Manchester

Noho

Northern Quarter
Another new opening that sees the Northern Quarter trendy zone stretching further east to Stevenson Square. We?ve heard a lot about Noho, from the origins of its name (some area in New York) to its drinks policy (no draught ? although policy is perhaps the wrong word as they?re, apparently, unable to store it due to the building?s listed status). So we went down to see what it was like, take a few photos and generally be able to report back to our lovely readers about what it?s like here but...we couldn?t find it. I know, embarrassing but true enough. In our defence it was day time, so no neon lights to seek out, and cold, and raining, and...err...that?s it. We?ll give it another go soon...watch this space.
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All Bar One
73-79 King Street
Piccadilly
King Street home of the national chain, All Bar One have a self-styled reputation as the stylish choice of chain bar. All Bar One are your classic modern chain bar – modern pub grub, versatile drinks selection, a leather sofa or two and a bit of a chic, minimalist finish to the place. It’s well placed to catch shoppers with tired feet, nestled on King Street, a stone’s throw from Market Street and on many well trodden routes between Deansgate, Kendals, The Arndale and Selfridges. Popular for after work socialising too...and evening drinks.
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Baa Bar Deansgate Locks
Deansgate Locks
Deansgate
Baa Bar has been around since the conception of Deansgate Locks (a strip of bars and clubs built into railway arches and sat alongside a canal) and its still one of the busiest venues on that block despite the size. Combining cheap drinks and shooters will always mean a messy affair, but after a recent refit they're removed the giant mirror balls and side mirrors so ultimately reducing the chances of vomiting. Their speciality is definitely shooters, of which there are far too many varieties to mention. They're lethal but a lot of fun and ultra cheap. On weekends the bar can get far too busy, resulting in long waits at the bar and very little room to move. Good thing that there are more bars and clubs nearby as you can wander down the Locks and grab a drink somewhere else.
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Barbirolli
Barbirolli Square, Lower Mosley Street
City Centre
***Updated again, February 2010*** Barbirolli held a little low key open evening the other week, to which we were fortunate enough to be invited. On a Friday night at 6pm, it gave us a good idea of what the place is like. First impressions were of surprise – it was packed. Not with invited guests (there was a little area reserved for that) but with smart revellers. Not bad for a bar in its infancy. The decor is clean and modern but with a comfortable feel, the cocktails are ‘bloody lovely’ (according to those accompanying me for the evening), the beer cold and served in proper glasses and the live music unobtrusive but entertaining – just what you need at that time of night, post work on a Friday. Their aim of providing a sophisticated live music venue appears to have been realised and we look forward to going back there again soon to see the place in full ‘gig-mode’. If the preview was anything to go by, it’ll soon be something of a destination in an area that traditionally didn’t offer much in the way of nightlife. ***Updated February 2010*** We’ve finally received some more info from the people behind Barbirolli – it’s pitching itself as a sort of upmarket Matt and Phreds. That seems to be the idea anyway - “stylish, sophisticated and upmarket live music venue,” is how they put it. Positioned well for such an aim, right next to Bridgewater Hall and GMEX (sorry, Manchester Central), it’s an area of town that is more likely to attract the ‘stylish and sophisticated’ crowd than, say, the Northern Quarter, or even Deansgate, which seems to be turning into the new Peter Street. With two bars, a stage for live music (think jazz, blues and acoustic sessions) as well as cocktails and both bar meals and a la carte dining, Barbirolli looks to be carving itself a new niche in Manchester’s nightlife. _________________________________________________________ This bar has been rumoured for a while and Barbirolli, on Barbirolli Square, opened just in time for New Year’s Eve 2009/2010. Handy for the Bridgewater Hall and Manchester Central, it’s set itself up as a classy, up market joint. We’ve yet to have the pleasure and only have the attached ‘artists impressions;’ to go on so far, but we’ll be sure to get down to Barbirolli soon to check it out.
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Fab Cafe
111 Portland Street
City Centre
Possibly the strangest bar you will ever go to, the Fab Caf? on Portland Street is a sci-fi theme pub that's cluttered with memorabilia and trinkets. A bar this unique demands an equally unique music policy so your likely to hear the strangest collection of tunes in here. This doesn't stop a fiercely loyal set of regulars from busting a move on the dance floor and on a Friday and Saturday there's constant battle between the dancers and the sitters. As with any good niche bar, the Fab Caf? regularly puts on sci-fi themed events - in the past they've even had Neil & Christine Hamilton on their UK tour (!). Definitely worth a look, but only for those with a sense of humour and fun?
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Robinskis
5-7 Wilbraham Road
Fallowfield
Robinskis is open Monday to Friday 3pm-2am, Sat and Sun 11am-2am. Sunday: Service - Selected drinks from £1 chart/pop/cheese Monday: Free entry - late bar available for private hire for any occasion Tuesday: Legendary - Vodbull £2 Double Vodka Redbull Wednesday: Free entry - late bar available for private Hire Thursday: Quids in - all drinks are a pound till 2am Friday: Big night out - open till 2am Electro/house Saturday: Big night out - till 2am Electro/ House
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Paramount
33-35 Oxford Street
Oxford Road
The Paramount sits at the confusing place where Oxford Road turns into Oxford Street. We have no idea why it does this, but if you look on any map you'll see a tiny piece of Oxford Road is actually labelled as Oxford Street. Ignore me, let's talk about the bar. The Paramount is a huge pub run by JD Wetherspoon - which means three things. 1) No Music. 2) Cheap Drinks 3) Cheap Food. The Living room this ain't, but truth be told it's a nice enough little boozer to start off your night and it doesn't hammer your pocket. On an early evening it's also a great place to grab some food. It's central location means you can nip the nearby Music Box for a dance, or if you're looking for somewhere slightly more upmarket to eat then there's a Mcdonalds just across the road.
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Baby Grand
47 Peter Street
Peter Street
Baby Grand was the new boy on Peter Street, and the bar lends some much needed sophistication to the area. Formerly Soft, which had heavy leanings towards rnb and hip hop, the new venture doesn?t stray too far away from that genre but has undergone a much needed facelift and improvement in service. Operating a more select door policy has allowed Baby Grand to keep the undesirables out. Inside you'll find a plush venue with table service and plenty of space to hide away from the paparazzi (or a past conquest). This is one of the city centre venues that successfully bridges the gap between bar and club - well worth a visit. Opposite the giant M-Two nightclub, Peter Street is fast becoming the mass-market area of Manchester. Down the road is the huge Bar 38, the recently opened Chicago Rock Cafe, the defunct Teasers and the scary Squares Bar. If you like drinking, but don't like walking, then this area will provide.
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Browns
Spring Gardens
Piccadilly
The large, impressive building on Spring Gardens that currently houses Athenaeum is due to be taken over by Browns in late 2010. The magnificent space has long been thought to be undermined by the cheap and not so cheerful feel of Athenaeum, so the news that Browns are to arrive is very welcome. For the uninitiated, Browns is a chain, but a slightly upmarket one with select venues throughout the UK serving a large choice of food and drinks, with a steering towards mid-priced quality rather than cheap and cheerful. A huge range of cocktails, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, as well as an extensive wine list and champagne selection accompanies a full menu at their other venues so we are assuming Browns in Manchester will follow a similar format. If it all goes ahead this should be a good addition to what is developing into a little clutch of decent places to eat and drink – Rosso, Room, All Bar One.
Modern bar

