perveers of good ales when in Manchester

Always worth a visit, and an incredible selection of beers 🍻

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;

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 ✌️

Belgium beer on tap. Server gave us time to choose from the large amount of beer available. Cannot fault the place.

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

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

Great bar...pity the jukebox was knackered and swallowed about £8 for no music

Amazing atmosphere! would highly recommend a visit

Do some nice refreshing beers. Good on a hot day

Decent pub with nice outside space.

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.

Small friendly place. Good beers.

Great taps, great bar, great staff.

The only bar in Manchester you should go to if you limited for time.. been coming here off and on for 20+years and never a disappointment

My type of Bar Old school with a wide range of beers 🍻

Outdoor area is great. Good range of beers.

Quirky little spot in the Northern Quarter with a wide selection of good beers and a beer garden, which was great on a hot summers day.

My go to bar Belgium bar plenty of good beers to choose from

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

I have been in here countless times down the years my wife hasn’t. Called in for a swift pint today. My wife wanted a hot drink and sadly they don’t do coffee. Then the lady behind the bar, Carmen?, said that she had pot of coffee on and would that be okay? Course it was and then offered a free mini Victoria sponge to go with it. Great visit, to be honest I could have stayed all afternoon with the beers on offer. Well worth a visit.

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 😞

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.

It was my first visit and I really enjoyed it.

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.

Quirky little bar, nice drinks selection, friendly staff, funky decor and a nice outside seating area at the back for when the sun's out or it's busy inside.

This is a place we’ve been to many, many times over the years and always enjoyed our visits. This last one was disappointing though as the pub seems to have gone downhill a bit recently. It is still the same characterful bar and full of characters. however, the place looked a bit rundown and the toilets really did smell. Every time somebody opened the door a nasty odour came out and surely this can be easily sorted out? The range of beers remains excellent though, and he will definitely find something to your taste. It has a nice sitting out area at the back so hopefully can get back on track and we look forward to going again soon.

Very homely pub. A good mix of people of all ages. Lovely strawberry beer. Very friendly and chatty staff and love that they let dogs in x

Gr8 range of Beers Cozy atmosphere

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.

Great old school bar with amazing beers

Fab pub. Be even better if there was a gluten free option available.

What an incredible little bar!!! An awesome selection of Belgium beer. Staff are hilarious. Jukebox is PHENOMENAL

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!

My friends took me in this place , as it’s one of their favourite bars in the Northern Quarter of Manchester. I love all things quirky and it definitely hit the spot ! The bar person was friendly and one other customer at the bar engaged in conversation. Big ticks! There are lots of interesting and amusing items on display all over the pub , the walls are crammed from floor to ceiling. Plenty of ads for upcoming gigs in the area. Prices are reasonable , ladies toilets are clean with a number of funny, sarcastic pieces of wall art. I would revisit with other friends for the fun of it.

A cracking bar with something for everyone, decent cask - from pedestrian best bitter/pale ales, to decent keg offerings and some Belgian and German belters on tap A solid selection of bottles, the staff know what they're on about and the local characters are good craic

Not been in for a while but as good as it ever was

We absolutely love this place. Great selection of belgique beers and great cosy atmosphere with regulars all around.

Really nice pub with traditional vibe. Friendly patrons and land lady. Smoking area out back and open till 11 ish!

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

Excellent beers and ales, super friendly staff, great place for dogs!

Great little bar with a great selection of Belgian beer

Great atmosphere and lovely staff

A must visit when I go to town. With a fantastic range of beers. Quite quirky. Update: I'm still coming here for wonderful Belgian beers on tap and bottle ten years on. A lovely warm atmosphere

Still one of the best bars in Manchester.

Not a place that I visit often as the service does vary but last night it was fine. The range of beers was pretty good and there was a good vibe in the place. Always a characterful venue looking at the wall decorations !

My favourite bar in Manchester great staff/owners. Great beer and friendly locals.

