Visited here during December for a work Christmas lunch, chosen because the set menu seemed reasonably priced and had several choices to suit everyone. This was the first time I'd eaten here and everything was ok, the key word being ok. My starter of smoked salmon and cream cheese parcel was tasty but the marinated ribbons of cucumber needed seasoning and the dish needed another texture. A few slices of melba toast would have been perfect. For main I'd chosen steak which had been described as being served pink but yet somehow was still dry. Accompaniments of grilled tomatoes and roast potatoes were fine but chips seemed more of an obvious choice to go with steak and the roasties just weren't crispy enough as a sub. Dessert was a delicious chocolate salted caramel tart which was luscious, rich and indulgent, just as it should have been and ended the meal on a high. We found service to be very hit and miss, with a non-apologetic waitress (bordering on surly) when my friend queried the gravy on her roast dinner that had been requested without, due to a gluten allergy. My friend was left sitting without any food for a good 10 mins whilst everyone else tucked in before it was plonked down in front of her. Not the way to treat your customers Velvet. All in all as I said at the start it was 'ok'. Luckily in Manchester we have loads of restaurants that are so much more than ok so I'll probably visit them instead read more

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Velvet bar, restaurant and hotel has been an iconic place in MCR's gay village for a long time and I popped here yesterday for some drinks with friends. It's the same as I remember from a few years back, a great place to socialise and drink with friends. If not looking a little tired now, I think Velvet is in need of a little TLC but still there's a good day or night to be had here. read more

Velvet Bar & Restaurant - Drinks in the bar - Bars Near Me - Manchester, XGM

I cannot really decide how I feel about this one.. Anyhoo, thanks to Rach who offered to treat me for a birthday meal, we ended up here. Walking in, I thought it looked very lavish, with nice swish tables and chairs, emcompassed by world chart motifs on the wall. It was a nice dark and intimiate looking place. Immediately we were greeted by a lovely waitress who allowed us to choose our table. We chose a table near the stairwell which turned out to be wobbly. This was spotted immediately by a passing waiter who fixed it with some card. After the wobble, we scoured the cocktail menu, these were priced I average at £7..which is a nice expected price. It was refreshing for the cocktail maker to come over and ask us how we liked it , in my case if I wanted the mojito sweet or sour... or with a twist .. When the cocktails arrived, I have to admit I thought they were a bit weak, and did not blow my socks off.. Which was an anti climax considering he had especillay asked how we liked it prepared../ I just hoped the food would be better. The menu contains steaks, sandwiches, pasta, and various other gastro pub grub. I decided to choose the moules mussels with white wine sauce for a starter, to be followed by a goats cheese risotto after the waitress had recommeneded this. Rach had some beautiful meaty prawns and a steak. We did not wait long for our starters, and my mussels did look appetising. There were two things that I think they missed a trick on however. One , the bowl to place the discarded shells was too small and I had to balance them like jenga...and 2) the sauce was beautiful but I was not provided with a spoon to actually consume any of it. The prawns with chorizo that Rach had were really tasty, however there were not many of them.. Starters were soon whisked away and replaced with the mains. My risotto was really flavoursome, although I was still quite peckish after it. The steak Rach had was cooked perfectly rare as requested. Both of us still had room for dessert. I chose the lemon tart which was deceptively filling considering its delciate appearance, with a nice strawberry coulis to soften the blow from the zest. Rach's looked more impressive , it was a literally a chocolate tower which was soon demolished. Overall the level of service was impeccable, but I think the portions were slightly on the small side, and I think the bill wa expensive at £75 for a drink and 3 courses each.. The flavours were good but not good enough to reflect the price. I will come here again though with a steak eater due to the strong postivie feedback. I will just advise them not to order a cocktail. read more

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Hmmmm i have a very mixed review over Velvet, it use to be one of the most nicest bars around, with awesome service and 5 star quality but over the past couple of years it seems a little run down and could do with a makeover, it still has quality about it,its all dark and intimate inside the bar, with all velvety chairs and backgrounds, its a bit like a 5 star luxury hotel bar, there is a spiral staircase which takes downstairs to the basement Velvet Restaurant, we have hit and miss meals in here sometimes they are fantastic sometimes not so good, thats the problem with this place one minute it will be really great the next time not so but its a lovely restaurant and a nice romantic place. They also have a few tables and chairs outside, but be warned this place can get extremely popular in the summer months outside and Velvet does seem to attract a nicer crowd than some other establishments on Canal Street, Its waiter service and style makes it better than other bars on Canal Street they just need to get the balance right and they will have a fantastic bar and restaurant. read more

