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Insider guide to Manchester

With the exception of the Liverpudlians, perhaps, most people would agree that Manchester now offers some of the best nightlife in the North West. To launch our new City File series, Imbibe went in search of the bars and restaurants that make this celebrated city tick

.Bars 

Whilst it would be fanciful (not to mention woefully inaccurate and stereotypical) to suggest that Manchester has completely transformed itself from Coronation Street to Madison Avenue, there’s certainly no denying that it’s made very significant steps in that direction. Indeed, there are even claims that it doesn’t rain so much any more, but that may just be a case of wishful thinking.

Nowhere is the change more evident than in the Northern Quarter, just to the north-east of the main city centre, loosely bracketed by Piccadilly and Shudehill. A ramshackle mixture of Victorian three and four-storey buildings, it was once the heart of Manchester’s textile and fashion wholesale trade.

Little by little, old businesses are being replaced by galleries, hip music outlets, creative marketing agencies and arty bookshops. And if you’re standing on a street corner and can’t see at least one bar, check you haven’t got a paper bag on your head.

Nick Midgley

Mojo

19 Back Bridge Street, M3 2PB 0161 839 5330 www.mojobar.co.uk

Style: Casual, late-night, New York side-street feel, with hundreds of framed rock photos and posters and music to match.

Prices: Between £4.50 and £6 for cocktails, with the £5.50 range being the most popular.

Manager: Simon Yardley

Simon Yardley moved from Leeds (home of the original Mojo) to open the Manchester bar in 2005. Originally looking for premises in the Northern Quarter, Mojo eventually settled in a backstreet close to Deansgate, and has since become a popular industry destination. ‘At weekends we’re open until 3am, but with the Northern Quarter being partly a residential area, it’s difficult for bars there to get a licence after midnight,’ Yardley explains. ‘Actually it works quite well for us, they all close at midnight and the staff head down here!’

Cocktail sales are generally led by the classics: ‘Margaritas, Manhattans, that kind of thing, although at the weekend, everyone seems to be asking for Mojitos. We’ve also got a great Peruvian lager, Cusqueña’ Yardley continues. ‘A couple of lads from Manchester went travelling and discovered it. They started importing it and it’s been going really well.’

Mojo also has a separate bar upstairs called the Rhum Room: ‘Great views of the sunset over Salford!’ laughs Yardley.

Nearly half the back bar is made up of rums, with the bar’s policy of buying in small packages rather than one main contract giving them plenty of flexibility. ‘We sell lots of Mount Gay XO, and we’ve a few good Venezuelan rums like Pampero; a standard one and a couple more expensive varieties.’

‘It’s good having so many industry people as you can get them sipping stuff they may not have seen before.’

What makes Manchester special?

‘There’s always things to do here, which isn’t always the case in, say, Leeds. The cocktail culture’s maybe more advanced here than elsewhere too, and people are more prepared to try things out of curiosity.’

Bacchanalia

15-17 Chapel Walks, M2 1HN 0161 819 1997 www.bacconline.com

Style: A small, friendly and unpretentious street-level bar in the city centre.

Prices: Cocktails start at £4.40, most are £6.75.

Director: Jon Derbyshire

With its relatively simple, unassuming approach and knowledgeable staff, Bacchanalia sidesteps the ‘hipper than thou’ trappings of other bars and, in doing so, cushions itself from the more fickle aspects of the market.

‘Our big sellers are Cosmopolitans, Long Island Ice Teas and Mojitos,’ says director Jon Derbyshire. ‘My personal favourite is the Mashtini.’

Just off Cross Street, Bacchanalia is well placed for daytime shoppers, the after-work market and pre-theatre drinkers. ‘We’ve done “two for one” cocktails between 5pm and 7pm for about a year now,’ Derbyshire says. ‘It works really well. We’ll also do bottles of wine for £7.50, and beers
at £2 a bottle.’

