The Hillary Step, Whalley Range's new cask ale bar, opened in July. As you'll already have read in every publication that Manchester has to offer, it is a completely smoke free pub. No smoking of any kind is permitted on the premises, and there isn't even a kitchen with a chip pan to sully the atmosphere. Perhaps that's the real reason for the unusual name. The Hillary Step is apparently the last place where a tired climber can get a cup of tea on the climb up Mount Everest, and the atmosphere is notably pure, if a little rarefied. But you won't need bottles of oxygen to keep you going in this remarkable new establishment.

The ale is as pure as the air - no great surprise, given that the chap in charge is one Dave Yuill. He was last seen managing the highly regarded Marble Beerhouse a bit further down the road in Chorlton. Along with owner, Rob Goater, he's brought the refreshing taste of Thwaites to South Manchester, a beer that's normally found only in a few clubs locally. A financial tie means that Thwaites Thoroughbred and Thwaites Lancaster Bomber are the house beers. There are also two guest beer pumps supporting micro breweries from near and far - Phoenix, Pictish and Exmoor have been spotted recently. And there's a German wheat beer on draught too, König Ludwig Weissbier. I can't vouch for the wheat beer but all the ales have been good to excellent in my experience. Prices are what you'd expect for an upmarket bar in South Manchester, around £2 to £2.20 for a pint.

Various bottled beers are available, with organic lagers from Sam Smiths and Oko Krone, real Czech Budweiser, a range of Belgian beers and even a Polish beer, Zywiec. If your friends don't all drink beer, there's wine by the glass (from bottles, not bags in boxes), 13 malt whiskies, an assortment of coffees and even herbal teas.

So what's it like, being in a pub with no smoke? Well, the atmosphere is completely different in the literal sense, and yet just the same in the figurative sense. This bar has got off to a good start, despite the lack of students in the summer months, and it's been very busy on weekend evenings - so much so that it can be difficult to hold a conversation there. It quickly gets crowded and it can be tricky manoeuvring round the bar with a few glasses in your hands.

The noise is perhaps due to the simple décor and rather hard surfaces - wooden furniture, wooden floor, bare brick on one wall, brightly painted plaster on another. Or it may be down to the fact that the front wall is all French windows, opened right out on warm nights. Whatever the reason, it's not music - there's no TV, no juke box, no background music - at least, not yet. Just people having a good time. The overall effect is bright and airy - very "female friendly", to use an awful marketing phrase from the 90s.

Opening hours are (roughly) 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., Monday to Wednesday, 12 to 11 from Thursday to Saturday and 12 to 10.30 on Sunday. They may go to all day opening once work on the rear beer garden is complete.

Memo to self: must try to have a really long session in the Step soon, to test my theory that my hangovers are caused by smoke, not alcohol....