Manchester

Fernandos
1-7 Chapel Street
City Centre
By popular demand, here we give you our official listing for Fernando’s; Manchester’s ultimate dating venue made famous by ITV’s Take Me Out, the dating game show hosted by Paddy McGuinness. For the uninitiated, Take Me Out involves a large group of young ladies being presented with a potential suitor who, naturally, tries to impress them in various ways. The girls each have a light that they can turn out when, or if, they feel the gent in front of them isn’t impressing them enough. At the end of the ritual humiliation...sorry, the man’s attempts to impress the girls, he has to choose one from those with their lights left on to take on a date. It’s a bit like Blind Date used to be only with more people involved, no ‘Our Graham’ and less teeth. Paddy McGuinness takes the Cilla role and when the lucky couple have been whittled out of the collected participants they are ceremoniously sent off for a date in Fernando’s, Manchester’s ‘best bar’, according to Paddy. We do have some bad news for you, however, Fernando’s fans – it doesn’t actually exist. Well, that’s to say that there is no bar in Manchester with Fernando’s written above the door. The place where they film the dates is a real bar and all the shots used in the programme are of a real place, it’s just not called Fernando’s - it’s called Bijou and far from being charmingly down at heel, as Paddy often suggests of Fernando’s, it is rather a swanky place, recently refurbished and erring on the classier side of a night out than the pint and a packet of peanuts ambience of Fernando’s. Quite why it was decided to make up a bar in Manchester called Fernando’s, and then use a real bar to pretend it existed, we have no idea. If you want to go to Fernando’s in Manchester, the closest you’re going to get is Bijou. Check out our Bijou listing.
Cheap and Cheerful bar

Cloud 23 - Hilton Skybar
Beetham Tower
Deansgate
The highest bar in Mancheter (23rd Floor) and the one with the highest aspirations, the door to Cloud 23 is strictly controlled on the weekends, this rather attractive (and somewhat expensive) drinking hole remains unseen by large numbers of Mancunians - some by choice. For hotel guests and tourists it's a great pull, with windows in the floors and fantastic views across Manchester (and beyond)
Style Conscious bar

Boutique
18-22 Lloyd Street
Deansgate
A swanky new lap dancing bar in an underground venue off Deansgate, and close to Albert Square. Pretty high end inside, the club is decked out tastefully and entrance is pretty well controlled so there's no idiots. Clearly the nicest in Manchester, but we've got a long way to go before our venues are comparable to London.
Lap dancing bar

Long Legs
Basement 46 George St
City Centre
Review updated: A full strip is now offered by Long Legs (hurrah) and the Fantasy Bar is rumoured to be re-opening. Manchester gained a third strip club with the opening of the classy Boutique bar on Lloyd Street. Located in the heart of China Town, slightly off the beaten track, Long Legs charge between five and ten pounds to get in, depending on the season but this includes a free dance. Walk down the stairs and there's a bar to your left, with a dancefloor-cum-standing area and two seating areas around it. Stringfellows this ain't, as the carpet/wallpaper/furnishings will tell you, but you?re here for the titties right? The girls are strictly boobs only - no amount of money will result in you seeing a front-bum. The long legs girls are decent looking girls with at least 10 working each night, and sometimes more. Some are friendly, some aren't. Doesn't really matter does it? The girls dance for ?5 for approximately five minutes, whilst ?10-?15 will get you a two girl dance and maybe some nipple licking. Some people consider this a waste of money, but unless your some sort of alcoholic regular who's spending the rent money (and child support) on titties then it's not really a big deal. Long Legs is a great place, don't get me wrong, but Manchester deserves at more than one strip club. It almost looked like we were going to get one, but sadly the actress who plays Rita Sulivan on Coronation Street took great offence to Peter Stringfellows plans - due to the fact that it would take place very close to her front door - and kicked up a huge fuss. With hundreds of solicitors in that same area, you'd make a mint from it, but equally you'd have to be insane to go up against so many legal eagles.
Lap dancing bar