So where does he see things going? ‘I’ve noticed that people are becoming more knowledgeable about what they’re buying from a drink compared to, say, five or ten years ago when they’d just have a Bacardi and coke.

‘I think people are looking for good food, drinks and service. Box those three and you’ve got a winner. I don’t think that will change too much, but if it does you’ve got to move with it pretty well instantly. We’ll see!’

What makes Manchester special?

‘I just think it’s got a really good vibe. It’s quite cosmopolitan and it’s coming into its own, especially after the IRA bomb. The people are friendly, the weather’s rubbish, but it’s Manchester!’

Obsidian

18 Princess Street, M1 4LY 0161 238 4348 www.obsidianmanchester.co.uk

Style: Large, smartly designed ‘destination bar’.

Prices: Cocktails all £6.50 except for champagne cocktails at £7.50. Spirits from £2.50 to £120 a measure.

Sales & Marketing Manager: Marie Robertson

Bar Manager: Martin Taylor

Citing Girls Aloud’s Sarah Harding as a regular client, Obsidian appeals to the more style-conscious end of the market, although takes care to not come across as overly snobbish.

‘We used to be purely fine dining, mainly couples on a Saturday night,’ Marie Robertson (right) explains. ‘We felt that the bar was going to waste a little as a result. It’s more balanced now, and the bar’s pretty well chock-a-block, particularly for cocktails and canapés.’

‘We’ll often offer people cocktails when they’re not really sure what they want,’ says bar manager Martin Taylor. ‘If, for example, someone asks for a ‘Bombay Sapph’ then we suggest more interesting alternatives, such as a Ginnie Rey.’

‘Gin’s certainly the big one at the moment,’ Taylor continues. ‘It’s had a massive revival, thanks in part to the last James Bond film and to Gordon’s sponsoring Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. Although there are lots of people drinking rum; Dark & Stormys, that kind of thing.’

Obsidian recently introduced its ‘Bar Club’ promotion, a happy hour running from 5-9pm on a set drinks list, which has been popular with young professionals, and use a mix of advertising and PR to bolster their reputation. ‘We’ve a really good mix of clients, now,’ Taylor confirms.

What makes Manchester special?

‘I’ve lived in Manchester for two years and I love it. It’s got a very friendly feel about it and you don’t feel quite so baffled about where to go out in the evening. People are very friendly and I don’t worry about trouble,’ says Robertson.

Trof

5-8 Thomas Street, M4 1EG 0161 833 3197 www.trof.co.uk

Style: Chilled, laid-back, casual bar specialising in bottled beers.

Prices: Typically between £3 and £4 for a beer, although stocks vary with availability.

Assistant Manager: Mark Stubbs

The original Trof is in Fallowfield and is very much the hip student’s hangout of choice. Its younger Northern Quarter cousin (popularly, but unofficially, referred to as Trof NQ) is much larger and aimed more towards professionals, but retains a bohemian, creative feel.

‘The owners didn’t want to do cocktails,’ says assistant manager Mark Stubbs. ‘Everywhere sells them. We’re focusing here on beer, food and coffee, just to make it a bit different. It was a brave decision but it seems to have worked.’

Despite Trof’s extensive selection of bottled beers, he admits that draught, principally Amstel, is still their most popular offering. ‘We sell a lot of bottled beers that other people don’t,’ Stubbs explains, ‘at the moment we’ve got six German lagers and a couple of American beers, but unless people know them they won’t buy them. The better-known names like Corona and Peroni tend to be the bigger sellers.’

With Trof NQ less than a year old, and a third Trof scheduled to open soon near Oxford Road, what does Stubbs think appeals to the market?

‘Atmosphere is very important,’ he says. ‘Obviously if people like the food or the drinks then that’s great, but if the atmosphere isn’t right then they’ll just stay for one drink and then head off.’

‘We don’t really need to do much in the way of promotion. By-and-large our business comes from word of mouth, or people passing by.’

What makes Manchester special?

