Nice area at the Media City part of Manchester with an easy walk from Old Trafford. The bar is…read moredecent but food was just average. The beer selection is pretty good with English ales, cask and a few craft brews. I would return for a drink but not food

Regular here for lunch hour at work! Nice choice of ales on tap that change regularly so always…read moresomething new to try! They do nice pub grub; pies, burgers, fish n chips etc and all is very decently priced. They normally seem to have a £5 special on the menu too! I'd also recommend here for after-work drinks, nice atmosphere and plenty of space for larger groups!

Where do I even start?! Onmy last day in Manchester, my aunt sporadically took us to The Alchemist…read morein Salford. We decided to get some cocktails and nibbles. Where was this place all along my whole trip? I wish we would have found them sooner because I would have gone ham on the menu and drinks lol. First and foremost the ambience is amazing here and the decor is absolutely beautiful. This place would be great for cocktails with the girls or a date night. The restaurant is the Media City location and located off the water in Salford so that already creates a whole ambience and vibe. The staff was super friendly, and we decided to sit at the bar. The bartender was also very helpful and patient with us. Along with that, she was knowledgeable about the drinks and definitely put on a show when making them. This made for an overall great experience! There's such a wide variety of cocktails to choose from, as I literally wanted everything on the menu lol. I decided to go for the hipflask margarita as I love me some tequila and margaritas, and this drink did not disappoint! It wasn't what I was expecting as a margarita, like I'd get in the states, but it was delicious. On top of that it comes in a super cool hipflask that you get to take home with you, and if you come back I believe the bartender said you could get £5.50 off of it each time you bring it back. I'm not quite sure what my aunt got as she told the bartender to just make her a strong drink but it was super cool and came with a cool bubbly effect. There was also a syringe shooter that came with this drink. I tried that one as well and it was another great cocktail. The other cocktail we ordered was the raspberry ripple and again that was great. And I'll be honest I was hesitant about the buttermilk chicken, but I was pleasantly surprised, and that chicken was so good along with the salt and pepper fries. I needed another order that for myself lol. If you're ever in Salford, you should check them out! I love their whole concept behind their drinks, and it's a whole vibe. I know they will definitely be first on my list to hit up when I go back as I'd love to try some more of their drinks.

Food good, staff helpful, drinks ok, not the first place you would think of to go for breakfast but…read morethe full English breakfast is actually great. Will definitely return for special occasions.

Having worked in Salford Quays for several years and with a significant number of other 'young…read moreprofessionals' around and about, we were in desperate need of a decent bar. Yes there's Lime Bar near the Lowry Mall, but that's more for grabbing a drink before you eat there. When Dock Bar first opened, the novelty of it consisting of four shipping containers (one as a bar, the other three as a roomy lounge) had me worried it was just going to be a flash in the pan. The fact it's still there and thriving (I'm hoping!) means it'll thankfully remain as a permanent 'temporary' bar for us local beer lovers. FYI the Chocolate Marble beer from Marble Brewery in Manchester is a particular favourite of my drinking buddy and I - buy it!. I think MediaCity UK missed a trick not having included a few more drinking holes in their masterplan, to keep staff local when they sign off for an evening, but if Dock Bar is all there will be for the foreseeable future, we're not that badly off in my humble opinion.

Dock Bar is a great little addition to Mediacity, much needed too!…read more It's right in the centre of the piazza surrounded by the BBC buildings, there's a big screen (great for watching Wimbledon last week), they have deck chairs for sitting outside in the sun, a cosy lounge inside of a shipping container (doesn't sound too cosy does it? But it is) and they serve food, BBQ style similar to Oast House (no hanging kebabs as yet :-( ). There's also a homemade ice cream place there too which I keep meaning to try. It's a great location for anyone visiting the quays but they also have a great entertainment programme going on over at Mediacity too, last week Gok Wan was filming his 'Stripping for Summer' show there, each week they have screenings from the Royal Opera House on the big screen...add them on facebook to keep up with what's happening, last week they had a little tennis camp going on too teaching people to play. Drinks and food prices are moderate, there's not much competition around there so it's not expensive really, the tram drops you off right there and runs pretty late so it's easily accessible and it's also a good place for some celebrity spotting if you're into that.

A hidden gem for MediaCityUK and Manchester as a whole, On the 7th is a very classy but welcoming…read moremembers bar, offering breathtaking views over the new home of Coronation Street and the surrounding areas. Owned by the Eclectic Group (also own the Great John Street Hotel in Manchester as well as other establishements), memberships are in-expensive (around £10 p/m), for which you get the opportunity to work from or just relax in their wonderful facilities - and feel that little bit special. The staff are extremly attentive and Alisha the membership manager, takes time to get to know all her members and what you like/dislike about the facilities. Private booths and boardroom style rooms are available to hire for meetings or social gatherings and the venue can be hired as a whole for weddings and/or parties. The piece-de-resistance is a small cinema room (seating about 30 people) that from time to time shows films (family friendly ones in half term) and can again be hired out for a private function. The menu is varied and offers a selection of sandwiches, steaks, burgers and breakfast options. I've yet to try the afternoon tea - but I've seen it and it looks amazing. Members are invited to lots of free events from business breakfast networking to after-work cocktail masterclasses (and the cocktails are yummy!). Guests are entitled sign-in to non-members when visiting On the 7th (not sure how many per time) and non-members can attend all events for a small fee too. Access is via a reception opposite Costa Coffee, where you'll be sign-posted to a lift taking you to the seventh floor to the aptly named On the 7th. Only open Mon - Fri at present. Except for private events and functions. Well worth a visit to see what it's all about.

