There was a time a couple of years ago where ‘secret’ bars were all the rage – except they threw big launch parties and had queues outside and weren’t very secret at all.
But one new cocktail bar in Manchester has done such a good job of flying under the radar that even we, who live and breathe local food and drink, have only just discovered it.
And it’s been open for months.
This particular hidden cocktail bar has brought a little taste of Tokyo’s underground bar scene to Manchester, in both the decor and the drinks menu.
It’s a bar that’s flooded with red lighting and synth music, with a carefully thought-out drinks menu showing off Japanese whiskeys and other spirits from the continent.
ADVERTISEMENT
Kodo has done a good job of avoiding too much attention, even though it’s not gone for the usual ‘secret bar’ tactics that most venues use.
It’s not hiding behind a launderette like The Washhouse, or a pawn shop like Dusk Til Pawn, or a completely blank door like Behind Closed Doors.
ADVERTISEMENT
Instead, it’s hiding behind a huge, bright red door painted with a mysterious, anime-style eye, with black wisps of hair across it. Oftentimes, there’s dry ice pouring out from underneath the door.
So once you track it down there’s no mistaking that you’ve found it.
Kodo might be a ‘secret bar’ but once you work out the location, the big door makes it pretty obvious. Credit: The Manc GroupInside secret bar Kodo it’s an ode to underground Japan in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
On arrival, you have to ring the bell beside the door, ready for a letterbox to fling open and a pair of eyes to peer out at you.
ADVERTISEMENT
Then you need to show an image on your phone to the mystery figure behind the door (the image changes every week) before you’re granted access to this clandestine cocktail bar.
Kodo is worth the effort though.
Inside it’s smoky and sultry, with modern red light installations overhead, a blue-lit bar, and brick walls painted with more anime-style art.
A delicious Pomelo Paloma at Kodo Manchester. Credit: The Manc GroupInside secret Manchester bar Kodo. Credit: The Manc Group
Kodo is serving some of the city’s most exciting drinks, from old fashioneds infused with shiitake mushrooms to martinis made with marmalade and yuzu sake.
It’s been open for about four months and has been busy the whole time, with word-of-mouth helping to pull in a steady stream of curious punters.
ADVERTISEMENT
It’s working so well because all those customers who have visited have bought into the secret element – as far as we can see, no one has actually slapped the location online anywhere. That’s a bit of a miracle in this day and age.
We’ve been sworn to secrecy on the location – but check out @kodomanchester on Instagram for clues.
Enormous Manchester venue set to open (again) after brief rebrand
Daisy Jackson
A huge, glamorous restaurant and bar space looks set to reopen just months after it closed down and attempted to rebrand.
SakkuSamba announced back in June that it was closing for a short while to undergo a refurbishment.
That news came after two years hosting all-you-can-eat sushi dinners and star-studded parties in Spinningfields, like an afterparty with Ne-Yo following his show at the AO Arena.
They wrote at the time: “Exciting News! We will be closing our doors on June 2nd for an exciting refurbishment and upgrade. We’re sorry to be closing for a little while, but stay tuned for updates over the next couple of weeks as we begin this transition!
“We can’t wait to show you what’s coming next soon!”
But then SakkuSamba never reopened and the space instead became Raft, essentially Manchester’s most boujie buffet.
Raft had a huge dining room upstairs, a hidden club room, a ‘toilet disco’, 360-degree DJ booths, and a ‘coastal boozer’ on the ground floor.
The restaurant when it was previously SakkuSamba. Credit: The Manc GroupVs when it was Raft. Credit: The Manc Group
Raft was only open for three months when it was suddenly bolted shut, with a forteiture notice in the window that was apparently linked to a ‘historic dispute’.
And now, in an unexpected twist in events, SakkuSamba has shared that it’s coming back to Manchester.
Keeping up okay? Let’s continue.
In the first post since announcing the temporary closure and refurbishment of both of its restaurants (in Manchester and in Bradford), SakkuSamba wrote: “SakkuSamba 2025. Manchester keep your eyes peeled, major announcement coming soon.”
If it follows the same format it took previously, that means a fusion of Brazilian and Japanese cuisine together in a swanky all-you-can-eat setting.
And hopefully it’ll last longer than poor Raft did…
Northern Quarter craft beer bar Fierce Bar announces sudden closure
Thomas Melia
A much loved independent craft beer bar in the heart of the Northern Quarter is set to close before the end of the year.
Fierce Bar, which opened in Manchester city centre in 2020, has been a firm favourite for Mancs and visitors alike with their range of beers and IPAs.
The Fierce Beer company has established itself as a leading force within the beer community winning ‘Scottish Brewery of the Year in 2021’ and numerous Scottish Beer Awards.
Their wide range of drink flavours pay homage to varieties from the USA and offered people who frequented their Thomas Street site in the Northern Quarter were treated to a refreshing taste of the transatlantic.
The Thomas Street bar had previously been home to 57 Thomas Street, a bar operated by Marble Brewery, which also operates The Marble Arch.
In a post on social media which opens with, “Some sad news…”, the company have stated: “We face continually spiralling costs that unfortunately mean it’s going to be unsustainable to continue operating the venue viably going forward”.
There’s still some hope as beer brand have also announced: “This is not the end for Fierce Beer south of the border though; we’re continuing to keep an eye on the market and aim to get back as soon as we can with a new physical location.”
Anyone wanting to continue the bar’s legacy in Manchester can sport the indie establishment’s range of t-shirts, hats and funky glasses, some of which adorned the walls.
Being a Scottish born and bred brewery, if you’re still after your alcohol fix, you can still visit their two other locations in Edinburgh and Aberdeen next time you’re heading up north.
The last day of trade for Fierce Bar will be 20 December where the founders Dave and Louise will be heading to the Manchester site say a sad goodbye.
As it will be the final night of service ever, the team are urging anyone to pop down for a pint or two to commemorate the Manchester home.
It’s a shame to see such a well-used city centre social space shutting its doors, however Fierce Beer loyalists fear not as their online website is still very much alive and thriving here.
Daisy Jackson -
11th October 2024 