Font
7-9 New Wakefield Street
Oxford Road
***Updated July 2010*** We spent a Friday night in Font recently and can thoroughly recommend it for a decent place to warm up for a night out. They’ve got a huge range of drinks – from real ales to a choice of gin to plenty of lager, and it’s all reasonably priced. The place has the air of an organised but friendly independent bar, which is kind of what it is (it’s one of a small chain of three – two in Manchester, on in Liverpool), with decent food and very accommodating staff – we asked if we could reserve a small area for 7pm on Friday night and were able to do so no problem. The top end of Oxford Road is becoming increasingly popular and prosperous as a drinking destination (Jilly’s/Music Box notwithstanding), and Font is definitely one of the venues of choice for us. _________________________________________________________ The Font has been around for ages now, and its combination of drinks offers, playstations and table football has worked well for them. They're also one of the few venues that lets you hire the place out for free. Each weekend the DJs will play anything from hip hop to house music, and its location - tucked away down Wakefield Street (just off Oxford Road) - means that it's visited by those who are heading to the Music Box (Jillys/Electric Chair) or the Attic (Kindergarten et al). The Font is equally good for food, as it's cheap and quick. The fry ups are particularly good (£3) or the burgers for a mere £3.80.
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Jabez Clegg
2 Portsmouth Street
Oxford Road

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Moonlight
20 Tariff Street
Piccadilly
Tucked away in the Northern Quarter, Moonlight is part of the Jacksons Warehouse residential building, and sits next to the Picadilly Basin. Part restaurant, part bar, it's not exactly the busiest of venues, but that's down to the 'off the beaten track' location. As bars go it's not a bad one, and it's relatively relax and offers a good range of cocktails.
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Odyssey Bar
21 Ashley Road
Greater Manchester
It may be situated out in Altrincham but Odyssey deserves a mention in our guide. After all, 'Alty' is just a twenty minute tram ride out of the city centre, and provides a different drinking atmosphere than hanging around in the City Centre.
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Overdraught
121 Princess Street
City Centre

