The Salmon of Knowledge

The Salmon of Knowledge is an Irish bar in Manchester’s Northern Quarter providing drinker’s wisdom at the bottom of a glass of stout.

It’s not just Guinness, even though it’s as popular as black gold at the moment. If you love your stouts, there’s a range of Irish brewers represented on the bar, from the better known Murphy’s to the less-so (at least to English palates) Franciscan Well.

Besides good beer, you’ll find everything that makes Irish bars so popular – and so lively. There’s a great atmosphere and regular live music sessions with a big screen showing sports. It feels like a proper Irish bar, not just somewhere strewn with Gaelic knick-knacks.

There’s a big focus on Irish whiskeys too with 30 varieties to try and a cosy Confessional Bar available for hire. Cocktails are also an important part of the offering and one which sets The Salmon of Knowledge apart from other Irish bars in the city. It seems like a fresh, modern take on the traditional Irish pub.

Food is simple but rather good focusing on burgers, and, more interestingly, boxty. There’s no Salmon, knowledgeable or otherwise,  but the menu comes from The Last Stop whose potato pancakes are top notch. Try the buttermilk fried chicken boxty with Guinness BBQ sauce – a bit of Irish authenticity and a bit of imagination too. Great pub food.