I can't really say enough good things about this bar. Located on Canal street, this establishment is everything you'd expect given its namesake. Lush, velvet upholstery and chaise longues perch on a backdrop of flocked wallpaper and decadent light fixtures. The music is laid back, the lighting is low, overall creating the ultimate boudoir experience. Don't let the fact that its in the Gay Village intimidate you should you be straight - it's one of the most welcoming bars in the town centre: the doorstaff are very friendly and the bar staff are expert cocktail makers happy to indulge you in your every whim. Not only that, but the drinks remain reasonable with all cocktails at £5.45, Champagne cocktails at £6.50 and a cocktail pitcher at a mere £14.95. Velvet's eccentricity continues up the stairs and into the toilets - the former being a live fish tank, the latter housing TV screens in each cubicle. I haven't tried the restaurant yet, but my friends that have all concur - the quality remains despite the very reasonable prices (including a two-course meal offer at £12.95). A great hang out. read more

Velvet Bar & Restaurant - Fish under stairs - Bars Near Me - Manchester, XGM

Velvet is amazing. I will say this another bar that has fallen victim of its own success so make sure you get here early. The food is amazing and the service is second to none. You will find the place really easily as its just off Canal Street. I would recommend this place if your taking a large party of friends out as the place is really well set up for this type of occasion. If you get here early enough you can get the early bird deal where you can get two courses for twelve pounds...amazing! Great food, great staff, fantastic location. read more

Velvet Bar & Restaurant - Bars Near Me - Manchester, XGM

Velvet is one of Canal Street's oldest residents and I stumbled across it eleven years ago and have never looked back. First impressions are important and Velvet's amazing fish tank in the floor, at the base of the stairs as you walk in, makes a great one. Velvet is quirky and camp, I will never forget my first trip to the ladies and I could not stop laughing at the huge green frosted loo doors, complete with mini tv screens showing the Teletubbies- how cute! The decor is sumptuous and decadent and as rich and textured as its name implies. There are padded headboards and fabric draped everywhere and this purple palace could double up as a hareem tent in the Sahara (not that I have been to one, of course). The food is excellent and there is SO much I can recommend; the soup of the day with crusty bread is perfect, especially the lentil soup and it costs just £3.25, I have had the Sea bass many times and it is absolutely delicious and an unbelievably inexpensive £12.95!! I went there last week and my friend Rachel had the pesto chicken which she adored and Velvet do a really good steak. Basically, everything here is wonderful and even if you are not dining, it is a lovely place to come for a drink. In the past couple of years Velvet has extended upwards and become a 19 room boutique hotel above the restaurant. This old girl has new tricks and I have heard through the grapevine that it is doing remarkably well. Yelpers must pop along on weekdays for the lunch offer: 2 courses for £9.95. It can be a bit of a nightmare finding a parking space nearby though, but where there's a will there's a way and it is definitely worth going out of your way for. read more

Velvet Bar & Restaurant - from business website - Bars Near Me - Manchester, XGM

I love Velvet Bar 5* Amazing atmosphere with little posh side on Canal Street. Place is very modern and elegant, great for drink and chat with friends. Restaurant it is without spirit. My pizza was with out flavor and looking boring. I ask for extra spicy and waitress bring to me bottle of Tabasco lol This is not what you expecting dining in City Center and in Canal Street.My friend has roast lam and that was nice meal. Place nice and plenty of room. Staff nice, but this place is cold no spirit no passion. Starters are very nice. My recommendation is nice glass of vino upstairs and you can order some snack from downstairs. read more

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Probably the worst service I've had at a proper sit-down restaurant in Manchester. A large group of us were out to celebrate a birthday, and decided to give Velvet a try. Based on all the great reviews, I figured it'd be worth the price to have a nice meal out with everyone. As we were walking in, we saw they had specials on pizzas from 4-7 pm; this was at about 8, so we knew it was too late for the deal, but we asked the waitress if they still offered the pizzas - she said absolutely, so we went in. Walked up to the bar, ordered our £4 pints of beer, and only after our entire group had finished ordering and paying for drinks did the waitress -- in a fairly cold manner -- tell us that they don't have anymore pizzas. *shrug* whatever, that's no big deal, right? A bit weird that they waited until we had ordered drinks to inform us of that, especially since we specifically mentioned that's what we wanted, but hey, shit happens. However, while organising tables and moving things around, the waitress got extremely pushy. Literally. She physically nudged me aside a number of times, and this was with me *trying* to stay out of her way. It's like she was going out of her way to get confrontational. The interior was empty (sunny day outside, so the garden was packed with people but we were the only party inside), so there were easier ways she could have gotten by without repeatedly running into me. I don't know why this happened, and I don't know if it was just a fluke or whatever, but I really didn't like the way we were being treated. I wanted to leave at this point, but it was my mate's birthday and he wanted to try the food - I wasn't about to argue. We finally sat down for our meal and ordered - took about an hour for the food to come out. I got the fish and chips and wasn't impressed in the least. Two small squares of fish, and a handful of soggy chips. If you're pricing these things at the rates you are (mains are usually about £12), it had BETTER be better than what I can get at the local chippy for less than half the price. Heaven knows I'm not paying for good service. Based on all the glowing reviews this restaurant gets, especially regarding its service, I hope my experience was a one-off thing. I'd be tempted to give this restaurant another try, but I doubt that'd actually happen. read more

