Having recently undergone a makeover, this branch of Marble was high on my revisit list for this year. Luckily, after our first full week back at work, the other half suggested going for a pint and Marble was the destination of choice. The large glass pane door and windows mean you can see inside — and check how busy it is! — and lets lots of lovely natural light in. I doubt we’ll ever be able to find a seat here once the Manchester summer comes around. The light wood used in the décor means it feels very clean and new, on the right side of a modern design and not detracting anything from Marble’s brand identity. I adore the new bar, which evolves from bar to seating; it’s much more open than the old bar and gives the space a different feeling. I had no idea you could fit this many people in! Gone is the central bench seating and bottle fridges, leaving room for more people to both stand and sit, and a small door at the back promises additional seating — though, as the sign says, just not yet. Our bartender was lovely and very patient with my lack of knowledge. Although he accidentally poured two pints of Antipodean instead of one, we ended up taking both. Fate, perhaps. Price wise, it seems fair, at around £3.50 for the pints we had, though obviously this will change depending on the beer. The food menu looked very appealing, with some bar snacks(including jalapeño pretzels, which sound delicious) and main plates which would be perfect for lunch. The main temptation however came in the form of the meat & cheese boards, something The Marble Arch is very well known for. I’m looking forward to a return visit to sample the food and have another pint(or two).
Mat C.
Tu valoración: 4 Manchester, United Kingdom
Epic brews, great staff, cracking place to have a cheeky pint in the arvo! Highly recommend!
Tom I.
Tu valoración: 2 Denton, United Kingdom
A bar owned by Marble, serving Marble straight from the barrel. I’m no great fan of this serving method, I tend to find a lot of beers lose their texture and hop aroma due to the lack of a head — and they go flatter, quicker. What else? It’s quiet expensive depending on what you buy; a half pint of unhuman cannonball is £7.25 — I opted for the Manchester Bitter at a less terrifying £3-something. If you can squeeze in it’s a fairly quirky place; oh one more word on bottles, standard NQ prize, bout 4 quid. I think you either love this place or think it’s a rip off, or you’re like me, and go once every 12 months.
Natalie W.
Tu valoración: 4 Manchester, United Kingdom
I like the big table that everyone sits around here, although it is obviously somewhat awkward when people are coming and going. It’s also quite cold and draughty. I tried the Marble ginger 5.1 and it was really good, I’d definitely choose Marble over other beer-heavy options in the NQ as this is a great option for my limited palate. They do food too which is a bonus. Definitely one to check out if you’re a beer fan.
Raam S.
Tu valoración: 5 Manchester, United Kingdom
We went to Marble as we preferred not to wait in the rain for Matt & Phredd’s to open up on Sunday night. Marble is a microbrewery based in Manchester and I am led to believe they’re organic and also vegan. Marble was quiet with only one or two other tables occupied. Me and my other friend got the earl grey IPA, my wife got the chocolate marble(no surprises there) and my friend got a tea(an actual cuppa). The music wasn’t too loud and we could have a quiet conversation whilst enjoying our beers. I must admit it was a rushed trip this time but we’d like to go back again. In the hustle and bustle of the northern quarter, even on a sunday night, Marble felt like sanctuary! The barmaid was very friendly and again we got service with a smile, which was a pleasant surprise. With our beers we also got a bowl of smoked nuts, which was delicious and is recommended. They also have chess, jhenga and a few board games to keep the kids in us entertained, so next time I might be shouting jhengaaaa! As far as establishments go, this is as good as it gets. Good selection of beverages, good atmosphere and crowd and a friendly bar staff. All this at affordable prices. As always I hope they continue to maintain these high standards for a long time to come.
Josh M.
