Starting at Piccadilly Gardens, head up Oldham Street for the Northern Quarter. The Castle is a traditional pub stocking the complete Robinsons Brewery range. Carry on along Oldham Street and turn left into Swan Street for Bar Fringe (GBG) and the Smithfield Hotel (GBG). I didn't have chance to visit these three pubs but they have good reputations, especially the latter - famed for its choice of real ales.
The Beer House
<- The Beer House
Continue on to the major junction (A664/A665) and turn right along Rochdale Road. On the left is Angel Street and The Beer House, sadly closed on Sundays (which is when I was there) but also known for having a good range available.
The Marble Arch
<- The Marble Arch Inn
A few minutes' further on up Rochdale Road is the Marble Arch Inn (GBG, NI), built at the junction with a sloping side street and one unusual feature is that the pub floor follows the slope of the hill. The pub brews and serves its own vegan beer and stocks other small breweries' beers, such as Phoenix. The decor is classic: tiling, padded bench seats, panelled ceiling, engraved glass lampshades, metal tables with wooden tops and so on.
The Hare & Hounds
<- The Hare & Hounds
Turn back down Rochdale Road towards the city centre and cross the major junction to Shudehill. About 150 yards down on the left is the Hare and Hounds (GBG, NI), a splendidly-decorated, Grade-II-Listed, quiet pub with a traditional three-room layout. There are front and rear rooms plus a wider space in the middle, where the main bar is. Holt's Bitter was on at £1.50/pint and there was also Tetley Bitter. A portable TV was on but the sound was off.

The road curves to the right and leads to the Printworks entertainment complex on the right and the Arndale shopping centre on the left. Ahead on the other side of Corporation Street is The Triangle shopping arcade and Exchange Square. Walk through the latter, along the outside of The Triangle (which has a huge outdoor video screen), to reach the start of Cateaton Street, near the Cathedral.

The Old Wellington Inn and Sinclair's Oyster Bar
<- The Old Wellington Inn and Sinclair's Oyster Bar
First are Sinclair's Oyster Bar and The Old Wellington Inn. Sinclair's had on Sam Smith's Old Brewery Bitter at £1.35/pint and is no-smoking inside. These buildings were moved from the original Market Place and Shambles to make way for the Arndale Centre and then again as part of a pedestrianisation project.
The Crown & Anchor
<- The Crown & Anchor
A few yards further on is The Crown & Anchor (GBG). This Holt's pub has been modernised and expanded with three levels and it was extremely busy, especially with food and outside drinkers. Manchester enforces a policy of plastic instead of real glasses outside. In spite of the loud pop music & videos playing, this pub seems to attract people of all ages. Mild was on at £1.40/pint.

At the far end of Cateaton Street is Deansgate: turn left (roughly southwards). There's a JD Wetherspoons' "Lloyd's No 1", the Moon Under Water, probably worth passing. The next stage is a long haul all the way southwards down Deansgate to an area with railway viaducts. Go under the first one and just before the second one, Deansgate Station is to the left and Castle Street heads off to the right (westwards). Under the Castle Street viaduct is The Knott (GBG), a modern pub stocking a range of microbrewery beers, including the Marble Arch's, and on this occasion Coniston Bluebird Bitter (£2.20/pint). There's a jukebox and a thriving food trade.