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Barcelona
Tib Street, Northern Quarter
Northern Quarter
***Updated 13 July 2010*** Unassuming from the outside, Barcelona, on the corner of Tib Street and Hilton/Thomas Street, certainly makes up for it on the inside. Completely refurbished before opening, the inside is a simple, stylish effort with plenty of dark wood and strategic lighting. More importantly, the bar-top offerings are refreshingly obscure, at least compared with most other bars in the locale – three or four decent European lagers (mostly Spanish), as well as cocktails and all the rest. Food offerings come in the form of authentic tapas dishes, which you can pick from the glass-fronted counter. If you were getting a little tired of the Northern Quarter staple vibe of ‘independent, quirky British bar’, Barcelona may just be worth a go. Relaxed, unpretentious, spacious and with decent priced food and drink, you’ll wonder how the Northern Quarter ever functioned without it.
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Blue Parrot Bar and Grill
Portland Street
Piccadilly
The Blue Parrot Cafe Bar opened towards the end of 2009 and is proving to be a popular replacement for what used to be Che Bar, on Portland Street. Offering a full menu with everything from salads and sandwiches to platters and grill dishes, the Blue Parrot is setting itself up as a decent place for eating and drinking in the Piccadilly area. Late opening on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (2am) means it will also compete with its neighbours for the weekend crowds.
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Jump
Unit G31 Hardman Street
Spinningfields
Rumoured to be a project from the Living Ventures company (see also Gusto and Black House bar/restaurant chains), Jump will be the latest addition to Manchester’s Spinningfields sometime in early 2010.
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Moon under Water
68-74 Deansgate
Deansgate
The Moon under Water could once claim to be the largest pub in Europe, and it's still a mammoth drinking hole that's now owned by Wetherspoons. Inside it's all about cheap food and drink - if you're after a light bite for under ?5 then this is the place for you, and despite being surrounded by trendy bars the Moon under Water is a popular place.
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The Metropolitan
2 Lapwing Lane
Didsbury
The classic MET, like the MET of police fame, 20 years ago, full of corruption and criminals and cocaine, when it was the Midlands, but then something changed, the MET got invested in, got cash to spend, new management, and the place changed. Now you are more likely to be bumped into by a Porsche Cayenne (god I hate those monstrosities) rather than bumped off by a gangster. No bad thing, but just as deadly, but for there credit the met pub does have a traffic controller. Now the home of the wealthy non Manchester types of Didsbury and the surrounding villages the MET is the shining beacon of contemporized Clapham style drinking, accountants and lawyers talk about shares whilst the complete lack of music allows them to wallow in their overly loud conversations of rugger scores and house prices, both happily increasing (see blog Manchester?..london) Drinks prices like the height of the clientele steadily rising ever year on the year end (so very Didsbury) and now towering above the reality of the rest of the world, with Guinness at 3.40 you do wonder who pays these prices. The answer is the nova riche and under, in there thousands?. The more they increase the prices so I am told the more people want to drink there. But they do have champagne at ?5.50 a glass so they have some sensibilities to their own kind. Their own kind as well are particularly healthy, with the smoking area (not the non smoking area) now taking up 75% of the available drinking place, not ideal if you are a smoker, or have friends who do, as you suddenly realize why they might be bringing this law in after all as you enter the smoke clogged smog of the place the hardcore people hang out. Everywhere else the bar staff don?t have to tell the smoking few about such restrictions, which is a good job as they are understaffed as it is, as every new confirmed converted none smoker, in that way only the drunken posh can get away with, tell you ?if you don?t mind that the smoking area is over there, not over here? with a glaring eye and a healthy lack of coolness, back in the days of the midlands people would have killed for less. Age wise the MET is similar to is police type, around mid 30?s and doing well for it, and like the police not too many blacks and Asians (more the pity, but I stand out and look good so no worries there) but unlike the police there are a fair number of women here too. Mainly the ? length coat and scarf wearing fitness of the office variety, but slightly more stuck up and according to several men in there mainly gold diggers, which I found very hard to believe, one lad from Liverpool joked the girls were like the plants in there, kinda fake and with no talking points. Three conversations later, when the only questions had been ?so what do you do then? and amazingly ?what do you drive? I had to agree with him. With so many Porsches outside I can now see why. We went on St Burns night and thanks to Ross I learned that Tam O Shanter was actually a poem about being wasted and a lie to his Mrs. at the time. Very apt for the MET I feel. (3.5)
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Apotheca
High Street
Northern Quarter
Another trendy hangout adding itself to the Northern Quarter list, Apotheca is linked to neighbour and 'sister' restaurant Dough, both opening in November 2008.
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Comedy Store
Deansgate Locks
Deansgate
The hard working Comedy store on Deansgate Locks provides a full packed line-up of comedic events, featuring local and national figures as well as great shows. Inside the venue is well designed, with a couple of bars, the main theatre and some adaptable club space which they use for a disco on weekends (if your into that kind of thing!). Well worth a visit, with the midweek events cheaper than the weekends.
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Corbieres
2 Half Moon Street
City Centre

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High Street Cafe
69 High Street, Northern Quarter
Northern Quarter

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The Gin Club
310 Wilmslow Road
Fallowfield
New for Fallowfield's student population, a place whose mission statement is a simple 'Music and Liquor', The Gin Club brings a touch of city centre elegance to the 'cheap pints and shots' offerings of the area's other nightspots. An interesting idea - let's see how the students take to cocktails and decor over beer and benches.
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B Lounge
97 Piccadilly
Piccadilly
A brand new drinking hole in Piccadilly, the refit B-lounge has recently opened and it's a decent looking place with live music and meal deals.
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Glam
Richmond Street
Gay Village
Formerly Falcon, a butch mens bar that had a bit of a 'reputation', new owner Nigel Martin Smith has rebranded the club as Glam, both in the name and in the style. The leather and fetish lovers have been banished, and pink is in.
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