Tu valoración: 4 Manchester, United Kingdom
One of the best places in Manchester for a quiet pint. The smallish bar on Thomas St really fits in more with the cafes and diners in the area rather than the bars or pubs. They focus on cold served food, like nuts, olives, cheese boards, pork pies, and sandwiches. They also offer an assortment of board games to play. There is no television or radio to distract you. Sounds like heaven. The place is done out floor to ceiling in wood so it feels fairly warm and cosy even in the winter months. There is a semi decent bottle fridge although I’ve never inspected it too closely as I’m usually oggling the cask beers stored right on the bar top, given pride of place as it should be. If you’ve had a Marble beer anywhere in Manchester you know they make a very consistent quality of beer. You almost always know you’re drinking a Marble beer in that odd unspoken way you recall a song from the first few bars, there’s a similiar flavour profile in most of what they do and I like it, so no complaints here. You come here to enjoy a beer and the company of those you bring with you. When I was last in we alternated between games of chess(I’m terrible btw) and Jenga(I’m reasonable but not as good as that cat on youtube) and we chatted. Although it is the kind of bar I could see myself whiling away the hours in I’m ashamed to say I never have, it’s always one or two pints on my way somewhere else and this bar really deserves more attention. I’ll endeavour to correct this oversight in the future.
Jonny Q.
Tu valoración: 4 Manchester, United Kingdom
Another place in the NQ that I really should check out more as I always have a good time when my brain says«hey why don’t we pop in here for a drink or two» — on this occasion it was Michael B who was my brain but with us having reservations next door at Cane & Grain it made sense to nip here(location and quality beer wise…) for some pre-rib beer action! What you’re getting is an outlet for their brewery and Marble Arch bar and it’s a fantastic homely setting with more room than it looks from outside. It’s always busy but don’t let that put you off from going in — there’s always room around the back! We each had a pint of their fantastic Lagonda IPA — a 5% dream and with this carried on the conversation while soaking up the atmosphere amongst the eclectic mix of clientele that this place attracts. Quiet days can see you enjoying a game of chess inside and sunny days mean hitting the pavement to catch a few rays outside — nice one Marble!
Max H.
Tu valoración: 5 Manchester, United Kingdom
My favourite place to drink in Manchester bar none(see what I did there!?). Most of what’s good about 57 Thomas St(Marble) has already been mentioned: a long bar, cosy feel, and board games and cheeseboards and pies and sandwiches and pastries and … I’ll stop now. The cheeseboard is excellent, most of the other food isn’t stunning. But what do you expect? This is a bar. For drinking. Serious drinking. And Jenga. Serious(drunken) Jenga. And in both of these things Marble excels itself. The beer selection is fantastic, the rotating kegs surprisingly cheap for the quality of Marble’s own offerings(from a brewery just down the road, in fact) and always interesting. The Earl Grey IPA is especially good when it’s on draught. What really makes Marble, though, are the staff: incredibly friendly, helpful and knowledgeable — I’ve never yet had a bad recommendation from the staff. The long bar, too, is uniquely(at least in Manchester) conducive to relaxed conversation but also to what pubs used to exist for: as a place for a community, and for meeting new people — in this case, usually, with a shared love of good beer. What more could you possibly want?
Michael B.
Tu valoración: 4 Manchester, United Kingdom
I finally, finally got to visit Marble’s bar last weekend after bookmarking it ages ago. Thankfully I was with friends who knew where it was as I walked straight past as it’s easy to miss. Anyway, personal navigational issues aside, on first impressions I liked the place very much. A couple of small raised tables near the front and then one long table down the bar’s full length with seating for plenty(it’s made from reclaimed timber, a big winner with me). The bar itself has a number of casks and keg lines which I’m presuming are on a rotation system so you can sample everything from their range(if you’re a regular). The platters of meat and cheese that you can buy also looked super tasty. All of Marble’s bottled beers are on display and as other reviews have said some of them are pretty darn expensive(e.g. you won’t get much change back from a tenner for their 6.8% Earl Grey IPA — which happens to be my joint favourite with their 5.5% Chocolate Marble). If you have an hour or so to while away with friends, or strangers, they have Jenga, draughts and chess for customers to play, though alcohol and a steady hand do not a pairing make :) A little bobby-dazzler of a place which I’ll definitely return to soon.
Nicolas R.