The Britons Protection
<- The Britons Protection
From Castle Street cross over to outside Deansgate Station and carry on in that direction (eastwards). The G-Mex station is high up on the left. Turn left into Albion Street and then right into Great Bridgewater Street, arriving at the Britons Protection (GBG, NI). Beers included Cottage Squires Gold (£2.30/pint), Coach House Gunpowder Mild, Jennings Cumberland, Robinson's Unicorn and Tetley Bitter. There's a lovely ornate ceiling, with moulded patterns and a rich red background. On the far side of the servery from the front bar, there's an ornate staircase and further rooms, as well as a patio. Another old feature is that the Gents has shoulder-high urinals. The varying food menu is impressive: I had Crusted Cod at £4.95; other items included venison and wild boar.
The Rain Bar
<- The Ra!n Bar
Further on along Great Bridgewater Street is the Ra!n Bar (GBG), a huge modern pub conversion by JW Lees from an umbrella factory and featuring their range of beers (Moonraker, Dragon's Fire, Mild & Bitter). Table service is available upstairs. At the rear a patio of tables overlooks a canal basin.
The Peveril of the Peak from the south
<- The Peveril of the Peak from the south
A little further along on the other side of the road is the charming Peveril of the Peak (GBG, NI), a survivor of the extensive redevelopment in the area. There are two bars, one with pool and the other, to the right of the entrance, with table footy. Tim Taylor Landlord was on at £2.26/pint; others included Hobgoblin, Cropton Endeavour and Wells Bombardier. There's plenty of unspoilt decor, such as glass panels along the top of the bar and especially the magnificent exterior tiling.
The Peveril of the Peak from the west
<- The Peveril of the Peak from the west
The westerly side of the Peveril is Chepstow Street: follow that northwards to the junction of Oxford Street and Portland Street. Across the junction is JDW's The Paramount, a modern bar, spacious in the main section but to the rear a dark no-smoking area underneath a gallery area. Wireless networking is provided by The Cloud. Beers on included Marston Burton Ale (£1.30/pint), Abbot, Bombardier, Hydes Satisfaction and Lancaster Bomber.

The Waterhouse
<- The Waterhouse
Head along Oxford Street (north-west) and bear right into St Peter's Square, with the domed Central Library ahead. Carry on past the Metro station, parallel to the tram lines, to reach Princess Street and then turn left. The majestic Town Hall is on the left but on the right, at the junction with Cooper Street, is another JDW, the Waterhouse. This appears to be a pair of Georgian town houses now knocked together and Grade II Listed. All the internal walls are still there, creating a large number of small rooms instead of the usual JDW beer barn. Over several visits I tried or spied Hanby Scorpio Porter, W. Black's Divine Proportions, Clark's Classic Blonde, Burton Bitter, Robinsons Champion, Pedigree and Lancaster Bomber. One surprise was that a plain burger was as much as £5.15!
The Waterhouse, The City Arms and The Vine
<- The rear of the Waterhouse, The City Arms and The Vine

Along Cooper Street and round the back of the Waterhouse (wheelchair entrance) is Kennedy Street, with two superb traditional pubs. First is the City Arms (GBG), which turned out to be my favourite pub of the trip. Beers included the then-topical Six Nations (£2.10/pint), Bateman's Spring Fever (their new seasonal beer) and Cairngorm Trade Winds. It's another classic pub, Grade II Listed, with a front bar and a rear room down steps, both looking characterful, with plenty of old pictures etc. Instead of the usual piped music, Capital Gold was playing quietly and there was a rack of newspapers.

Next door is The Vine (closed on Sundays) where Greene King Ruddles was on (at £2.20/pint), plus Hobgoblin and Boddingtons. The pub is on several levels, with the lower area having loud pop and the upper one quiet.

The Old Monkey, The Circus Tavern and The Grey Horse Inn
<- The Old Monkey, The Circus Tavern and The Grey Horse Inn
Turn back along Princess Street (south-eastwards, with Chinatown off to the left) to the junction with Portland Street, arriving at the Old Monkey. This Holt's pub had the usual Mild (£1.34/pint) and Bitter. Pop music was playing quietly. Bench seating is arranged in booths and there's a large central area for stand-up drinkers. It has the feel of a pub older than 1993, when it was that now-rare thing, a new-build city centre community pub.
The Circus Tavern
<- The Circus Tavern
Exit into Portland Street and two doors along is the Circus Tavern (GBG, NI). As you enter there's a small, curved bar counter in the passageway, with a couple of handpumps but only Tetley Bitter is served from them. To the right of the corridor are front and rear bars, decorated with lots of sporting memorabilia. A characterful, cosy pub.
The Grey Horse
<- The Grey Horse
A few doors further on is the Grey Horse, another Hydes pub, with Mild on at £1.80/pint, as well as Bitter and the current seasonal beer, Perfection. It's yet another classic pub with ceiling & wall beams, padded benches and so on and very friendly. The urinals are Manchester's last open air ones.

Carry on up Portland Street to return to Piccadilly Gardens.