This is an exclusive members' club and I went here for a Christmas party, £35 per ticket. There…read morewere arrival cocktails and informal finger food served on trays throughout, as well as a live band playing Manchester tunes. The views of the city at night were impressive, and the sofas very comfy. The bar is a bit pricey but has a classy feel to it

Great Pub! Good food. Good Beer…read moreVery friendly staff. I was very glad I made my way to this friendly neighborhood pub.

Salford Quays (or, more specifically, the area shared between the outlet and theatre) has always…read morestruggled. It's packed with chain restaurants and bars, feeding the masses before their theatre trips or after an hour of wandering around the shops. Craftbrew, however, caught our eye. Slightly hidden away, to the left hand side of where Lime bar is situated, we popped in for a drink post-dinner and pre-comedy. It has a very relaxed atmosphere - all light wood, pastel coloured chairs and simplistic menus. Food offerings include sharing/artisan boards, 'bar tapas,' and some very interesting sandwiches. If we'd known about this place, we definitely would have eaten here! Pricing is fair, with most of the sandwiches only being at the £4.50 mark, and served up from a small deli counter at the bar. On the drinks side of things, you can choose from a variety of tea and coffee, but there's also a nice selection of alcohol. Being named Craftbrew, you'd obviously expect plenty of interesting beer available; Hawkshead pale ale, Sam Adams, Hawkshead gold, Punk IPA et al to name but a few. Don't be fooled by the small listing on the back of the menu; because they change their selections quite often, they only list their 'favourites'. Fingers crossed those from the Lowry and MediaCity will help to keep this place going.

CraftBrew is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it independent deli located on Lowry Plaza in between Nando's…read moreand Lime. I agree with other reviewers that its name is a bit of a misnomer - you'd expect a bar full of craft ale perhaps, or maybe a tea specialist. That aside, the light, bright and well-designed space more than satisfied as a lunchtime venue, with their menu being available all day and including options such as bar tapas, salads, deli boards and 'Signature' sandwiches. My workmates and I all opted for their Club Sandwich (chicken breast, crispy bacon, ham, cheddar, pesto mayo, tomato and lettuce on toasted bread). Served with a light salad and a few crisps, it was terrific value at £5.25, not to mention one of the most delicious sandwiches of its type I've ever eaten. In need of something sweet, I chose a Frozen Hot Chocolate (£3) which was a bizarre choice I know for a wintry day but it was very fine indeed. As well as leaf teas and 'illy' coffees they also have some craft ales, bottled beers and ciders and a wine list, so it'd be a logical stop off point if you were going to the theatre of an evening or wanted to avoid the chain restaurants in the Lowry Outlet mall.

Eight workmates and I ventured here as we fancied trying somewhere new for lunch; one of them had…read moreeaten here before seeing a performance at The Lowry and said it was fairly decent. Following a recent refurb, the bar and restaurant is large, airy and contemporary - there's seating for well over 100, with seven private booths available. It resembled a posh hotel lobby more than a restaurant to me. We were only there for a light-ish bite, so sat at a table by the bar and scanned their bar menu, complete with soup, salads and sandwiches (all £5-£10). I was tempted by the Ploughman's but settled on a Club Sandwich. The restaurant's lunch and early dinner menu contains more substantial dishes if you're here to eat before or after catching a show. You can have two courses for £22 or three for £27. Though it was a Friday it was very quiet in there; in fact the staff seemed to struggle to cope at times with an influx of nine people. Some of our dishes arrived fairly promptly, whereas one of our party wasn't served until some of us had almost finished eating. Overall, I probably wouldn't come back here for lunch - you get tastier Club Sandwiches at nearby CraftBrew - but I wouldn't say no at trying them for dinner. Tip: you can get a draught beer for £1 when you buy a burger from the bar menu.

Lounging at the Lowry theatre - who knew a restaurant at this place could have set such high…read morestandards. Relatively new, Pier Eight opened just a month ago. Thankfully I was able to snag a 50% off deal so took a few friends for dinner. Each of us ordered a different dish and all of us were thoroughly satisfied. Best dish: the lamb (so juicy and served with sweet bread AKA: lamb thymus...). Hit-and-miss: the pork fillet (portion was tiny, unfortunately) Pleasant surprise: Apple tartin dessert! Service was lovely and polite although still working through the kinks. Overall, great place to hit up before a show at the theatre, or after, depending on timing. Food was delicious for sure and very very fresh. Only thing that can be a bit shocking is the price. We were incredibly lucky to have the final tab sliced in half, but this is definitely a splurge for regular price meals. So...open those wallets wide!

Barbakan is an excellent deli, with some astonishingly low prices (a large and sumptuous looking…read morepork pie was less than £3). There's lots to look at and a nice outdoor eating area where on Saturday morning they were cooking up several varieties of sausage, plus lamb burger. I had a delicious bratwurst and was particularly delighted by the wide range of condiments. Excited already for my next visit!

Fresh bagels w cream cheese and gherkins Norlander rye bread…read morewith caraway seeds Margarita olive bread Sunblush tomatoes Creamy Goats cheese Gooey Taleggio Pecorrino Kalamata olives Seranno ham Smoked salmon Potato salad Fresh coffee & Traditional Polish cheesecake In a word: YuMMMMMMMy.