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The Pen and Pencil, Manchester,

The Pen and Pencil

4.2
4.2
849 Reviews
£25 and under
American

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2 people
19:00
Booked 4 times today
  • Great for brunch
  • Good for groups
  • Neighbourhood gem
Sitting on the corner of Hilton and Tariff street in Manchester’s lively Northern Quarter, The Pen and Pencil takes its name and inspiration from the infamous mid-20th Century bar on East 45th Street in New York.

Open seven days a week from 10am until late, the restaurant and bar not only offers a variety of beverages including cocktails, beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks, but focuses on its strong day time offering with great breakfast, brunch and lunch options as well as quality coffee and freshly blended smoothies.

The Pencil and Pencil has an array of events throughout the month with a resident DJ to get the party started every weekend, a weekly quiz night on a Tuesday, and its sell-out Bottomless Brunches! It also offers a private room for corporate event and celebrations..

Unfortunately, we are unable o serve guests with Coeliacs due to the risk of cross contamination.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    £25 and under
  • Cuisines
    American
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Fri 10:00 am–9:00 pm Sat, Sun 10:00 am–5:00 pm
  • Phone number
    0161 660 3303
  • Payment Options
    Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Private party facilities
    The Pen & Pencil Manchester, situated on the corner of Hilton St and Tariff St in Manchester’s bustling Northern Quarter, features an 80 cover dining space across two rooms alongside an expansive bar, with a cocktail menu of the highest quality.
  • Area
    Manchester
  • Parking details
    Spaces for on street parking. Multiple local parking lots within 1 minute walking distance.
  • Public transit
    5 minutes walk from Manchester Piccadilly
  • Entertainment
    Quiz night every Tuesday.DJs every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening.
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan

What 849 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.2
4.2 based on recent ratings
  • 4.1Food
  • 4.1Service
  • 4.2Ambience
  • 4.1Value

NoiseEnergetic

Diners' Choice Awards

  • Manchester/Greater Manchester

    Great for brunch

  • Manchester

    Great for brunch

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Pen and Pencil offers a vibrant atmosphere with "amazing service" and a "fab cocktail menu." Diners rave about its "lovely food" and friendly staff. While praised for its great value, especially on Mondays, some reviews highlight slow service and occasional order mishaps. Overall, it's a lively spot with excellent vegan options and a cozy vibe.

849 Reviews
  1. Sophia

    Manchester

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great time at the pen and pencil, first time at the quiz, will defo come again

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  2. Alice

    Manchester

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 25 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was excellent, we had the half price menu as it was a Monday, and we all received very large portions. Food and drink service was fast. The staff were lovely and friendly! There was a nice ambiance.

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  3. Kelly

    Manchester

    14 reviews

    3.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on 23 November 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    I chose this place as the breakfast menu looked really good. It’s a lovely little bar with a nice atmosphere. Unfortunately the service was very slow and it was a whole hour before we got our food. When it arrived it was good but just a bit too slow

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  4. Nikki

    Manchester

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on 21 November 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Staff okay, ambience was fine but was constantly attacked by fruit flies. Food terrible - onion chutney might as well have just been cinnamon paste, and the veggie sausages were absolutely rank. Disappointed to say the least.

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  5. Gail

    Toronto

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on 26 October 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    We went in for brunch and the food was really good but the service was quite slow (it was a Saturday). We weren't in any rush so not an issue but it was difficult to grab anyone's attention as we were sat around the back of the bar.

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  6. kay

    VIP

    Manchester

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 25 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    My favourite bar. DJ was playing records. Good mix of tracks.

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  7. Martin

    Manchester

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on 24 October 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Food was very slow Pastrami was close to inedible, thick and fatty 1pm booking , sat down 105, drinks 115, took food order at 120/125, served at 210, quick lunch break from work so didn’t work A few of the team feel ill maybe from the deep fried food Manageress was very confrontational when we confirmed we needed to go prior to the food arriving Real shame as we did like going to this bar as the Guinness is good

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  8. Kirsty

    Essex

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 20 October 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    The food was really good but we had to wait 45/50 minutes for it. We received 25% off our bill and some drinks were taken off for the wait time.

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  9. laurie

    Edinburgh

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 19 October 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    the food was fabulous BUT it took almost an hour to come (despite being told 30 mins). when it did come, the orders were incorrect (e.g burrito says scrambled eggs, instead they were poached) and the waiter had misheard another one of the dishes. such a shame as the food and coffee was really lovely.

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  10. Lydia

    London

    5 reviews

    3.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 6 October 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Staff were very friendly and we had a very warm welcome. Unfortunately service was slow and we were not advised of this and were left to wait for our food. Food was okay but not worth the wait. They can not cater for nut allergies. I appreciated the explanation from the manager but we had already been advised we could eat and then told we couldn’t. As we had already got our drinks and had a train to catch, we decided to stay and one of our party went without food.

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FAQs

The Pen and Pencil is rated 4.2 stars by 849 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 4 times today
Google Map for The Pen and Pencil

57 Hilton Street, Manchester, M1 2EJ

Additional information

  • Area
    Manchester
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Fri 10:00 am–9:00 pm Sat, Sun 10:00 am–5:00 pm
  • Price
    £25 and under
  • Cuisines
    American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Spaces for on street parking. Multiple local parking lots within 1 minute walking distance.
  • Public transit
    5 minutes walk from Manchester Piccadilly
  • Payment Options
    Mastercard, Visa
  • Entertainment
    Quiz night every Tuesday.DJs every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening.
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan
  • Phone number
    0161 660 3303
  • Private party facilities
    The Pen & Pencil Manchester, situated on the corner of Hilton St and Tariff St in Manchester’s bustling Northern Quarter, features an 80 cover dining space across two rooms alongside an expansive bar, with a cocktail menu of the highest quality.
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