Deansgate

This area of Manchester covers the length of Deansgate which runs from Whitworth Street up towards Victoria railway station. This is an area populated with many pubs, bars, restaurants and clubs. Many of them are at the more expensive and classy end of the Manchester entertainment spectrum. This is probably due to the number of designer shops and offices in the area.

Ape and Apple, Lloyd Street

The Ape and Apple is the Manchester Brewery Holt's showpiece pub being refurbished in the last couple of years. It's everything that a Holt's pub should be really. Cheap (but good) beer and simple, no thrills surroundings and atmosphere. Unlike some of the older Holt's pubs, you're not so likely to see some old alcoholic throwing up in the corner. You can look on that as a blessing or a shame. (TM)

Bar 38, Peter Street

Its quite interesting to see how a city’s nightlife develops and changes over a relatively short period of time. In the past, the most fashionable areas have been Canal Street, Castlefield and last year was Deansgate Locks. This year sees another subtle change of direction towards Peter Street where lots of bars seem to have recently popped up around the Great Northern Warehouse development. Bar 38, yet another chain bar and the second in the city (the original being on Canal Street) is an interesting though expensive bar. Easy to miss from the street, though unmissable from the square it backs onto, its an impressive three-floor structure with a fancy water feature that will make it very popular in the summer. The ground floor bar is long and thin, whilst upstairs is apparently a restaurant. In the basement is a vast bar which opens out onto the aforementioned water feature and main square. The toilets also deserve a special mention, being a delight to do your business in. Definitely worth a visit, good male/female mix with a mainly mid to late twenties crowd. Just don’t dress down for the occasion. (TM)

Brewery Tap, Strangeways Brewery

The Brewery Tap is the Boddingtons Brewerys' own outlet and is worth a visit, especially if you're after any Boddies merchanchise. There is also the full range of Boddies brews, including some that you don't see in many other pubs these days. (TM)

Gardener's Arms, off Deansgate somewhere

This is the pub owned by Vera Duckworth from Coronation Street, though you're unlikely to see here behind the bar here. She does pop in occasionly though. It's a nice pub which has been done up quite well, though if you go in wearing anything but a suit you are definitly going to feel somewhat out of place. It has an outside seating area which is OK to use because the pub is sufficently far back from the main road. A good pub with a good friendly atmosphere and decent beer. Slightly pricy. (TM)

J.W. Johnstons, Deansgate (Now a Bar Med.)

JW Johnstons can be found next to La Tosca and Moon Under Water. This is a bar so fashionable that they don't serve draught beers. It markets itself as a cocktail bar, but most of the customers seem to stick to bottles of beer. The alcoholic slush puppies are worth trying though. (TM)

Mulligan's, Southgate off Deansgate

An Irish bar that serves great Guinness with a good friendly atmosphere as well. Its one of my mate's favourite pubs in Manchester. The clientele are mostly office workers from the surrounding area. A pretty small bar and it is normally at it's busiest at lunchtime. (TM)

La Tasca, Deansgate

This Spanish bar and restaurant is situated next to the Moon Under Water. There is also a club in the basement which opens late at the weekend and during the week is often used for salsa dancing lessons. The food here is great but beers can only be bought by the bottle or in half pints. It's pricy but worth it for a great atmosphere and the Latino ladies. (TM)

Moon Under Water, Deansgate

The Moon Under Water is owned by the Weatherspoons chain, and so lives up to their normal values of inexpensive beer and food. It's also meant to be the largest pub in Europe. Even if it isn't, its still massive as its been converted from an old theatre. (TM)

Teasers, Great Northern Warehouse, Deansgate

What a truly bizarre place! Teasers, for those who have not been to one, are a chain of bars whose principal attraction seems to be that the bar staff look like they’ve just come from the gym, and the female bar staff periodically jump onto a table and do some sort of pole dance. The male bar staff wander around in shorts and skimpy tee-shirts, whilst the female wander around in much the same, and then do one of these remarkably sterile pole dances, where no clothing is removed. So, it’s the kind of strip bar you could feel comfortable taking your granny to. Or maybe its what a strip bar would look like if MacDonald’s opened one.

Anyway, upon approaching Teasers, you will be impressed by the size of the building, and by the immense posse of bouncers intent on searching every male who wishes to enter. When I went, the place was full of blokes up for an ogle at the dancers and the queues to get in can be very long. I think its probably the kind of place that tourists would end up at. Having said that, the actual building is quite attractive, and there is a great view across the square from upstairs. Drinks aren’t cheap though a late bar, but its probable worth a visit if you’ve never been to a Teasers. Whether you’ll ever go again is a different matter. (TM)

White Lion, Liverpool Road

The White Lion is a top pub with a large beer garden that overlooks the Roman fort. Very picturesque. It's also right opposite the Science and Industry Museum, which I strongly recommend if you've not been before. The White Lion claims to get a lot of celebs from Coronation Street and footballers drinking in it, but I've never recognised anyone famous in here. (TM)

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mailto:tim@tmossey.freeserve.co.uk