There are two entrances to Dive (Tib St. and Oldham), but I came in through the smaller Tib St…read more entrance, which has a "grungier" sort of feel to it. Best way to enter into a place called "Dive" is through the seedy back door, in my opinion. Going down the stairs you see that seedy quickly turns to classy with awesome wooden interior with a slight Americana feel to it. It's a cool mix of cozy and warm while being fresh and new, with an overall laid back atmosphere. Try to picture something being rough but varnished at the same time. Spool-style wooden tables and high chairs are all over the place, so there isn't a lack of areas to sit and rest your drinks. If you want more of a lounge feel, there are a few alcoves - one with its own bar and big screen TV with leather red/brown couches. It's cut off a bit from the main area with a red curtain partially closing it off, so you can get a slight escape from the rest of the area. The Americana feel isn't overly-apparent just by the decorations and atmosphere, but it becomes obvious that's what they're going for when you see the staff dress. Waitresses are dressed in a 80's TV-style casual southern belle fashion, while bar staff is reminiscent of lumberjacks or Rosie the Riveter, even accompanied with leather half-aprons that look like they could double for a new style of utility belt. Cocktails cost £7.50, and are pretty generous with the liquor - definitely not weak, even though they remain flavourful. I started with a Gin and Juice (Beefeater Gin, cloudy apple juice, elderflower), and moved on to ginger beer and Blind Pig flavoured ciders. Even the gin and tonic or bourbon and coke were pleasantly strong without overpowering things. They've got great food to choose from, and good lunch specials if you're wanting a bite without the evening party atmosphere. The macaroni and cheese balls are a cool take on an American classic, but be careful - they're served hot! That's a common theme with the food it seems; the crab cakes were delightfully crispy/crunchy on the outside while the interior was a bit too hot, but creamy and full of flavour. There was a live band the night we went, with Anna Sin playing 50's and 60's jams. Their opening song was Route 66, and they killed it throughout the rest of the night with classic hits. This definitely fit the atmosphere, but I was less enthused by the DJ music. The house music seemed to be an eclectic mix and fairly disjointed, but got better as the night ran on. It feels like it'd be perfectly suited to some jazz or blues music, or 50's to 80's classic American songs. Dive is open until 5 a.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings, and while the phone reception is poor (usually cuts out as soon as you get downstairs), they've got free wifi so you can connect that way when you get in. As a disclaimer: this is a review based on the launch party I was able to attend. That being said, I've got a strong feeling I'll be back to give an updated review soon! Very tempted to come back for lunch to get a proper meal in.

Came here for the launch party. There are two entrances, one is in Oldham Street and another is on…read moreTib Street. Cocktails are great - I had Gin and juice. It has a very strong American theme, the staff wore plaid shirts and jeans. Some female staff dress very southern like Daisy Duke. American tunes, American drinks - like Bourbon, Root beers, etc. There is one main bar and a smaller bar in the lounge area. A big dancing floor, live band and DJ area. A few big tables in booth style set-up, and some high tables around the bar. It was a fun night but the tunes were a bit off - live band was playing American oldies, DJ was playing was playing random American songs but I feel some rock or 80's would suit things better.

I was introduced to this place by a friend. Its sneakily tucked away down a side street next to La…read moreVina. When you walk down into Its depths it feels like you've gone back in time. Old grand father clocks, leather wingback chairs and everything softly lit . As soon as you step in you are usually greeted my someone who will proffer you a card to scan the QR code to present their menu online. They sell from beer to obviously cocktails which you can search by type of liquor. Also they have even more innovative cocktails in the signature section . Each one will cost you around £10. The quality is very good and strong so you can take your time with them. I would say along with the wordy tale behind each cocktail is provide a clear description of what's in it and if its a long short drink. Service can be little slow sometimes but its great if you are in no rush. Also the gent was surprised when I showed him a yelp 10% offer. Alas yelp is not as popular as it once was around here.

