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The Pen and Pencil, Manchester,

The Pen and Pencil

4.0
4
845 Reviews
£25 and under
American

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 10 times today
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Great for brunch
  • Good for groups
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.
  • Neighborhood
    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
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 845 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.0
4 based on recent ratings
  • 4Food
  • 4Service
  • 4.1Ambience
  • 4Value

NoiseEnergetic

Loved For

  • Manchester/Greater Manchester

    Great for brunch

  • Manchester

    Great for brunch

  • Manchester

    Kid-friendly

  • Manchester

    Neighborhood gem

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Pen and Pencil is a vibrant spot known for its "absolutely beautiful" breakfasts and "fantastic food." The staff are "very pleasant and attentive," creating a welcoming atmosphere. While the music adds to the lively ambiance, some find it too loud. Enjoy great "value for money" with special offers and a varied menu in a cool industrial setting.

845 Reviews
  1. Gail

    Toronto

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 26, 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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  2. kay

    Manchester

    5 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on October 25, 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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  3. Martin

    Manchester

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 24, 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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  4. Kirsty

    Essex

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on October 20, 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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  5. laurie

    Edinburgh

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on October 19, 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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  6. Lydia

    London

    5 reviews

    3.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on October 6, 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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  7. Becky

    Cheshire

    4 reviews

    3.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on October 5, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    Food was lovely but not worth the nearly an hour wait as it was only breakfast

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  8. Anne

    Manchester

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on September 3, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Visited on Tuesday quiz night. Food excellent amd good atmosphere

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  9. Philip

    Manchester

    3 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on August 20, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Service needs to speed up. Over an hour between ordering and food being delivered and its sandwiches. Slow on refills too maybe because we were sat in the back of the restaurant.

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  10. Sue

    Manchester

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 19, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was absolutely gorgeous. Our server Sophie was incredible she was really helpful and attentive and just so nice! We were having some food after quite an emotional morning celebrating a friend of ours who had passed away at a ceremony her receiving a blue plaque and so we chose P&P as we have all been before on a weekend and enjoyed it. It was so chilled and perfect we felt completely welcome and cosy to be honest. I can’t wait to eat there again, that was my first time as I’ve only been for drinks. The staff are amazing and the music is great. It made our day even extra special so thank you

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Pen and Pencil is rated 4 stars by 845 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 10 times today
Google Map for The Pen and Pencil

57 Hilton Street, Manchester, M1 2EJ

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    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
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • 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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