Bar Hot Spots: Destination Drinking
Find one good bar and you can generally be sure there’s another not far away. Tom Sandham types ‘Martini’ into his sat nav and heads off in search of the UK’s very best bar hotspots
Location, Location, Location – a TV show so dull they named it thrice. Apart from Kirstie and Phil’s ‘are they/aren’t they doing it’ chemistry and an absurd enthusiasm for the housing market, what I find most annoying about this Channel 4 programme is that it doesn’t look at the bars in the places they visit. So here’s the Imbibe guide to locations of particular distinction that you should visit if you want to check out what’s happening with the bar scene in cities outside London. There are three in this issue, with another three to follow next issue.
MANCHESTER
THE NORTHERN QUARTER
Manchestaaa has a grand tradition of excellent nightlife and the best of it can be found in the Northern Quarter. This isn’t exactly a recent revelation, but it remains the best locale for liquor and it’s a place where cocktail joints and ale havens are comfortable bed buddies. The Northern Quarter is the creative hub of Manchester, where the fashionistas shop for records, drink coffee, design things or simply loiter while regarding Banksy-esque wall daubings. Beau Myers has enjoyed success with two of the bars here (Socio Rehab and Keko Moku) and recently opened a third in Home Sweet Home, evidence that this hub of bar activity is still going strong.
Keko Moku
An award-winning piece of tiki gold, Keko is next door to Socio (its sister bar) so if you’re planning a night out in the Northern Quarter you’d be a mug to miss out on this riot of desert island decor and rum. Brave the Zombie, based on Don the Beachcomber’s late 1930s recipe using a heavy mix of Appleton V/X, Bacardi, Mount Gay, Woods 100, Trois Rivieres and Goslings 151: ‘plus our secret mix of liqueurs, bitters and fruit juice. Served in a pint tankard and set on fire’.
100 High Street, M4 1HP kekomoku.co.uk
Socio Rehab
This pioneering bar is a valued mainstay of the Manchester circuit. Street art peppers the walls and the toilets boast a wealth of pornographic materials, while the menu is also a work of art: grimy and in your face it begs to be nicked by the customers. The Attitude Adjuster will sort you out: ‘Martin Miller’s gin, French blueberry fine conserve, fresh lime and a smoothing of vanilla – a straight up, short, sharp, sherbet slap in the face.
100-102 High Street, M4 1HP sociorehab.com
Common Shabby
and almost chic this bar is great stop for something a bit mellower and a bite to eat. While cocktails are not necessarily the forté – the Straw ‘Jerry’ Mule, which twists a Mule by using Sailor Jerry’s might be a clue – but the approach to drinks makes the evening a relaxed affair. It has a healthy selection of bottled beers, guest ales and wine and you can even add a pint of Flowers to your meal for a mere £1.50.
41 Edge Street, M4 1HW aplacecalledcommon.co.uk
57 Thomas Street
This charming establishment is owned and operated by Marble Brewery, whose microbrewed beers have been earning plenty of plaudits – and conveniently enough you can sample them all here. There’s a bit of a middle class deli feel to the bar, which is in keeping with all this ‘locally produced’ carry-on consumers are so ‘mad fer’ these days. Although famed for its organic brews, Marble satisfies more than just the tastebuds of mung bean-munching Mancunians, and current experiments with a ginger and a chocolate beer are well worth a sip.
57 Thomas Street, M4 1NA www.marblebeers.co.uk
BRIGHTON
NORTH LANES AND AROUND
For this visit I headed to the area around the North Lanes, which offers a great variety of drinking experiences. Myles Cunliffe, director of the Mixology Group consultancy says: ‘It’s an area doing really well with old favourites like Valentino’s and The Waggon & Horses. It underwent a bit of a regeneration, with Côte moving into the old music library and La Tasca setting up shop opposite myhotel. There are a number of newcomers as well with the likes of Qube bar, the new bar that will be above Oki-nami and the Twisted Lemon opening up shop, all within within five minutes’ walk of each other.’
