Big Hands is an essential watering hole before a Gig or even if you just happen to be in the…read morevicinity. It has a really nice relaxed atmosphere even when it is crammed full of sweaty Metal Heads (as it usually is for the type of Gigs I go to). If I lived near by then it would be my local so that I could go in and play a game of guess who is playing a gig by the punters attire and general appearance. If you happen to pop in to play this game (Soon to be screened on BBC1). and see me in there, then be assurred that there is about to be Metal of the highest quality going down \m/

I have a confession to make in that I've been living in Manchester for 7 years now and had never…read moreactually been to Big Hands until last Friday. Basically it was one of those places where people would say "yeah big hands is great" "oh you know what it's like" - and I'd just nod and smile thinking damn I'll get there one day! Ok so it is pretty out on a limb being up by MRI hospital and surprisingly close to the Manchester Academy music venues, making it pretty popular I guess before gigs. Again I'm not really sure why it wasn't on my horizon before this but basically I would always go to Kro across the road before gigs at the Academy. The bar looks tiny from outside but is surprisingly spacious throughout and has a lot more room in the back. It has a real 'neighbourhood bar' feel about it and the staff were pretty friendly, plus they were playing great music at a volume that you could actually chat over even though it was about 12.30am. A good selection of craft beer and some good beers on tap, it was great to also see the Okells beer from the Isle of Man represented in the bottle fridges.

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!

FAB has to be my favourite bar in Manchester. It may seem a little grungy on first inspection the…read morebar is actually very good. The prices are exceptional for Manchester and I have rarely seen it over crowded so there is no 30 minute wait at the bar for a drink. They have a number of specialist and national beers on tap as well as in bottles and bottles of alcopops and shots of spirits. The DJ area is pure genius ... The bridge of the original starship enterprise with Gerard the Dalek protecting it from the side. In the left corner there is a tardis that lights up and the ceiling is full of models from sci if shows like battle star galactica and Star Trek. Near the toilets there is a number of arcade machines and there are arcade tables near the tardis where you can play classic games such as pacman and donkey kong for a small fee. To top it all off there is also a pinball machine present. The bar snacks range from sweets to nuts and crisps and they also provide a simple, classic, student type menu. Through out the week there are various theme night such as games nights but there are a number of board games available at any time and these games can easily be played. The decor is brilliant for fans of science fiction shows and there are a number of posters and signed pictures around the place and there is a glass cabinet of merchandise ranging from classic Star Wars and superman collectables. Next to this here is a table which is a scene from an alien landing and a comfortable booth. Located near china town I always have to visit this bar when I stay over in Manchester. Thereupon are also tv screens located all around that will play classic cartoons, movies and tv shows.

I used to go to the Fab Cafe in Leeds when it first opened and was crazy about the place. 80's film…read moreand TV memorabilia lined the walls and dangled from the ceiling, they stocked an array of 80's confectionery behind the bar (think Dib Dabs, Sherbert Fountains, Space Raiders and even Pot Noodles), tables with the BUILT-IN PACMAN arcade game, decent music and cheap drinks. What was NOT to love? Well, fast-forward 10 years and you suddenly realise that walking into a sticky-floored bar and being greeted by the smell of piss doesn't quite have the same allure anymore. Don't get me wrong, I still think the Fab chain is, well, fab, I just think that the next time I go to the one in Manchester, it'll have to be at the end of the night when I'm pie-eyed and youngsters, smells, dirty toilets and crap dancing don't bother me. Going back to the toilets though - have you read the graffiti on the doors/walls in there? Some of it is hilarious, poetic even! You could be in there for hours just reading. Anyway, I think Fab Manchester deserves a second chance as we went in there quite early on in the evening and I guess it doesn't really come to life until a bit later. I will say that I was a tad disappointed in the state of it though and reckon they could do with putting some money into giving it a revamp, or even just a good scrub. Crikey, I think I'm turning into a snob.

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!

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.

I never really went out in Fallowfield when I was at uni - it was studenty but not in a good way…read more The city centre was nice, but expensive and full of 'real people'. So more often than not I'd end up drinking at establishments on, or just off, the Oxford Road. Sometimes this was structured into an Oxford Road pub crawl. On numerous occasions the conversation went like this: Friend: Are you coming down Oxford Road? Kirsten: Where abouts are you going? Friend: We'll start in the Grovel, head to the Oxford, down to the Phoenix, the Footage then down to the Pub, Sand... Kirsten: Which pub? Friend: *THE* Pub. Kirsten: *sigh* It's annoying, in the same way that The Bar in Chorlton is quite an annoying name for a bar. I think a more fitting name for it would be 'Just Another Pub'. It sells beer, it's quite cheap, the jazz saxophonist I once heard play in here was quite good, there are always free tables for when Sandbar's full. Yeah, it's definitely not *the* pub to drink in but it is okay for a quick pint.

How is this place still in exsistance?! Some one please buy it and turn it into the nice bar it…read moreshould be. I hate horrible little pubs that aren't ashamed of being horrible little pubs. This place has cheap drinks but not good drinks. Alcopops and the like. Bleugh. It's right near Zoo, a very popular student night so I reckon that's the only reason it's doing ok. But the with Deaf Institute opposite and the Footage on the corner, why would anyone go here?! The name says it all really, this place can not be bothered being anything other than basic.

Good vibes, good service, good pricing. Location is perfect in Northern Quarter. Live music on the…read moreweekends.

After a lovely dinner at Superstore, we went for a few drinks at The Whisky Jar…read more Situated next to El Capo on Tariff St in the NQ, this bar, and the ones that around it, have been established in an old mill, which gives the bar some great wooden and brick features. The main bar and seating area is small, but luckily it wasn't too busy when I went here on Saturday and we managed to find a comfy sofa to relax on. There is a basement area which seemed to be much busier and louder than where we were sat upstairs, so this bar seems to cater for everyone's needs overall. The drinks menu in here obviously concentrates on Whisky - which isn't really my thing, but there were some yummy cocktails on the menu too. I ordered a Cookie Jar - a light yet creamy cocktail served with a cookie! And right up my street. They have live music on here sometimes and an open mic night every Tuesday from 7.30pm - so i may have to pop down for that!!

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'.

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.