‘It’s the people, most definitely. The vibe in Manchester is exceptionally diverse. There are four or five places in central Manchester that have completely different types of people. If they like what you’re doing here, you’ll be successful.’

Room

81 King Street, M2 4ST 0161 839 2005 www.roomrestaurants.com

Style: Classic Victorian splendour combined with offbeat modern cool. Located in the former Reform Club.

Prices: £6 for cocktails, £7 for Champagne cocktails.

Head Of Bar: Iain Gray

With its high ceilings, monumental fireplaces, oak paneling and a statue of William Gladstone towering over the small DJ booth, Room is certainly visually striking. ‘Room’s concept is retro-chic with a bit of a twist,’ says head of bar Iain Gray. He’s describing the menu, but it could just as easily apply to the decor.

‘We mainly sell classics, although there seems to be a movement towards things like rum punches,’ he adds.

‘Things are also getting quite kitsch. We’re making a couple of cocktails – the James Pond and Colarda Armada. We serve them in fishbowls with straws and umbrellas, very “Del-Boy”. It’s just kitsch, it’s not meant to be serious.’

The Sake Sake Five Dollar (cue puerile sniggers) is a personal favourite of Gray’s, although it’s not always a seller. ‘There are certain things that people block,’ he explains.  ‘Sake, for example, isn’t all that palatable, but with lychee liqueur and grapefruit it’s a fantastic drink. A lot of people can be put off by originals. If you’re spending £6, you really want to know what you’re getting.’

What makes Manchester special?

‘I’m from Glasgow and the two cities are really quite similar. They’re based on working class backgrounds, but are now both cosmopolitan. I’ve noticed massive changes in the last year. It’s changing all the time, and getting better all the time.’

.Restaurants 

Forget King Cotton, forget Nobby Stiles, Bobby Charlton and the Happy Mondays, today Manchester is a vibrant city that prefers to compare itself with Lyon and Barcelona rather than Leeds and Liverpool.

Where once the city centre population could be numbered in the hundreds, today there are thousands of new apartments and close to 20,000 residents.

With a large proportion of these being young professionals, several places have sprung up to cater to their needs. Italian and Spanish restaurants have proved popular, as have ‘Bar & Grill’ types, while a number of hotels with swanky eateries have also appeared – watch out for Michael Caines at ABode. And, unsurprisingly, several have closed down.

As you’ll see from the following comments, some think the time was right but the execution was wrong, while others wonder if Manchester is ready. But whichever view you take, there’s still plenty on offer to show that it’s certainly not Grim Oop North.

Simon Woods

Juniper

21 The Downs, Altrincham, Cheshire WA14 2QD 0161 929 4008 www.juniper-restaurant.co.uk

STYLE: Casual yet intimate in an ocean of sea green with a magician in the kitchen.

PRICES: from £17 for six different wines, including a Chardonnay and Nero d’Avola from Mandrarossa, up to £310 for 1985 Cheval Blanc.

SUPPLIERS: Amphora, Gerrard Seal and O W Löeb

FRONT OF HOUSE & WINE BUYER: Katie O’Brien

Greater Manchester’s only Michelin-starred restaurant has been described as The Fat Duck of the North. Certainly chef Paul Kitching marches to the beat of no-one else’s drum. A few object to his flights of fancy on a plate – deconstructed hamburgers, lamb with chocolate tart, Snickers crème brûlée – but the man is a genius in the kitchen, and deserves a visit from those prepared to have their notions of food rearranged.

And he does it all in a 34-cover restaurant in an Altrincham back street. ‘It is a bit of a surprise that there’s no-one else in Manchester with a star,’ says Kitching’s partner Katie O’Brien, who runs the front-of-house and buys the wines.

‘I’ve seen a handful of places being launched with high expectations, but they’ve never managed to be the full package.Restaurants also have to contend with Mancunians who tend to be – let’s be polite – price-conscious. A couple of years ago, we began doing a set menu on Tuesday nights for £30 a head – now it’s full every week. It’s bizarre that people will come along and eat what they’re told to eat, but object to coming on other nights and paying just £10 extra to have a choice.

