Nestled deep in the heart of Circle Square you’ll find Manchester's newest addition to its ever-growing craft beer scene, North Taproom. Their venture into Mancunian soil has been long awaited and we’re pleased to report, it certainly hasn’t disappointed.
With established Locations already dotted across both Leeds & Birmingham, Manchester feels like a natural next step for North in terms of expansion and the newly renovated Circle Square is a space in need of a culture injection.
As you walk into the taproom itself, you’re instantly greeted by friendly faces, a huge selection of ales (both from the taps as well as the fridges) and the alluring scent of Bao Buns from Little Bao Boy. In terms of beer, you won’t be shocked to hear that the selection is varied and to the fantastic standard that North have continuously set for themselves. We tried a selection of their classic ‘core beers’ (Atlantis, Pinata & Sputnik). Atlantis was a light and laidback affair, Pinata gave tropical notes of Mango & Guava and Sputnik was a classic American hazy pale ale with plenty of malt. Picking badly was a difficult task and we left excited to go back and try the rest.
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It's fair to say no trip would be complete here without sampling the bao buns from the guys currently occupying the kitchen, Little Bao Boy. The dreamy steamed buns were nothing short of delicious and on top of that extremely quick to arrive, we sampled the KFB, pulled pork & gochujang cauliflower and were left both full and impressed. Turns out bao buns may well be the perfect companion to a pint, who knew?
Alongside the beer, baos and general good vibes, one thing shone throughout the visit and that was the staff. Attentive, friendly and knowledgeable these guys made sure you were never left with an empty glass.
Although Circle Square still feels very new, North Taproom feels completely at home in its Mancunian setting, a must visit for any beer head wandering Oxford Road.