The best cocktail bars in Manchester
Whether you’re planning a night out with your girlfriends or looking for ideas for date night, we’ve rounded up a few of the best cocktail bars in Manchester for you try out and find your new favourite drink.
Deansgate has a reputation for being the place to go for an incredible night out, and for good reason. With a huge number of bars and restaurants, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by choice. We’ve picked out a few of our favourites to make things easier.
Dirty Martini has all the classic cocktails with every kind of spirit, so no matter your tastes there will be something for you. If you don’t drink, they have a section of delicious non-alcoholic cocktails so you can exclude the alcohol without missing out on any of the flavour or fun.
For those of you with more unusual tastes, head to Arcane and try a pear & cardamom or a pickled onion & bitter orange cocktail. The rest of the menu is dedicated to old fashioned, negroni, martini and prohibition cocktails so you can play it safe and enjoy a classic flavour instead.
Manahatta is perfect if you prefer a sweeter drink, from French martinis to daiquiris. For a night out with the girls, get yourself a cocktail tree to enjoy six cocktails displayed on a glamourous stand.
The bars in Spinningfields are perfect for meeting up with friends or colleagues for an after-work drink or a big Saturday night out. Whatever the occasion, there will be a bar suitable for your group.
The Alchemist is a favourite for a reason – the cocktails are not only delicious, they’re a work of art. The menu is full of interesting and impressive cocktails all complete with a theatrical touch – think dry ice, flames, and more.
Banyan has a menu full of themed cocktails, from iconic classics to party drinks alongside tasty mocktails. You can even snap up the 2-4-1 cocktail deal all day from Sunday to Friday so you can get twice the drinks for half the price.
For an elegant evening, head to Sunset by Australasia and enjoy a light, floral cocktail like a rose & lychee martini. For a richer flavour, try their twilight menu full of specialities such as a tiramisu espresso martini or a smoky old fashioned. The refreshing menu is designed to transport you to a sunnier place, so drink up and enjoy the experience.
The Northern Quarter is a trendy and unique area of Manchester which is reflected in the cocktail bars.
Let Lono Cove take you on a tropical retreat with their Tiki menu and interior. Drinks include a fruity Kua Bay and the refreshing Water of Life – delicious!
On The Hush is a fun and quirky cocktail bar and restaurant, with modern art murals and a full-sized phone box set the tone immediately. Unusual cocktails include a sweet Ultra Violet or the rosemary-infused Manifest Your Dreams.
Gaming enthusiasts are in luck too, with two of the biggest gaming-themed bars located in the Northern Quarter. NQ64 is full of vintage arcade and modern console games for you to play while you drink. The menu is full of references to your favourite games too, with a Super Mario inspired Power Star Martini and a The Simpsons themed Lake Springfield.
Pixel Bar has console booths for Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch for you to play along with standalone arcade games around the venue. If competitive gaming is your thing, book a gaming PC, and most importantly browse the menu of Pokémon, Mario, and Minecraft inspired cocktails.
Speakeasy-style and secret bars are some of the worst kept secrets in the area, but they are an exciting and fun way to spice up your usual night out. Remember, you didn’t hear this from us!
We can’t tell you much about the cocktails at Dusk til Pawn (you’ll just have to try them yourself…) but we can tell you this prohibition-style bar is worth the visit. Hidden behind the front of an old pawn shop, this secret bar makes a great Old Fashioned.
Lost Cat is shielded by a real plant shop, The Bud & Pot, full of hanging succulents and ceramic plant pots. Through the back, however, is a lively bar with a menu full of imaginative and unusual cocktails such as the citrusy Frantic Mother and the coffee flavoured Mitch’s Hawaiian Friend.
For a night in the lab, hunt down Science & Industry, a creative speakeasy inside Cane & Grain. Staff will cook up experimental flavours using the drinks laboratory so you can try the menu which is split into Past, Future, and Present. Past includes overlooked ingredients and twists on the classics such as the 5th Element made with pickled ginger mirin; Present adds an inventive touch to the cocktails you know and love, like the Pinot Colada made with pinot syrup; while Future brings the most creative choices to the table, such as a Mushroomtini made with oyster mushroom brine. Give them a try if you dare!
To learn more about living in Manchester, read our blog on some of the best places to eat in Deansgate or get some tips for what you and your partner can do around the area.