Bijou
1-7 Chapel Street
Deansgate
***Updated February 2010*** Those of you with a penchant for Saturday night television may well be becoming more acquainted with Bijou than you thought. Many will have already sussed it out but Bijou is indeed the infamous Fernando’s from ITV show Take Me Out, hosted by Paddy McGuiness. Quite why they’ve decided to label it Fernando’s and not stick with Bijou is anyone’s guess – maybe Bijou wanted to try keep striving for the exclusive vibe they crave and not fill the place up with people wanting to go to Fernando’s and try to spot couples from the show. Still, the answer to the question on many people’s lips, ‘Where is Fernando’s in Manchester’ has been answered – it’s not called Fernando’s, it’s called Bijou, and it’s on Chapel Street. Check out our new listing for Fernando’s. ***Update March 2009*** The slightly confusing situation as to whether this place is actually open or not has been cleared up thus: The officialy launch night is on Saturday 28th March - that's for Saturdays@Bijou. The club's been open for a couple of months already, however, on Thursday and Friday nights - 'Censored' every Thursday, 'Sintillate' every first Friday of the month. We're not sure when the launch night was for them - they just seem to have opened. So, presumably, you can go to Bijou on Friday 27th March for a normal night, then go to their EXCLUSIVE OPENING NIGHT the following evening. Confused? You will be... On the site of the old Cocoa Rooms, Bijou pulls no punches - it's swanky, expensive and very exclusive.
Members Bar bar

Sugar Buddha
Arch 12, Deansgate Locks
Deansgate
Another change of tenant on the seemingly fickle Deansgate Locks scene, Sugar Buddha arrives to take over from the Sugar Lounge, so they could save a bit on the signage if they’re smart. Slotting into the notorious strip of bars has traditionally gone one of two ways – go wuith the flow (i.e. standard exposed brickwork, long bar, ‘modern pub grub’, funky house on Saturday nights) or try and stand out from the crowd. We’ve yet to get down there to see which way Sugar Buddha have gone but we will soon...watch this space.
Modern bar

Fantasy Bar
140 Deansgate
Deansgate
A lapdancing club on Deansgate, in central Manchester. One of the first venues in the city, and recentyl refurbished, it's located on the corner of Deansgate and John Dalton Street in a hidden doorway. If you have a hankering for nudity then this strip bar should keep you happy.
Lap dancing bar

Sugar Lounge
Deansgate Locks
Deansgate
The Sugar Lounge has had an interesting history, but there's no doubting that the tiny venue at the end of Deansgate Locks is an equally interesting place to hang out. Attractive, and with attentive service, there's a bling bling vibe in this bar and a 'take it or leave it' attitude. If that's your cup of tea then get your glad rags on and prepare to brave the oft-strict door staff. As the saying goes, if you deserve to be in this bar then they'll let you in.
Style Conscious bar

The Circle Club
Barton Arcade
City Centre
Members only club that has undergone quite a transformation over the years. Still popular with the gliteratti, but not quite as used by the local media as this bar would like. Recent rennovation, and lunch time menu, suggest that there is still life in this venue but it's credentials as the home of media in Manchester have long gone.
Members Bar bar

Lounge 31
31 Withy Grove
Printworks
Lounge 31 is a new late night bar within the Printworks featuring seven days of entertainment, and opening hours till 7am on weekends. The venue opened in October 2007, and has been pretty busy thanks to it's swanky interior and late night opening - a godsend in Manchester which, despite it's '24hour Party People' tag, tends to close down after 2am! Lounge 31 has a mixed music policy, concerntrating on the softer side of urban and R&B, but as a self described 'style bar' - with luminaries such as The Living Room, Sugar Lounge and of course Cloud 23 as it's rivals - the venue was going to have to pull out all the stops to succeed. Inside you'll find a stunning venue that's certainly up there with the best of them in Manchester, in fact a large proportion of their staff have been 'borrowed' from these venues so you may recognise some faces. Private booths are available for hire, each with their own LCD TV, and a VIP area that's seperate from the rest of the bar by curtains.
Modern bar

