The Pen & Pencil

The Pen and Pencil is the Northern Quarter’s cool all-day hangout, modelled on the New York bar of the same name popular with the city’s journalists and ad men in the 1950s and 1960s.

It has a reputation for great cocktails, quality food and an atmosphere that makes it stand out from nearby imitators.

It’s known as one of the best brunch spots in the city with dishes like the signature eggs Pen & Pencil adding sausage, bacon, red onion chutney and hollandaise to your favourite poached protein. The last Saturday of every month is the big deal with the bottomless brunch that started it all. Good coffee too.

Burgers and wraps make up the majority of the lunch offering but they are very good. The grilled cheese pull and the pastrami bagel are total winners.

Dinner sees more of the top-notch burgers with more grown-up meals like steak frites and salmon fillet with pesto and parmesan crumb.

It’s not just about the food though. The Pen and Pencil is a real party place with big name DJs playing soul, funk, house and disco till 2am on weekends. And those cocktails…