I like what Arcane are trying to do with a more interesting and innovative cocktail menu but for me…read morethe bar didn't quite come together. The decor pitches somewhere between sophisticated and hipster and comes out slightly naff and we also found our cocktail too sweet. We didn't want to risk another, especially as it's really hard to tell how the many options with savoury ingredients would turn out! More of an overall description of the flavour could help (Dandelyan Bar in London has a light/dark/sweet/sour graph thing that was helpful for their more unusual choices!) It's also fairly expensive albeit there's clearly a lot of fancy ingredients (although sadly I notice more and more Manchester bars are unjustifiably raising the prices of their pretty basic cocktails - we srsly should not be encouraging them by buying them when there are places like Lost in Tokyo that are much better value). I wouldn't rush back but will probably try again at some point.

It's hard to believe that a little over a year ago I had never been to The Liars Club! What a fab…read moreplace. I've been many many times since and now I live so close by, it's one of my local bars on a night out. This underground tiki-themed dive bar is small, but always has the best atmosphere. The drinks are all yummy, mainly rum based and the cocktails are a delight to watch being made and to drink! The bartenders in Liars are very friendly and are always up for a laugh. I do find that Liars Club is better during the week than at a weekend - the weekend gives off a different vibe, and gets a little too busy for my liking - but rest assured you'll have a good night in here no matter when you visit.

Me and my homies needed some libations while we gossiped and caught up so I decided this was a…read moregreat place to go after dinner. Plus, I read this place was known for its many types of cocktails so I wanted to check it out! The bar is well decorated and looks like it was taken from a set of the cheap version of Gillian's island or something. The decorations can be considered tacky, but come on... It's a tiki bar! I give props to them for their effort. They have a big cocktail menu so don't come here for just a glass of wine or beer... Nope, you're in the wrong bar for that! When we ordered our drinks, we found out that there was a 2 4 1 deal, so we ended up with one extra drink...score! We ended up ordering the zombie (it had fire so I thought it was cool) and three others I can't remember... Haha. All I remember is the drinks were strings, some were well mixed while others were eh it was ok... Just tasted like alcohol. Though the bar is cool, it does have a smelly funk to it so prepare to close your nose especially if the place is crowded...the drinks are cool, pretty creative but the art of making yummy cocktails is kinda lost because the proportion of the juices and alcohol isn't quite well done. Fun place to go to though if you don't care about that stuff!

All evening she was professional, friendly and attentive. A real credit to the business. Everyone…read morefrom the bar staff to door staff was friendly and hardworking. Cocktails were excellent and the music kept everyone dancing.

Despite the fact it was a gorgeous sunny day my friends and I decided to retreat down to the…read moreunderground bar Be At One. The decor was dark and atmospheric but I just couldn't seem to but my finger on the theme. In places there were bright purple lights resembling a 1970's disco scene, in other places it was dive bar-esque with minimalist bar stools and in others places it was fancy tiles and plush leather bar stools. It didn't quite work for me. Decor aside, the music was good and the staff super enthusiastic! It hasn't been open long and a lot of the staff inside were training for other sites that were also being opened. This place is a chain, in London they have 19 bars and one just opened in Birmingham and one set to open in Liverpool I believe. When we walked in we were greeted with big smiles and waves. Numerous staff members came to chat to us and what we would like and told us about the two for one deal (this only applies if you are buying the same drink). I settled on two Pina Coladas, I didn't wait too long for them to arrive but my friends waited quite a long time for their drinks. When they arrived they were delivered by Ryan who informed us it was his first shift and these were the first drinks he had made. He was really lovely and gave off genuine warmth. I enjoyed my drink and the two for one is a good deal but this place didn't have anything that special for me. There were more staff the customers so it was lacking in a lively atmosphere but it was really warm outside so I imagine it will get busier! The staff were great and I hope they stay that enthusiastic!

My family still haven't got over the fact that I chose to celebrate my birthday one year at The…read moreTemple. They would have understood if I'd chosen a restaurant or a nightclub with a dancefloor but a bar that used to be a public toilet? That threw them completely. To digress, The Temple used to be a public toilet many moons ago. In the nineties however, it was converted into Manchester's smallest bar. Accessed via a blink-or-miss-it stairwell off Oxford Street, it's a bustling place with an intimate atmosphere and shabby chic interior. There's a tiny bar with great bottled beers and spirits, a cool jukebox with lots of Mancunian rock and roll, a cluster of seats for about 20 people and standing room for about 20 more. Suffice to say, nights here to be fun and messy - which is why I chose it as the perfect birthday venue!