‘Those who travel up from the South are prepared to spend more money on a meal – they’re gobsmacked at how cheap we are, but the locals don’t seem to understand that.’

What about the wine?

Where Kitching’s food dazzles, the wine list is rather more sedate. ‘I’m happy to offer recommendations when people ask for them, but rather than trying to trade people up, I’d say I tend to undersell the wines,’ says O’Brien. So while there are Cheval Blancs and Lafon Meursaults for deep pockets, the accent is more on sensibly priced, tasty wines – Michel Paquet St Véran and Skillogalee Riesling all come in at less than £35.

Those of you wanting to see what the fuss is about better be quick – word has it that the duo are off to pastures new in the near future…

Simply Heathcotes & Grado

Simply Heathcotes: Jacksons Row, Deansgate, Manchester M2 5WD 0161 835 3536

Grado: New York Street, Piccadilly, M1 4BD, 0161 238 9790 www.heathcotes.co.uk

STYLE: Simply Heathcotes is bustling and contemporary, while Grado is more chrome and casual, with a theatre-style kitchen.

PRICES: From £14 up to £90 or so for fine Bordeaux at Simply Heathcotes & up to £375 for Vega Sicilia Unico at Grado.

FOUNDER: Paul Heathcote

SUPPLIERS: Boutinot, Gerald Seal, Bibendum

There’s been a Simply Heathcotes in the city since 1995 and last year Paul Heathcote opened the highly acclaimed Grado, an upmarket Spanish restaurant and tapas bar.

‘I see these headlines saying that Manchester is the toughest city in which to do business: I disagree strongly. What I see at the moment are lots of restaurants competing in the same sort of sector – they’re upmarket but not really top quality. I certainly don’t see a shortage of people who’d be prepared to pay big money if somewhere gets it right.

‘That’s partly why in the next few months, we’ll be opening a new venture called The Elliott [in the same building as Simply Heathcotes] with a view to making it one of ‘the’ places to eat in Manchester.

‘I genuinely believe that the City can sustain at least a couple of Michelin-starred restaurants, and while we’re not chasing stars, that’s the level we’re aiming for.’

What about the wine?

The Simply Heathcotes list isn’t afraid to hit a few high notes – Cakebread Chardonnay and Château Latour à Pomerol at £60 and £92 – but majors on the £20-£30 bracket.

Meanwhile at Grado, the almost entirely Spanish list (except champagnes) covers most of Spain with aplomb, with plenty of familiar faces but also no shortage of lesser-known styles. Check out the eight wines from Toro, a quintet of Albariños and the coolest, freshest fino in town.

The french at the Midland

Peter Street, Manchester M60 2DS

0161 236 3333; www.qhotels.co.uk

STYLE: Ornate surroundings with baroque twirls, white tablecloths and fine stemware.

PRICES: From £21.95 for Saam Mountain Chenin Blanc 2007 from South Africa up to £250 for Château Latour 1994.

SUPPLIER: Bibendum

RESTAURANT MANAGER: Bruno Lucchi 

A haven of classical French cooking, this Manchester institution has experienced a few wobbles but is now back on form. Diners are encouraged to linger over their meals, but restaurant manager Bruno Lucchi still notices a definite busy-ness.

‘I would say that compared with London, customers like to dine, but they’re in more of a hurry, especially during the week.’

So is a Michelin star on the horizon? ‘I like to think we’re moving that way. The food is great and the wine list is excellent, and our staff have had fantastic training.’

What about the wine?

‘Our list has evolved from being mainly a classic European one to being a mix of Old and New Worlds, but even with those people who are prepared to pay good money for a meal, the wine selection is still a matter of price. Our typical spend is around £25-35.’

Market restaurant

104 High St, Manchester M4 1HQ. 0161 834 3743; www.market-restaurant.com

STYLE: Seasonal, cosy and homely.