Tu valoración: 4 Sale, United Kingdom
That’s a pretty cool little bar and a surprisingly quiet place in this otherwise crowded and pumping Northern Quarter. I have not tried the food but that plate of ham and bread and pickles the couple on our table were feasting on looked rather inviting. Of course you can pretty much have every single Marble beer in there and that’s great because they’re top beers, no question. I find they’re pretty pricey though. I know it’s NQ but it’s presumably made round the corner and it’s the brewery’s pub so one would hope it should be cheaper than elsewhere. I’ll happily admit I don’t know how to run a pub though. Aside from Marble they also have some old classics well– and less well-known from Belgium and elsewhere and have a couple of other breweries on tap. They also have a couple of casks of their own. We tried the Lagunda IPA which I know is great but a bit warm on the day. The Earl Grey IPA from the keg however was stunning. The music is good, classic British rock mostly and reasonably quiet. We were sat at the main table next to other people and we could all have our private conversation effortlessly. Top place for me after an unsuccessful shopping session. Better prices and cooler cask beers and it’s a 5-star ;-)
Rebecca B.
Tu valoración: 5 Manchester, United Kingdom
What do you get if you add vintage cheddar, Serrano ham and board games to an incredible local microbrewery and slap it in the middle of the Northern Quarter? Marble Bar on Thomas St, that’s what. Marble is a refreshingly simple pub in an area packed with dude food, fancy cocktails and gimmicky venues — which are fun for a punt — but are by no means a comfy local. Marble has taken the key elements of a traditional pub(laid back atmosphere, quality ales, friendly staff) and modernised them with a rolling selection of new ales and beers, a 21st century ploughman’s lunch, and clean, simple decór. The selection of beers and ales is fantastic, although you maybe be disappointed if you are looking for a JD and Coke. There are amazing cheese and meat boards to mop up your ale with, and these reflect the quality and taste offered by their bar. The pub itself is fairly small so you may be hard pushed to find a seat at the weekend, but for a quiet drink after work, Marble hits the spot every time.
Shrimoyee C.
Tu valoración: 3 London, United Kingdom
I always walked past this place but for some reason never walked in till last week when I was struggling to find a place in Northern Quarter I had not been to. Marble, which I thought for the longest time is called 57 Thomas Street Bar(that is what it says outside and nowhere does it mention the word Marble) kind of hides unassumingly next to Tea Cup. I must say if it was not next to tea cup it probably would have been a bit more prominent because it is difficult for a very dull grey colored Marble to strike out next to a bright red Tea Cup! It is a chilled out and relaxed place where you can sit and chat away for hours, this could also be a great place to work(yes yes they have free wifi) while people watching through the glass window! They have a wide selection of tea from assam, earl grey to srawberry and kiwi. The cakes selection did not bowl me over, I had a white chocolate muffin which was decent and my friend had a jam shortbread(nothing special about that). Verdict: I can’t point out one thing that I did not like about this place, but still feels like something is missing! P.S They have chess boards and a couple of other board games on each table :)
Chris F.
Tu valoración: 4 London, United Kingdom
This place looks and feels more like a café than a bar, but if you can get beyond that then this is a top place to have a drink. They have a lot of choice, including about a dozen German bottled beers, but their simple out of the barrel option, called ‘pint’, tasted a lot more lively than the lazy sod who named it. You must snack on the smoked mixed nuts. Yum, wow.etc.
Toby S.
Tu valoración: 3 Chorlton-cum-Hardy, United Kingdom
Marble Breweries, I’m sure many Mancs know of their other Public Houses being the Marble Arch on Rochdale Road and Marble Beer House in Chorlton, which surprised me that Thomas Street wasn’t already on Unilocal(please correct me if I have somehow managed to miss it) So the if you are a Marble Beer fan then you’ve got a bolt hole to run to now in the Manchester City centre opposed to wandering up Rochdale Road to the Arch or jumping on a tram to Chorlton. I liked the Barrels ‘on’ the Bar top, just looks kinda cool nothing more nothing less. Unfortunately its all I really like about the place. The shop space is clearly not intended as a venue for lots of people. they have a long table running the length, which is great during the day as its quiet but, I’d imagine weekend evenings the place must get heaving and that long table would just get in the way. There is also ‘one’ toilet it is a disabled one so it caters for everyone but its the only one, so as I say when the place is quiet its an alright port to grab a Marble pint but I wouldn’t want to be there when its busy