Bars

Sinclair’s is one of a seemingly dying breed of olde world drinking establishments that ticks the boxes of the prerequisites required for a good pub. Having a great location right in the centre of town, it offers a cosy traditional layout inside, with seating over two levels within its 18th century character building. Originally built as an extension to neighbouring Wellington Inn, Sinclair’s (along with the Wellington) was subsequently dismantled and rebuilt 300 metres from its former location in 1999 when the area was being redeveloped.

The bar area itself is fairly small but that just adds to its quaint nature, and attentive bar staff mean that even at peak times you never have to queue for long to be served. Importantly, the drinks prices are not just reasonable, they are that cheap that when I took a couple of friends from the South there last weekend they thought that they must have misunderstood the unfamiliar Mancunian accent of the bartender and tried to offer him £ 20 for a round of four drinks that actually cost less than £ 8!

Let it be noted that these bargain prices don’t deter from the quality of drinks. Being run by Samuel Smith’s brewery means that drinks are predominantly their own brands, which admittedly means the selection is slightly more limited than in some of the more modern, trendy city centre bars. But if it’s a decent pint you’re after in traditional surroundings, Sinclair’s Oyster Bar is a fairly safe bet.

Named after the late Mancunian artist LS Lowry, this modern waterfront, glass-fronted building houses two main theatres, a smaller studio for musical and dance productions, and a gallery where many of Lowry’s paintings are permanently resident.

Approximately fifteen minutes by tram from Manchester city centre, over in Salford Quays, the Lowry opened in 2000 as part of the regeneration of this area. Being a multi-purpose venue it plays hosts to a diverse selection of events in addition to traditional theatre – dancing, singing and comedy, as well as talks and exhibitions to accompany Lowry’s permanent display.

The theatres are smaller than most of the city centre theatres, affording them a more intimate feel – this being particularly conducive to making events more interactive and personal.

The Lowry also houses a café/ bar providing much needed sustenance after what guarantees to be a culture-crammed day or evening with an undoubtedly eclectic mixture of sensory stimulation!

I always keep an eye on their calendar of events as there are often first class acts performing, yet these are seemingly overlooked by some in favour of the sometimes bigger and often brasher city centre shows. This has meant that I’ve been able to bag myself some fairly last minute tickets to events as disparate as a show by comedian Dave Gorman, a talk by mountaineer Sir Ranulph Fiennes and a Christmas pantomime!

This new bar has arrived on the Manchester nightlife scene with a bang. If people aren’t talking about having been there, they are talking about going there. However, specialising in rum and not being a rum fan I initially wasn’t at all sure that this would be my new drinking establishment of choice.

The first I saw of Revolucion de Cuba was on noticing a huge queue formed outside as I wandered past one Friday night. This immediately sparked my curiosity and, being the nosy person I am and not wanting to miss out, I decided a visit was in order. The two for one offer on cocktails between 17:00 and 19:00 was in no way an enticement…..!

The two floor establishment has regular live bands as well as offering salsa lessons. Having this variety of entertainment and being open until 03:00 at weekends makes it lively enough to enjoy an energetic Friday night out there, yet still suitable for a more low-key ‘dinner and drinks’ evening.

And if, like me, you’re not a rum fan, I can guarantee you will still find a cocktail that will not only knock your socks off but still taste good. Should, after a few of these potent cocktails, you wish to switch to something slightly less intoxicating there are plenty of other liquid appetisers to choose from. Alternatively you can thoroughly embrace the ‘Revolucion de Cuba’ by shaking your thing in the salsa lessons…..which might seem more appealing after a few of those cocktails!

I’m a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to drinking. I’m a Northern boy who likes his real ale and I’m not afraid to let people know. One of my favourite places is right in the heart of the Northern Quarter called Marble, which is one of a handful of pubs run by the local Marble Brewery. One of the newer bars on the block, it has a great reputation for its amazing line up of beers from around the world.

There is an ever-changing selection of cask beers from its own brewery, with the kegs sitting on the bar itself. With around 100 bottled beers from the four corners of the globe; you will have trouble picking your favourite.  I say start at the top and work your way down.

The clientèle varies from the cool kids of the area to the older, real ale lovers. With limited room in the long thin room, the maximum space for people is about 50. But there always seems to be a seat available, so you can sit and enjoy that well deserved drink.

A must eat has to be the cheeses. My favourite name on the list is the Stinking Bishop, which wasn’t as stinky as I expected. You can get varying amounts of cheese, depending on how greedy you are feeling, or choose from great selection of sandwiches.

Come along, grab a pint, play some chess and watch the world go by.

One of the longest running music venues, and also one of the best, is the Ritz. Situated across the road from Oxford Road train station, The Palace Hotel, The Palace Theatre and The Cornerhouse galleries and smack bang between two behemoth apartment buildings, shows the strength this building has to survive the apartment boom of the 90′s in Manchester.

You are met by its beautiful original 1920′s Art Deco frontage, which shows it is no recreation. And thanks to a facelift in 2011, the venue is still going strong.

It is a midsize venue with a capacity of around 1500, which gives you a really great vantage point from most places. There is a balcony, an amazing place to watch the bands and crowd if you are not feeling that energetic to keep up with the mosh pit. If you do feel like taking advantage of the downstairs crowd, you will definitely notice the famous spring loaded dance floor. On a trip to Manchester this is definitely worth a go.

This venue feels like it has more soul than a lot of the other venues in Manchester due to its history, and it shows it has the capability to withstand competition with so many venues around the city. The ticket prices are very reasonable which start at around £ 10.00.