PRICES: From £10 for a 50cl carafe up to £40 for a 1er cru Chablis or Châteauneuf.

SUPPLIERS: Morgenrot Chevaliers PLC, Hammonds of Knutsford.

OWNER: Peter O’Grady

This Northern Quarter stalwart has been peddling hearty food since the area was far more run down. The cuisine is hard to pin down, but try European with a British accent.

‘Hardly anyone lived in the City 20 years ago, so virtually all our customers would pre-book and come in from other districts, now people just walk in,’ says Peter O’Grady.

‘Part of the fun of being a small, family-run place is that you can concentrate on things that you enjoy.’

What about the wine?

‘At the moment, the list’s moving away from the New World – Portugal’s a current favourite. We’ve also been pushing Viognier. Our range is based around the £20 mark, but we’re seeing more scope for wines higher up the scale.’

Sam’s Chop House

Back Pool Fold, Chapel Walks, off Cross St, Manchester M2 1HN 0161 834 3210 www.tomschophouse.com

STYLE: Rustic and atmospheric with dark wood and leather banquettes.

PRICES: From £13.95 for Fortant Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot house wines up to £200 for the 98-100 Parker-point scoring Clarendon Hills Astralis Syrah from South Australia.

SUPPLIERS: Matthew Clark, Boutinot, Townend Wines

WINE BUYER: George Bergier

Gastropub? This was a gastropub a century before the phrase was even invented. The corned beef hash and steak and kidney pudding are legendary, while the wine list is also among the best in town, in no small way thanks to George Bergier, who is the chairman of the Manchester Guild of Sommeliers.

Bergier has as much experience of Manchester restaurants as anyone, and has noticed certain changes in the way locals eat since the 60s. ‘Now it’s only older people who have the time to sit around choosing off the à la carte. Most restaurants are aimed at younger people who want to be in and out quickly, and maybe it’s this that’s preventing there being more starred restaurants. Also, in most places, people don’t seem unhappy with the quality of the food – maybe we’re not commenting enough.’

Bergier prides himself on service. ‘I hope I don’t sound bigheaded, but I’m one of only a handful of people in Manchester who really understand food and wine service.

What about the wine?

‘I have no problem selling wines, and if you’ve developed confidence in me, you’re going to trust me in the future. But I don’t see enough people developing such knowledge, and given the long hours and low pay, I’m not surprised.’

Obsidian Bar & Restaurant

18-24 Princess Street, Manchester M1 4LY 0161 238 4348 www.obsidianmanchester.co.uk

STYLE: Fashionable and welcoming, with mahogany floors, a white Moroccan-style curved ceiling and a 50ft frosted bar.

PRICES: from £15.25 up to £1,000 for Pétrus 1983 on the fine wine list.

SUPPLIER: Alliance

RESTAURANT MANAGER: Byron Smith

Describing itself as ‘Perfect …for Manchester’s very own Carrie Bradshaws’, Obsidian is one of many bar-cum-restaurants in Manchester, with decent modern British food, cool surroundings and great cocktails on offer.

Restaurant manager Byron Smith highlights what makes a Manchester restaurant work. ‘You have to be competitive with an outstanding menu and a good wine selection – using local produce is also a big plus. There is competition, but it keeps us on our toes.

‘We entice people in with special offers, so at the moment [January], there’s 50% off all food on the lunch menu, and tables get a free bottle of wine if they choose our express or à la carte menus. And for groups of six or more dining à la carte on Friday and early Saturday evenings, there’s a complimentary bottle of our house champagne.

What about the wine?

‘We source all our wine from Alliance, and their rep comes in regularly to talk the staff through
the range, around 50-60 wines. It gives them the confidence to trade customers up to something a little bit different or more expensive.

‘We start with eight wines at £15.25, all by the glass, up to a few wines at £50 each, eg a Two Hands Shiraz and a Domaine Roux Puligny. And we have a fine wine list.’

Editorial feature from Imbibe Magazine - March / April 2008

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