The place is called Temple, it is a bar which used to be a public toilet, it is underground and…read morelooks very grungy and dark inside and of course serves alcohol ---- I love the whole concept (Note: I was born and raised in a Hindu family and Temple is a place of worship for Hindu's). I would love to bring one of those conservative Hindu priests here just to see his reaction (would be comedy gold). I am a big fan of its sister bar Big Hands and that is one of the reason I decided to visit Temple (obviously the name intrigued me too). They play funky rock music, have a good selection of beers and good enough seating arrangements (don't expect to get a seat post 8 pm on any day). Yes the bar is quite crammed and small but that kind of has its own appeal according to me -- It definitely keeps you warm on a chilly winter night! The beers are reasonably priced, though some may say its expensive for the kind of space it has, but I guess being ghetto and grungy is upmarket these days (explains the price). The crowd is usually quite nice, mostly working professionals around oxford road, you might find the masters and Phd students hanging out here too but definitely not a place where 18 year old's are screaming and shouting! Verdict: You should definitely go there for the novelty of the concept!

Yesterday was the third time I've been to Twenty Twenty Two, so I thought it about time I review…read moreit. It's a very large downstairs space offering a bar and, yes you guessed it, lots of ping pong tables available for hire. The bar has lots of local craft ales and beers and also does cocktails (happy hour is 4-7 on a weekday and cocktails are only £5!) Ping pong is relatively cheap to play and it's great fun. It gets really vibrant as the night goes on in here and becomes a really good bar / club, somewhere you can spend a lot of time!

I have to say that I'm a massive fan of twenty twenty two and everything they do! Ok so it's down a…read moreback alley and friends who join me for the first time feel like they're taking their life into their own hands by poking around the backstreets and entering an unsignposted building basement (it's super safe, let's face it the NQ is super gentrified now) but what an amazing space! In a nutshell they're a giant basement with multi rooms with a big bar and lots of room to sit and hang out in. The bar is well stocked with at least 5 decent craft beers on tap and loads of bottles, plus they have a ping pong section out back for any aspiring Forrest Gumps to get involved and let battle commence! I hired the ping pong in advance and it cost me £10 for one table for an hour - not too bad with 6 of us and they gave us 4 bats so as we could play doubles. Showing off the randomness of this place is the fact that the Thursday had a graffiti art battle going on downstairs which was pretty amazing - loads of street artists doing all sorts of crazy paintings and just generally doing awesome stuff. This was a real bonus to our visit and helped to make it a truly unique visit. Very friendly staff, top place to hangout for any occasion!

Hello new favourite bar - so happy to get here and waste/use wisely a spare 30 minutes I had before…read moremeeting my pals. Basically it's a bar underneath Dogs N Dough (you have to go through the restaurant) with loads of old (set to free play) arcade machines that really do hit the spot. You forget how great these old machines were in terms of playability... and how bad I am still at Donkey Kong... They have 1942, Track and Field, Space Invaders, Double Dragon and Pacman as well as a couple of pool tables (I believe these need to be hired) meaning it's a great place to hang out with friends for an hour or two and set the record straight on who's the ultimate champion of button bashing... Ok so the beer selection isn't going to set the pulse racing (OK but the fairly average selection you get in a lot of bars like Kona Longboard) but this isn't an issue as the good times will keep rocking and it's not like you're just drinking fizzy lager. Overall a great new place, just make sure it's open before going down - I know it's open Thurs and Friday from 5pm, longer on a Saturday.

Being a huge fan of Dogs n Dough I thought it was time to try out their new venture, a downstairs,…read more80's and retro themed dive bar. Upon arrival, around 7pm on a Friday night at DnD I asked where we can find 17 below. A member of staff mentioned that it's through a yellow door towards the back of the restaurant and down a flight of stairs. However, it was full so we'd have to wait around 20 minutes before being allowed downstairs. No bother, so me and my 8 work pals grabbed a drink in Dogs n Dough. The time came to be escorted down the stairs into what I can only be described as an empty 17 below. Confused, I asked the barman why we had to wait 20 minutes when the place was dead. He answered 'we want to control the flow of people, only letting around 40 people down here at once' - fair enough, I thought. But there was only in fact 15 people down there at this time. Pros: the lack of folk meant you got a drink quickly at the bar Cons: little to no atmosphere at all. The music was louder and there was a livelier atmosphere upstairs! There are some retro arcade games including the very popular Pac Man, that are all free to play. Fab. The two pool tables at the back look great but it would have meant a 45 minute wait for me and my mates, so we decided not to bother. I know this place is new, and maybe still finding their feet, but I found it just 'OK'.

