Out for an early morning breakfast I decided to try the food at Terrace. It's always been one of my…read morelocal spots for a drink, but this was my first time trying food. I'd heard good things about their brunch menu, so I opted for a simple Egg on Toast. Couldn't fault it really. The brunch scene is kicking off massively around the NQ and although terrace was great it didn't quite live up to the brunchiness of rivals Home Sweet Home, Federal and Teacup.

This has to be my favourite bar in Manchester…read more Its the style i like the people i like and everything i love what a bar should be. Its super cool and probably one the coolest bars I've been in, Its super friendly staff and great beers make it even more special. Once you walk through the main door, its cool look strikes you and its like youre in some cool NYC style bar, well this is probably better than some Manhattan bars, Its old building look is great and love the industrial style look is great and i love it! Theres booths to sit around and loads of tables at the back or you can just sip you're beer at the bar. The music level was just right and could hear our friends talking well and clearly. We visited on a wednesday evening and its was quite busy, i don't think they have a happy hour but they don't need too! can't wait to go back!

This place is absolute legend. Nothing fancy about it…read more Doesn't need to be. It's a proper venue for dancing and checking out bands. This is about as old school Manchester as you can get. They've been doing The Smiths Disco (first Friday every month) for a long time and it is the greatest night ever. Can't say enough good things about this club.

Housed on Fairfield Street, behind Piccadilly Station, the Star & Garter is a red brick pub that…read morelooks like a crime scene from a Hitchcock thriller. It was featured in the 50s film noir Hell is A City and since then, seems to have gone from chic to shabby with little investment or TLC. The carpets are frayed, the seats are grubby and the walls upstairs are painted chocolate. Endearingly, none of this seems to bother the students and regulars who flock there for the monthly Smiths nights and occasional rock and punk gigs. The gigs are housed upstairs on the first floor - where there's a small stage and bar - whilst the club nights straddle the ground and first floor. Drinks are cheap and cheerful and there's a long-running indie night every Saturday called Smile. You might hear the odd Brian Wilson song but you're more likely to hear everything from Pulp and Placebo to Belle and Sebastian. In short, the Star & Garter is a venue that's more about the music and the people than the ambience or the interior. Which takes us right back to Pulp and..... A Little Soul: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XMDfMaKDa0

Extra cool now that's its a pub featured on Fresh Meat but I've always liked going there and I've…read morebeen to few many shows upstairs, which are always very cool also. Friendly staff, nice atmosphere but only one toilet!

Over the last decade, The King's Arms has become something of a Manchester institution. Tucked away…read moreon Bloom Street in Salford, it's a ten minute walk from Deansgate and the hustle and bustle of the city centre. The surrounding new build flats aren't the prettiest but it's worth making a special trip to enjoy a pint and a bit of culture in this charming boozer. A grand looking, red brick building with several floors, The King's Arms has been lovingly nurtured and restored back to life by current manager Jon Cooper. There's a community theatre company and a collective of visual artists and photographers based on the top floor and a performance area for local and visting bands on the first floor. There's free folk and jazz gigs every Wednesday and Greek /Klezma musicians every Thurs. There's also occasional film screenings, poetry readings and community benefits. The reason I love The King's Arms so much however, is for their gorgeous bar with comfy leather seating, high ornate ceiling and worn wooden tables. The bar staff are as welcoming as the decor and whenever I've been there's always been something cool on the stereo from Serge Gainsbourg to The Shangra Las. The fact they also serve great ales, beers, spirits and warm drinks at reasonable prices is what makes it one of Manchester's coolest drinking dens! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-52UnhQhu8

Immortalised in the film 24 Hour Party People as the bar where Shaun Ryder pulled a gun on Factory…read moreRecords boss Tony Wilson, Dry Bar will go down in history as a true Mancunian institution. Sadly, the chances of finding Ian Brown, Mani or one of New Order propping up the bar now is probably zero as it looks and feels like a bar in desperate need of refurbishment. The decor and furniture looks tatty and out-dated and it's usually empty in the day despite signs advertising cheap brunch and food specials. As a result, it's usually empty or bustling with groups of noisy, intoxicated lads drinking beer. In two words: Stay away.

You know when some pubs do absolute justice to their names, well Dry bar is definitely one of them…read more The whole atmosphere inside is just so dry and drab that you loose passion for life if you happen to be there for more than a few hours! But is is such a shame, because they have a massive space inside which they could do so much with and the location, is possibly the best in Northern Quarter/ City Center. The staff are so not friendly and seem like have no lust for life - I was there during happy hours and was supposed to get a free pizza with 2 drinks but they said they ran out of pizza's and didn't even compensate for that with anything else! Now that to me is very disappointing as a customer. The music has no personality just like the interiors, it is all very haphazard inside. But I will have to say that the place has a lot of potential because they do have a very good selection of beers and ciders. This place just needs a bit of brushing up and energy for life and I can see lot more people flocking here! There is a fairly decent outdoor seating here as well which is great during summers and for smokers! I have also heard they have live music here once in a while but never got motivated 'nuff to go there, may be a bit more pestering (marketing) could get me down as I love live music! The price of the drinks are very reasonable which is always a plus so I can definitely see myself going here when other places are extremely crowded and I just want a quick drink somewhere. Verdict : Has potential to do much better than my 2 stars! Are you listening guys??