Merkaba
On a sunny day in Brighton, the lack of natural light here bugs me a bit, but this is England and the sun doesn’t always shine, so it’s convenient that this bar is perfect in the drizzle. The design is fancy enough, apparently the sound travels around the place thanks to the ridges in the wall – not so good if you listen into conversations at my table. And cocktails tick the boxes – particularly the aperitifs. Myhotel,
17 Jubilee Street, BN1 1GE myhotels.com
Bar Valentino
Paul de Newtown learned his trade under Brighton luminary Chris Edwardes (Hanbury Club, Blanch House) and now heads up the bar above El Mexicano restaurant. It goes for an upmarket look which isn’t always what Brighton seems to seek, but it’s a nice change of pace to other boozers in the city. Downstairs you’ll get jugs of Margies, upstairs though there’s more of a flair for the mixed drinks. Above El Mexicano,
7 New Road, BN1 1UF elmexicano.co.uk/valentino
Basket Makers Arms
Blessed with a wealth of beer tap talent and tucked down the back of the Lanes, this traditional Brighton boozer does away with the frills, fancy DJs and all other figments of a fetid imagination. Accommodating bar-staff dish out awesome ales, great value grub and a wealth of malt whiskies to a mixed, mellow crowd who often leave odd and amusing notes in the tobacco tins that adorn the walls. Have an ale here, then a whisky, then an ale, then another whisky.
12 Gloucester Road, BN1 4AD fullers.co.uk
Bodega D’Tapa
OK, this one is a little different as it’s technically less of a bar and more of a restaurant, but it scrapes in because of its wine – the venue is run by Andalusian winemakers and distributors Cala & Arrobas. The tapas in this place is properly tasty and the rough and ready charm – complete with acoustic guitarist and Spanish chirping – all adds to the experience. The perfect spot for a fino, followed by a bit of Spanish red.
111 Church Street, The Lanes, BN1 1UD d-tapa.com
EDINBURGH
THISTLE STREET AND AROUND
Edinburgh is bursting with brilliant bars, but the task here is to find a small area of excellence; I’ve gone for venues in the Thistle Street area, somewhere that sums up Edinburgh’s unification of discerning nobility and chilled out nature. Steph Middleton works with Innis & Gunn in Edinburgh and her husband runs the Thistle Street Bar: ‘Thistle Street is such a good street: it’s off the main drag; slightly hidden from the George Street style-bar posse. It’s a street for grown-ups, people who don’t follow the crowds and are a bit more independent.’ This particular crawl strays a bit from the street to catch Bramble, so if I christened this locale I’d call it the Thistle Passage. Which sounds painful.
The Oxford Bar
True, Ian Rankin’s Rebus has ensured that crime novel fans flock in, but the literary links actually date back to the 19th century. And anyway, who wants to read books when you can drink? Not me, so the fact that there are a few good ales on tap and whiskies behind the bar, all served up with a sense of genuine Edinburgh history is enough to make it a necessary stop in Thistle Passage.
8 Young St, EH2 4JB www.oxfordbar.com
Bramble
A cocktail haven of the highest order. Less is more on the decor, a leather armchair here, some exposed brickwork there, but the vibe means it doesn’t smack of faux speakeasy. Music is cool and drinks are excellent, Dick Bradsell’s original Bramble is also honoured, so it would be rude not to have one!
16A Queen St, EH2 1JE bramblebar.co.uk
The Bon Vivant
The wine list here gets a special mention – 32 wines and 10 champagnes all by the glass, from a list refreshed every three months using a panel of experts and dedicated regulars. Owner Stuart McCluskey has serious cocktail pedigree and excellent mixes feature rare and fine spirits, all presented in beautiful glassware. The decor has a touch of French brasserie about it, but not so much that you don’t know you’re in Edinburgh.
55 Thistle Street, EH2 1DY bonvivantedinburgh.co.uk
The Thistle Street Bar
A quaint boozer, with an air of The Oxford but the bonus of all the trappings of the modern age. It’s cosy and welcoming with a big range of draught beers and some decent rums. There’s Timorous Beasties thistle wallpaper, black leather seating and an open fire (and Sky Sports, but we’ll forgive them that one) – a great place to while away the day or night.
39 Thistle Street, EH2 1DY 50mls.co.uk
Editorial feature from Imbibe Magazine – September/October 2011
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