Great beer, friendly staff and full of character. Not just real ales but loads of European lager, which was well kept. First time visitor but I will definitely be back

Good beer selection, friendly bar tender, quirky place

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!

It was early on a Thursday evening when we visited here and we had a good time as usual. The service in the bar was a little unusual on this occasion but we were soon served from the excellent range of different beers. Inside the bar it is full of character. Every time you look around you see something new and it gives it a unique appeal. On this occasion though, we went into the small beer garden at the back which was nice. This is also the smoking area and you get some interesting perspective on this part of Manchester.

Real great pub to visit. The people who run are noce and funny. I'll defo visit again

Great selection of belgian and UK beers. The staff are friendly. This is not a place for a quiet drink. It's a welcoming, social, sometimes noisy pub that gets a really mixed crowd. We've been here loads over the years and I went with two friends a couple of weeks' ago. Well worth a visit if you've not been before.

Love this place. Good owners - very good choice of beers and snacks! Nice seating outside too

Still a brilliant bar, still has great beer and still has a good mix of people. But...it no longer has hoegaarden 😞 Blanche de Brussels has taken its place. Similar, but not the same 🥺

Lovely friendly pub with great interacting decor. Particularly loved the massive green Man on the wall! Lovely beer garden with some beautiful plants!

My favourite place in Manchester

Review - Bar Fringe - Manchester An old favourite bar, which I visited this June for the first time in over five years to the feeling days, rather than years had gone by since I moved to another city (Preston). Some familiar customers and staff, and the same pattern of five changing real ale hand pumps on tap. I was with several lovely friends making the most of the pub’s excellent beer garden court yard, identifying the flowers and appreciating the eclectic art work, such as a painted robot, a V For Vendetta Mask, and garden gnomes. It is a microcosm of the wild art in the main pub itself, a real motorbike balanced over the inner entrance (the pub has always been popular with bikers), strange face masks on the walls, and artificial giant rats scuttling the ceilings. A favourite pub for real ale and real cider fans, with a great juke box, and clear respect for the principle that if isn’t broken don’t fix or change it.

We found BF by accident, and it instantly became our new favourite pub in MCR. We'll be back next time we're over! Friendly, welcoming staff who made us feel like regulars from the get-go.

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.

Great place to meet nice people

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

Totally Belgian beer - well, almost! Very good selection though!

Great atmosphere at this bar. What a character Carmen was serving us. Real Ales in abundance. Worth a visit

Best place for a Belgium, especially now Pi in chorlton has gone !

Cracking Boozer. Proper pub. With good beers. No plastic. No secret Tories. Great beer garden. One of the best hidden gems in town.

Great Belgian style bar, wonderfully old skool.

Cracking selection of beers from around Europe and more, good atmosphere, perhaps a little tired around the edges but fab all the same.

Really friendly funky bar, cosy they almost make you feel like family.

Good bar but beer was off. Such a shame. However it was changed without question.

Some great beers and a good jukebox.

Great quirky little pub selling some really nice craft beers and real ales. Always welcoming.

Without doubt, the best Bar in Manchester. The variety of quality beers is matched by the eclectic mix of patrons. Nothing is too much trouble for the staff, who are always friendly and helpful. You are guaranteed a warm welcome and charming smile from the Landlady, who quietly maintains the ambience that Bar Fringe has become famous for. People friendly, dog friendly, great place to spend an hour or two!!

I've always been a fan of this pub. It has very fun, interesting decor and a brilliant selection of beers. However, the thing that really let's this place down is the staff. The service is horrendous. Unless you are a regular, they treat you like absolute dirt. They are the least friendliest bar staff I have ever come across. Don't even think of asking about any of the beers or they will treat you like an idiot. I brought my family in here recently for some Christmas drinks and I was embarrassed by the service they received. It was as if we were an annoyance to them just for being in there.

Great place , friendly staff and fab beer selection

Chilled out bar with great selection of beers

Great selection of beers and a really nice little beer garden out the back