I used to love coming here, my group of friends and I went on the 23/4/23 guy with a black cap on…read morebackwards was running the karaoke, he only put our group on once, despite us booking individual songs, he then proceeds to put the same group of people up 2 times in a row and other people. We waited two hours to go up on stage, ended up leaving because he refused to put our group up. There was legit like 8 people in there, which is quiet compared to other days. As long as the guy in the black cap is running it, I wouldn't recommend going

Its certainly not the best karaoke in town but it ain't half fun in Vina some nights. Its open late…read more- until half two every day except Fridays and Saturdays when you won't be chucked out until half three in the mornings. Very cheap drinks as standard in places like this - but if you're skint, you're skint. You should still be able to have fun (!). I'd definitely recommend this place for a great late night out, if you want somewhere a bit different. They have karaoke in both English and Chinese which is ve-ery entertaining - come with a group and you won't stop laughing. Plus its absolutely free to sing. Their DJ plays the standard: RnB and Funky House to get people dancing. Not for everyone i.e. not for pretentious posers who care more about what they/ other people/ the bar looks like than having a laugh..

We came here for dinner after watching a football match at Old Trafford. Cute vibes, friendly…read moreservice, great prices, interesting flavors!

Don't go if you're over 25... they won't serve you. They won't ask you to leave... they just won't…read moreserve you. After an hour you'll get the hint. Staff is rude as hell. Never again.

Oh salut! First time…read moreI walked past this a few weeks ago and saw the enomatic through the window I let out a an actual GASP of excitement. Was pretty excited on the night too, so excited I left my card in the wine machine which made me look like a total amateur. It's much more spacious inside than I had realised, and there are also seats and heaters outside with a great view of the nearby row of traditional pubs with the town hall in the background. I enjoyed trying the various wines (the smallest amount is often £2-3 so you can try a good four wines on a £10 card pre-payment) and could even tell that some of them tasted different, so am basically going to be earning my MW in no time. They also do a few little snacks - my fave baba ghanoush and some rather tasty crisps, although the brown olives tasted too sour for me. Tap water came chilled in a delightful glass bottle. Btw I am not sure there are actually other drinks options here, maybe check that before you go. The staff were efficient and welcoming and I am sure I will be back here. A great companion to hanging ditch and Bakerie in terms of our city's wine bar scene.

I love wine. Big fan. You know how it goes, you open a book one day and you bite the apple and…read morewoooosh, there's no way back. Although I now work for an independent wine merchant in Didsbury and am considered a bit of a fussy geek by my friends, I have longed for a good wine bar in Manchester pretty much since I arrived in town over 6 years ago, well before wine was a big thing for me. A few places have attempted it, half-heartedly for some, but none had so far succeeded. Then came Salut wines, first baby business of a lovely couple who like me love good wine and thought it deserved proper representation in the City Centre. An ambitious project that was, not without hurdles. But tenacity paid off and behold, a superb, clean, warm and welcoming wine bar where odd ins once was. Enomatic machines a-go-go, 32 wines are available by the glass at any point in (opening) time. That's 16 whites and rosés and 16 reds. Thanks to these machines you can enjoy a vast variety of wines, all of which are way above your house plonk from most pubs/bars/restaurant. And that's not all. 3 measures are available: 50ml, 125ml and 175 ml. The first one is my favourite. I can play to my heart's content and try a lot of wine before it's time to call it a day. Most wines are between £1.20 and £5 for a glass but you can also try some of the fancier stuff that would NEVER be available by the glass otherwise. Risk-free. Whilst they do not cater, a range of nibbles and tapas plates are available and it's perfectly suitable for a light lunch or diner. Cheese, cured meats and Mediterranean veggie plates, all made with very good ingredients. Music is top notch, not your average lounge "elevator" type nor your bass-boosted frenzy. Blues, jazz, pop, electro... To sum-up, great atmosphere, best wine selection in town, excellent service. The bottle prices to take away are on the steep side of I'm honest but I'll put that down as the location.