Another addition to the trendy Northern Quarter line up. Blackdog Ball room certainly has balls,…read morepool balls to be precise. A bar come diner come pool hall in a prime NQ spot must be a winner. The decor is fresh and suitably trendy. I visited on a busy Saturday night but it was perhaps too busy to get a feel for the place. I'd like to go back early evening and have a bite to eat. The food is being overseen by Anthony Fielden of Northern Quarter Restaurant so that gives me hope. I was a little miffed that although they advertise cocktails the guy behind the bar looked at me like I had just asked for a bowl of milk. No cocktails on offer but the other drinks were reasonably priced for that area. I was in there on a reconnaissance mission, and would have been interested to check it out anyway, but felt a lot of the clientele were in there because they thought they'd be classed as the 'cool set'. That just means everyone is watching everyone else and forgets to actually have fun. Luckily my friends and I snared a table and set about doing just that. I felt the music was poor for a Saturday night. I was expecting far better, especially as it's open until 5am. There are loads of good DJ's around who could offer something far more original. It was a bit like listening to a CD that is advertised in the ad breaks between Holyoaks. My friends and I left before I was tempted to 'hang the DJ' and found solace elsewhere. It certainly isn't the jewel in NQ's crown but it's the new kid on the block so perhaps once it has found its feet it'll find a voice I want to listen to on a Saturday night.

It's a source of amazement that I have yet to review Blackdog NQ. I frequent the place so often, my…read moreopinion of it has Yoyo'd countlessly over time. As one of the few places open later than other establishments during the week and due to its spacious nature Blackdog has become the goto place for nightowls / school night revellers / creatives / NQ bar staff... As a result whilst weekday night are somewhat passable, the weekends have become something of a nightmare. Unless you like the idea of grinding every Tom, Dick and stinking Harry on your way to the bar. Unless you like waiting half an hour for a drink, which you're most likely to spill given everyone around you thinks they're MJ reincarnated. It probably isn't your kettle of sardine. However Blackdog is brilliant if you want a game of pool and unwind during the week. It's brilliant for a weeknight in January with chilled vibes as I discovered few days ago. But on a busy night it's better to avoid it.

So named due to its affiliation with the neighbouring Palace Theatre, Cast bar is a fantastic place…read moreto warm up for or wind down after a show. Serving a fantastic range of local beers and some good value dishes- my tip being the grilled salmon- this is just as good a place to kick back with newspapers or friends when you've nothing better to do. Of a weekend a DJ plays a fantastic range of hits from the Motown era to the present by means of everything in between. Available for private parties this intimate little bar fills up quickly- so you'll look really popular if it's your birthday!

Great little bar that myself and friends went to before seeing Bill Bailey at the Palace Theatre…read more Very aptly named- i like it Cast! Great little venue with very reasonably priced drinks for the city centre folk such as I. Food was scrummy although I do admit I only ate a few nibbles as I was to busy throwing back G&Ts. Great atmosphere, great location, excellent service!

One of the Manchester's oldest pubs, the Briton's Protection is a much loved drinking den that has…read morea loyal clientele all year round. Open afternoons and evenings, it's a great place to catch up with friends or go for a quick pint before a gig or movie. The front bar is tiny and usually populated by grey haired men nursing a never-ending pint. If you walk down the corridor however, you'll find a cluster of cosy rooms with old velvet seats, copper topped tables and a roaring log fire. There's also a small beer garden which gets rammed in the summer - despite having no views, flowers or atmosphere! Upstairs there's a cosy reception room which local promoters sometimes use for live gigs. I saw Badly Drawn Boy play his first gig here many moons ago and was quietly blown away. If you're coming to a show, get here early or you'll have to choose between queing for a drink or trying to find somewhere to stand. Speaking of liquor, stay clear of the wine - it tastes like battery acid - and stick to their great range of ales, beers, whisky and bourbon.

I'd convinced myself I'd never been to The Briton's Protection before, but on visiting here with a…read moremate for a cheeky after work bevvy (which turned into a mini 'bar crawl', see reviews of Rain Bar http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/rain-bar-manchester and Peveril Of The Peak http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/peveril-of-the-peak-manchester), I was reminded that I'd darkened their door at least once before... On first sight you'd think there was hardly anywhere to sit and enjoy your well-earned beer, as the bar stretches from wall to wall. Follow the corridor to the left of the bar and you'll see several off-shoot rooms to find a cushioned bench or bar stool. Given it's December we headed straight to the room with the roaring fire and got a great seat in front of the flames. I loved it here. My mate loved it here. And we would have stayed but the fact we wanted to sample more than one establishment that evening. Really enjoyed the beer here as well - the bar manager made a recommendation (alas I've forgotten its name, the beer, not the bar guy, but it was very good indeed). Tip: If you love your whiskies, you won't be disappointed here either, they have a sizeable selection.

Cooper Hall is a really cool bar! FULL STOP…read more It is fantastic for groups as it hosts long tables, and seating wrapping around the hall. I believe it has capacity for 300 people. Not to mention, the amazing selection of European beers, such as the Tank Pilsner Urquell, but I am prone to a German Weißbier, which they serve. Fantastic! Cooper Hall also stocks IPAs and seems to have a frequent 2-4-1 Happy Hour offer on cocktails. What's not to love?! The Hall is situated in one of the Grade II listed buildings just off Dale Street, and is in the basement of the old textile warehouse with the namesake, I.J & G. Cooper Ltd, built into the building itself. The beer hall is quite open and relaxed, adhering to the more and more popular dark wood decor, but mixed it with leather seats and bar stools. It pays a lot of respect to the heritage of the building. My visit was around 9pm or so on a Friday night, and it was busy, but not enough where it was difficult for a small group to find a place to sit, which presented a very pleasant evening with a few good pals, with a few really good beers. Cooper Hall also features live music, so even cooler! If you consider yourself a music lover, beer connoisseur, or lover of 2-4-1 cocktails, then this place is definitely worth a visit.

The unpasteurised Pilsner Urquell is probably why you're visiting. £4.80 a pint / £3 a half. Good…read morefor groups, large tables and generally spacious venue. Live music some nights.