Would time have withered my love for Velvet? Would it 'eck, like. From the glowing reviews you can imagine that I had absolutely no qualms about munching here during Laura N's visit after we'd had a few conference calls thanks to the hotel's free wifi, and having enjoyed a bit of light relief via BBC Three hilarity (Reality TV programmes about male halves of average couples remodelling the homestead while the oblivious female stays out of the way are always guiltily pleasing)... and you'll be getting a review of the hotel proper after this, that's a promise. I did after all spend a couple of hours in one of the rooms; it may not have been a night, but it told me everything I needed to know. After a late lunch we were in the mood for light picky food, so we ordered up a pea and mint risotto with grilled halloumi cheese, a spicy salmon salad, some battered prawns and onion rings with alioli to share. The onion rings were light and fresh without a hint of grease, and the alioli mayonnaise didn't hold back on the garlic. Great for us, not perhaps for anyone who might have been talking to us! The battered prawns were more tempura than the breaded nature of the onions which made for a nice contrast, and they were served with a spot on sweet chilli sauce. Meanwhile the risotto was light, gooey and glutenous without that stale stickiness that can so often plague dishes of that kind, and the salmon melted in the mouth like a dream. Our wines were delicious and the tap water was served without fuss. Speaking of service, waiters were friendly and patient and there was only a slight snag in terms of the bill collection which did nothing to hamper my enjoyment of the food. This really is top notch stuff. People come to this restaurant from all walks of life, whether they're staying at the hotel or not, or whether they're even affiliated with the Gay Village... it really does draw the crowds. I felt underdressed in my jeans and Bear Paws with my ridiculous green eskimo jacket but I was welcomed with open arms. Plus the decor is, as stated before, delightful and sophisticated. Velvet's definitely in Manchester's restaurant top 5, there's no doubt about it. As smooth as its material namesake, you can't go wrong with this one. read more

Decided to go here with two friends to have lunch basking in the sunshine. Had a very friendly waiter who was very attentive. We asked for pimms and it came out in a jug full with orange, cucumber and strawberries - delicious. They have a good extensive menu, with a choice of sandwiches, sharing plates, salads & main meals including pizza and pasta - we found it very hard to decide! In the end we ordered two fish finger sandwiches, a salmon & cream cheese sandwich (all with salad) and sweet potato chips & fries to share. Service was really quick and the portions were great! We all thoroughly enjoyed the food - I would definitely recommend the fish finger sandwich. The food was great value for money and it was a great atmosphere to sit outside. Would definitely go again and recommend. read more

Not been here for a long time but 'plus ça change' as the say. It's slightly vaudeville decor still has it's appeal and it has an atmosphere (mid week at least) of an intimate speak easy. Happy Hour wine - a Tempranillo - adds to it's charms. If you've not been, try it. If you remember it's heyday you might feel its run it's course. It's a little too dark and feels old fashioned for my current taste. read more

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This is a superb place to eat out. The food is great, the atmosphere is wonderful, the staff are friendly and welcoming. There is a bar upstairs and the restaurant is below street level. In order to get to the restaurant you must step over a large fish tank built into the floor. It's a small detail, but quite a fun one. read more

When suggested by a good friend, on the last day of work before the Christmas vacation period, for us to go for "Pizza & Prosecco", I thought, why not! It sounded like the perfect way to end the working year, and t'was the season, after all. It had been a fair few years since I last visited Velvet, which was six years ago or so, and probably a work-related Christmas meal, but the décor hadn't changed - but still quite quirky. It was recommended to me to try the crispy duck pizza, which I had never tried before, and it was delicious! The pizza toppings were shredded duck with hoi sin sauce, cucumber & spring onions. Splendid! The restaurant is in the basement area, but also has a bar on the ground floor, which is a great area to have a couple more casual drinks after eating. read more

