The Guinness Harp Guide 2026 is a new award celebrating the top 35 Guinness-serving venues across Great BritainA pint of Guinness at Mulligans in ManchesterA pint of Guinness at Mulligans in Manchester(Image: Supplied)

A brand new guide has been launched to show punters where they can get one of the best pints of Guinness. The Harp Guide highlights 35 standout pubs across Great Britain and there’s three Greater Manchester venues included.

On the list are well-known boozers including The Devonshire in London, which is always packed full of stout lovers, as well as Kitty O’Shea’s in Glasgow, The Star in Bristol and Pogue Mahone’s in Liverpool. In the North West as a whole, six venues have made the cut.

Each venue has been chosen for pouring a flawless pint, as well as offering a friendly welcome, great service and a brilliant atmosphere. Of course, they need to be lovers of Guinness too.

Mulligans owner Pádraig BradyMulligans owner Pádraig Brady

Here in Greater Manchester, the three selected are all Irish bars. Mulligans, one of Manchester’s most iconic pubs, has been recognised in the inaugural Guinness Harp Guide 2026, making it the only bar in Manchester city centre to be included.

The award follows consistent recognition of Mulligans pouring what’s often deemed to be as the ‘best pint of Guinness outside of Ireland’. The pub was awarded an exceptional 9.2 out of 10 by Schooner Scorer, and holds the highest score ever given by self-titled ‘Guinness Guru’ Daragh Curran, receiving an impressive 8.4 out of 10, the best rating he’s awarded to any pub outside of Ireland.

Owner Pádraig Brady has invested close to £100,000 over the last three years in equipment to ensure the pub serves quality pints of stout, including a fully independent Guinness dispense system. Staff undergo dedicated ‘Guinness inductions’, and the pub serves over 13,000 pints of the ‘Black Stuff’ a week.

In January 2025, Mulligans was recognised as the Best Pub in Manchester at the Manchester Food and Drink Awards – a testament to its customers, daily live music, sports screenings, and connection to Irish culture.

Inside The Station pub in Didsbury(Image: Manchester Evening News)

Pádraig Brady, owner of Mulligans, said: “Being recognised in the inaugural Guinness Harp Guide is a real privilege. It’s no secret that every pub gets the same kegs of Guinness delivered, but what makes the difference is everything that happens after that.

“The right equipment, correct cellar procedures and conditions, staff who know how to pour it perfectly, the atmosphere, the daily live music – it all matters. We’ve always focused on doing things consistently, and being the sole Manchester city centre pub in the guide is testament to that consistency”.

Meanwhile in Didsbury Village, two pubs just metres apart have also been named in the new guide. Full of quirks and characters, The Station pub is located on the corner of Wilmslow Road and its landlords, Paul Leavy and Paul Murphy, both have Irish roots, their parents having emigrated to Manchester from the Emerald Isle.

Natalie, General Manager at Kennedy’s (Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)

Alongside its wide drink offering, also hosts live sports across eight screens and features live music three nights a week. A Celtic supporters group also meets at the pub to watch matches, and it’s also frequented by famous faces, with former Ireland international footballer Kevin Kilbane having been a regular before moving to Canada in 2020. Tyson Fury has even called in for a pint in the past.

Just up the way is relative newcomer to Didsbury, Kennedy’s. After successfully opening a branch in Altrincham in 2021, the owners decided to take a punt on Didsbury, opening in the former CAU unit. Sat pretty on the corner of Barlow Moor Road and Wilmslow Road, it’s hard to miss it, and not just because it’s a huge venue, but on account on it’s vibrantly-hued and bold red exterior.

From 2026 onwards, Guinness has said drinkers will also be able to nominate their own locals boozers for future editions. Currently, Guinness lovers can check out the website for the full list and also zoom in to see which venues serve Guinness and which ones are in the Harp guide.

The pubs in the Guinness Harp Guide 2026:

London

  • The Devonshire
  • The Coach & Horses
  • Bricklayers Arms
  • The Auld Shillelagh
  • Skehans Freehouse
  • The Audley Public House
  • The Toucan
  • Mc & Sons
  • The Fox & Pheasant

North West

  • Mulligans, Manchester
  • Kennedy’s, Didsbury
  • The Station, Didsbury
  • Pogue Mahone, Liverpool
  • The Monro, Liverpool
  • Shenanigans, Liverpool

Scotland

  • Malones, Edinburgh
  • Kitty O’Sheas, Glasgow
  • Jinty McGuintys, Glasgow

Rest of England and Wales

  • The Beckford Arms, Salisbury
  • The Star, Bristol
  • Free Press, Cambridge
  • The Fat Cat, Norwich
  • The Boot, St Albans
  • The Centurion, Newcastle
  • Barluga, Newcastle
  • Sheepfolds, Sunderland
  • The Fiddlers Elbow, Brighton
  • The Lion & Lobster, Brighton
  • Whitelocks Ale House, Leeds
  • Dog & Partridge, Sheffield
  • The Grapes, Sheffield
  • Hearsall Inn, Coventry
  • The Guinness Arms, Bury St Edmunds
  • Elvenden Inn, Thetford