Common
39 - 41 Edge Street
Northern Quarter
Tiny little boozer hidden away down a back street, there's barely room to swing a cat so this bar's always packed out with arty folks. A mish mash of events take place (check their excellent website) and the bar is regularly repainted by a chosen, lucky artist or collective. Nothing special on the drinks, but worth a visit for the clientelle (if you're not meant to be in this bar then the door staff will make sure that you don't get in)
Indie and Underground bar

Obsessions
2b Whitworth Street West
Deansgate
A new lapdancing bar that's right next to the busy Deansgate Locks. House above the even newer Area 51 nightclub, it's a fairly swanky affair with a glitering array of girls. Bit more swanky than the other venues in town (Long legs, The Fantasy Bar) but nowhere near as good as Boutique (Lloyd Street)
Lap dancing bar

Bar Epernay
Great Northern Tower
Peter Street
***Updated May 2009*** Those plans became less tentative and more pro-active with Epernay opening recently in The Great Northern Tower on Watson Street. The venue is on the first floor and delivers perhaps what you might expect of a champagne bar – classy surroundings and lots of champagne on offer. Perhaps not likely to appeal much to the crowd frequenting the bars nearby (Brannigans, Chicago Rock, Walkabout et al), and even if it did one suspects most wouldn’t get in anyway, Epernay will surely be looking to attract custom from the nearby convention centre/Midland Hotel/posh restaurants around Deansgate. ________________________________________ A Birmingham based champagne bar that has tentative plans to open up an outlet close to Peter Street.
Style Conscious bar

Label
78 Deansgate
Deansgate
Label was the cooler younger brother of the Living Room - in fact it's situated right next door (the two are actually owned by different people, but appear somewhat similar). Whereas the Living Room caters for those who prefer a sophisticated drink, Label is much more in your face with a dance floor and the necessary DJs to go with it. Designed in a sensitive fashion it's an uber chic hangout that's aimed at the 'up for it' crowd: pumpin house music, groovy disco - it all goes on down here. Label's location at the base of Deansgate, close to Prohibition, The Cocoa Rooms and Club V, has set this area alight. It's the trendy place to come out and party, and a few more steps in either direction will take you to the Circle Club (lovely), Panacea (good, but troublesome) and a whole load of traditional pubs.
Modern bar

Mojo
19 Back Bridge Street
Deansgate
"Music for the people" is Mojo's mantra, with the music policy strictly 'non-house' - expect old skool and new skool rock and roll. Despite this rough and ready image, the bar is an awesome pre-club hangout, or somewhere to chill out on and sink into the sofas. Check out their excellent website.
Indie and Underground bar

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.
Modern bar

House 9
9 Century Street
Deansgate
***Updated August 2009*** House 9 is now open and looks set to shake up the Deansgate scene with a sophisticated take on the independent bar scene. _____________________________ House 9 is the brainchild of a new Tameside company who plan to open three new venues in Manchester city centre in 2009. House 9 is going to be the first of these three with a planned opening date set as 1 May 2009. The idea for House 9, they tell us, is to bring a bit of an independent, quirky feel to the Deansgate Locks area. "Even though we are next to Deansgate Locks, we'll be very different to the bars that are already there," says Ben Burgess, one of the company directors. "They do their job well, but we're trying to create something with a different identity. It could be the first of a new independent scene in this part of the city."
Indie and Underground bar

Taps
Watson Street
City Centre
***May 2009*** Taking the ground floor spot in The great Northern Tower, below champagne specialist and newcomer Epernay on the first floor, Taps brings an altogether different offering to the party. Far from the magnums and flutes upstairs, each table in Taps gets...believe it or not...its own tap. Yes, of beer. Sit down, get some glasses and fill them, and yourselves, up as much as you wish. No more visits to the bar, no queuing, no endless fiddling with change. Just turn up, drink as much as you wish and pay on your way out. Brilliant. Taps is now open.
Modern bar