This has always been one of the most celebrated dining venues in the village. I have been before and had a fantastic meal a true 5* experience however this time was not quite up to their former glory. It was the food that was not up to its previous standard, and more a shift in style than poor quality. The food used to be chefy and expencive but worth the price, now it is more good quality, large portions and significantly cheaper than I remember. This may be a sign of the times adapting to peoples tighter purse strings, but not quite what I was expecting. I had the rib eye steak with bernaise sauce, this was cooked to perfection with a large pile of fries on the side, however I am not sure what the sauce was, it tasted like a creme fraise with a some chopped parsley in, not the buttery tarragon infused sauce I am used to. (it is difficult to make and has to be done fresh but that is really not an excuse) So a devine steak marred by a second rate sauce, I was a little dissapointed. My partner had the spicy crispy chicken, this was lovely not too dry or greasy loads of fries and a really nice salad on the side of the plate. We also shared some ongion rings between us these were out of a packet ones made with chopped up ongion rather than slices but then ended up being free so can't really complain. I love the funky laid back atmosphere of this place, subdued lighting colourful seating and the coolest pop art adorning the walls. The service of course is also good maybe a little on the absent side but not bad. Would have been nice if we had been asked if we wanted more wine when my first glass was finished and we did ask for the dessert menu which never came. The onigon rings missing when the meal was first brought out can be forgiven as these were brought minutes later and not added to the bill. All in all a great atmosphere, good service and a great meal but not the fine dining experinece once offered. read more

This is a great spot in the summer with the outside seating or for an intimate dinner with friends family or a hot date in the evening. The moules mariniere and the rib eye steak with Rockfort sauce is to die for, as is the southern fried chicken. If you have a sweet tooth don't miss the chocolate salva : ) read more

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My favourite village drinky place. Not too expensive, decent atmosphere and great service. For extra pointage, it sells white Rioja by the glass which is both unusual and a massive winner. Went today in the sun and well, the team were on form and made sure we were well watered. I didn't eat there but the look (and smell) of the roast dinner was almost tempting to ditch my plans and eat there. Best place in the village for all round gayness. Love it. read more

Discovered this my first day in Manchester as I was staying at the Velvet Hotel and was too hungry to explore. The interior of Velvet is so cool and trendy, it was such a comfortable atmosphere. And of course, it didn't hurt that our server, Matt was friendly and incredibly good looking. I ordered Paneer and my husband ordered the Sea Bass. His Sea Bass was amazing - cooked to perfection. My Paneer could have done with a little more spice, but I understand things aren't usually spiced to the extent I'd like it. I'll definitely be back when I visit Manchester again read more

Good selection of food, wine, cocktails, on Canal street in Manchester, has a happy hour wine for 10quid to match offers from other local bars, have a food menu though did not eat off it , the restaurant downstairs attached to it has a great reputation. Although the décor was lovely with the interesting addition of a mirror disco ball in the ceiling the bar itself was quiet, however it was mid week and early evening. Staff very friendly though with added benefit of chairs, tables outside and their own hotel too. read more

Velvet Bar & Restaurant - Bars Near Me - Manchester, XGM

I really wanted to like this restaurant. Unfortunately, it just didn't work out. The menu had me excited, as it is inspired with lots of tasty-sounding dishes. In fact, I had so much trouble deciding, I ended up ordering three Starters and no entree. The starters were all teeny tiny, and didn't live up to the hype on the menu. For example, my "King Prawns" starter was delicious, but the prawns were about the size of a penny. I told the waitress that these prawns hadn't been the "king" of anything. The fish cakes were good, but again, very very small. The mushroom and toast starter was downright disgusting. As an aside, I was chatting with a lady at the next table who is a "regular" at this restaurant, and she said it is usually good, but her salmon that night was aweful. read more

I visited Velvet bar, in the heart of Manchester's buzzing Gay Village on a weekday evening just after 7pm. Well three minutes after 7pm to be precise and was disappointed to have missed the happy hour on cocktails 5-7pm. I have had cocktails before in Velvet and they are delish! Anyway, we settled on a rather lovely glass of Sauvignon Blanc instead. The staff are super friendly here - as indeed are the clientele. I always end up having some banter with my neighbours here. The place itself is rather swanky and funky. During the week it is the perfect place for a date night - or a first date. It feels quite sexy and decadent so it's the perfect spot if you want to canoodle! Weekends are rammed to the rafters so if you are a party animal, this is the place to be! read more

Velvet Bar & Restaurant - Bars Near Me - Manchester, XGM

Service 6, presentation 6, ambience 6 quality 4. Food was cold, under cooked, burnt. Left hungry.

Love love love it here. The staff really accommodating as my boy wonder sausage and chips and it wasn't on the menu but they sorted. Cocktails well. My mum had 3 and even my dad liked the beer so all in all. A nice afternoon. Also the 50% of food in January was a great offer. Next time trying breakfast read more

Very very good. A group of 6 of us came here for dinner. A few had been before but it was my first time. Everything was good. There are quite a few champagne cocktails, which lets face it, are just fun. I had the hake which was amazing. Great staff. I felt bad for the waiter, as a few in my group asked for separate checks and it turned into a big production. But he was super nice about it, although I felt terrible! Highly recommend. read more

I've come here for dinner quite a few times now, and have yet to have a poor experience. The food is good, the drinks are strong, and there are deals all the time. They have a great koi fish pond built into the stairwell landing. On the weekends at night, it is a popular spot to go and have drinks with friends. The bartenders upstairs are all friendly, as well. read more