Fish and chips. Strawberries and cream. Turkey and Christmas. Some things just belong together and we’d like to add another one to that list – a pint and a game of pool. The perfect antidote to a stressful day at work, it provides essential alcoholic content, a playing companion with whom to share your woes and, when talking is just too much, a decent bit of recreation, and competition, to fill the void. Pool tables in pubs and bars are, you may have noticed, relatively hard to come by, especially in the city centre. There is the odd one (The Bay Horse and the Town Hall Tavern spring to mind) but you are invariably left in the pound-coin-on-the-table queue or reduced to going to an American Pool/bowling establishment, which, it has to be said, aren’t known for their atmosphere and individualism. Or the quality of their beer.

So it is with some excitement that we are able to report plans for a new bar in the Northern Quarter that will marry those two perfect bedfellows. The Black Dog Ballroom is the latest project from Ross MacKenzie (see also One Central Street and Purple Pussycat) and Jobe Ferguson (behind The Northern Quarter Restaurant & Bar) and will be opening in the basement of Affleck’s Palace, in the space that is currently Blink, this October, apparently taking its inspiration from the underground bars of New York. OK, so a pool bar isn’t exactly a new concept but it is a refreshing break from the recent norm of modern, cocktail-oriented establishments that do a good line in ‘a nice place to stand around looking cool’ but little beyond a DJ in the way of actual recreation. The Black Dog (as it is surely destined to be referred to) plans to do all three – atmosphere, drinks and pool. What more could we wish for?

Well, a bit of grub wouldn’t go a miss and, once again running with the American slant, a diner-esque offering is planned, with burgers and pizzas being the mainstay. There will also be a little ‘VIP’ room, with its own bar and pool table, presumably for those not wishing to enter the pound coin jostling, and a decor that will sit it in cahoots with its fashionable neighbours. “An elegant environment that will deliver a stimulating experience,” says Kevin Gill, managing director of JudgeGill, who have been tasked with the interior design work. “The design combines decadent fabrics with natural materials, where modern design meets traditional features to give a very theatrical and dramatic effect,” he explained. Sound lovely and looks OK too, judging by this preview pic:





Our only concern is that it’ll be such a welcome addition to the area that the tables will be constantly full, placing us firmly back to square one. Let’s not be negative though – come October, we’ll definitely be down there.