A cocktail experience inspired by the fantastical world of Alice in Wonderland is heading to Greater Manchester this summer.
The Alice Cocktail Experience will invite people into a colourful, spellbinding tea party setting, complete with The Mad Hatter orchestrating the whole thing.
Guests will create their own cocktails which will get ‘curiouser and curiouser’, the organisers say, while enjoying a 90 minute live show.
Themed cakes and a venue decorated with bright flowers, teapots and neon signs will add to the illusion that you’ve taken a trip to Wonderland.
The Alice Cocktail Experiences comes from Once Upon A Bar, who have run similar events at venues across the globe already.
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And for their trip to Manchester, they’ll be creating a fully themed bar at Broadway, the diner where staff serenade you with musical hits.
You’ll dive down the rabbit hole (… The Trafford Centre) to experience the magic of Wonderland, with the experience including themed activities like painting and eating ‘Eat Me’ sweet treats.
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An Alice in Wonderland-inspired cocktail tea party is coming to the Trafford Centre. Credit: Publicity picture
There’ll be a carefully created menu of cocktails and mocktails, with an element of magic to all of them.
Each ticket includes one free drink, with plenty more to choose from throughout the 90 minutes.
Organisers say: “Indulge in an interactive tea party like no other, designed for those who possess an insatiable thirst for wonder.
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“The Alice Cocktail Experience guarantees to be the ultimate tea party, leaving you mesmerised and spellbound. This experience has been a global hit and each city’s venue is uniquely decorated.
“Create your own liquid concoctions under the watchful eye of The Mad Hatter and expect things to get curiouser and curiouser. Dive down the rabbit hole into a fantasy world where you will experience firsthand the magic of Wonderland, paint the roses red and devour an ‘Eat Me’ sweet treat!
“Come and explore the magic in the heart of Manchester and join the tea party to end all tea parties.”
The Alice Cocktail Experience will take place on Mondays and Tuesdays between 20 May and 20 August at Broadway at the Trafford Centre.
Glitzy Spinningfields bar famed for its bottomless deals shuts down
Daisy Jackson
Popular cocktail bar group Banyan has suddenly closed its glitzy bar in the heart of Spinningfields.
The restaurant and bar, which is part of the Arc Inspirations group that also operates Manahatta and Box, has shut down with immediate effect.
A sign has been posted in the window of the Spinningfields site of Banyan confirming its closure.
Banyan opened in 2018 and was the second site for the brand, which has been operating out of the Corn Exchange since 2015.
Inside, the huge 7,000sq ft space was split into spaces for drinking, dining and dancing, including a large mezzanine and a huge white marble bar.
Banyan is famed for its bottomless deals, whether that’s a classic bottomless brunch or their bottomless Sunday roast (endless Yorkshire puddings, gravy, wine, and roast potatoes).
It also offered two-for-one cocktails, all day every day.
The bar stands on the side of Spinningfields, directly opposite The Ivy and alongside The Alchemist.
Banyan in Spinningfields has shut downThe note in the window of Banyan
But now it has permanently closed its doors, thanking people for their custom over its almost-decade in Manchester.
The sign on the door says: “Banyan Spinningfields is now permanently closed.
“Thank you so much for your custom over the years, we’ve loved being part of this wonderful city and have made so many friends.
“Don’t be a stranger, we’d love to continue to welcome you to our Banyan bar in the Corn Exchange. Team Banyan.”
Bangkok Diners Club moves out of Ancoats just months after Michelin Guide win
Daisy Jackson
Bangkok Diners Club, the critically-acclaimed restaurant above the Edinburgh Castle pub, has closed its restaurant space.
The Thai restaurant was added to the Michelin Guide last October, not long after taking over the upstairs of the popular pub.
It also received a rave review in The Guardian from restaurant critic Grace Dent, who said it would be ‘one of Manchester’s hottest dining tickets’.
But now Bangkok Diners Club has decided its time in Ancoats is up, and has closed its beautiful restaurant space with immediate effect.
In an email sent to customers with reservations, they wrote that Bangkok Diners Club ‘sadly won’t be returning to Edinburgh Castle’.
Owners and husband-and-wife team Ben and Bo Humpheys aren’t leaving things there though, announcing plans to move into the Exhibition food hall on Peter Street.
Co-owner Ben Humphreys outside Bangkok Diners Club. Credit: The Manc GroupThe food earned them a place in the Michelin Guide. Credit: The Manc Group
They’ll be joining MoreJoy and pasta concept Anatra in the space, but bidding farewell to their own dedicated restaurant for now.
The email sent to customers reads: “We have just noticed that the system has allowed you to make a reservation during a time that we are closed. We apologise that this has happened.
“Ben and Bo are cooking at Exhibition during 2026 and Bangkok Diners Club sadly won’t be returning to Edinburgh Castle.
“Sincerest apologies for all the inconvenience caused.”
Daisy Jackson -
7th April 2024 
