If you consider yourself something of a gin lover and you’ve not yet been to Atlas Bar in Manchester city centre, well, prepare yourself for a ruddy great time.
This Deansgate institution has been a fixture on the edge of Castlefield since 1996 and is described by some as a Manchester icon, for good reason.
With a gorgeous outside terrace area overlooking the Manchester skyline, and a warm and inviting atmosphere inside, come rain or shine you’re guaranteed a warm welcome at Atlas Bar.
A longstanding favourite of gin lovers, the team has over 570 bottles of gin on its back bar at its last count – and you can try them all.
There’s a flavour style for everyone – whether you like London dry, a big American wet, a fruity gin, a pink gin, an old Tom or a genever – and the staff are incredibly knowledgeable, should you get overwhelmed by the extensive list.
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Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
A good way to get stuck in is to sample their gin tasting flights, priced at £10 each for a selection of three handpicked gins, perfectly paired with garnishes and tonics selected to highlight the unique botanicals in each bottle.
Highlights on the menu include Spanish gin 5th Gin Fire, a traditional London dry with a soft pink hue and highly aromatised flavour delivered by red berries with a touch of balsamic, and the Four Pillars Rare – a gin that is really close to Atlas owners’ Mark and Elaine’s hearts.
Launching in the UK first, here at Atlas, the owners and distillers of this amazing Australian gin, have become great friends of the team here.
Distilled in the beautiful Yarra Valley, wine region, in a still named Wilma, the Four Pillars Rare gin is made with some wonderful local botanicals including Tasmanian Pepper berry and Lemon Myrtle.
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Other gin must-tries include Guernsey based gin Unit 6, small batch gin Solway, premium small batch gin Kuro and Divine Raspbery, the latter distilled by Ray Woolhead in nearby Holmfirth.
Of course, it’s not all about the gin here as Atlas also stocks a vast range of draught and bottled beers, ciders, spirits, Champagnes and wines, as well as serving up a solid all day menu of breakfast dishes and tasty bar snacks.
You can also order unusual bottles of gin to collect at the bar or for delivery from Atlas, as well as some fabulous home gin experiences.
For gin lovers looking for something new in the city, there’s really nowhere better.
Featured image – The Manc Eats
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‘Classy, clever, confident’ – New Manchester restaurant receives glowing Guardian review
Daisy Jackson
Winsome, one of the newest restaurants on Manchester’s dining scene, has gone and received a seriously glowing review in The Guardian this weekend.
Legendary restaurant criticGrace Dent said that the British bistro ‘may well be my new favourite restaurant’, lauding chef patron Shaun Moffat’s ‘elegant but plentiful modern cooking’.
She said that there’s even a teeny touch of Toby Carvery in their Sunday offering, with meaty and saucy dishes and ‘cartoon-esque XL yorkshire puddings’.
Winsome opened back in March under the steer of three hospitality heavyweights – ex-Edinburgh Castle chef Shaun Moffat, former Schofields head bartender Tom Fastiggi, and Belzan founder Owain Williams.
It’s a beautiful, stripped-back space at the foot of the Whitworth Locke aparthotel and Moffat’s first venture as a chef patron.
Based on this Guardian review, he’s doing a pretty good job so far…
Grace Dent said of Winsome’s nostalgic yet modern menu (featuring dippy eggs and puddings that sound like school dinner puds): “This is Cool Britannia wearing a napkin bib with a side portion of rhubarb jelly and custard for pudding.”
Novelty crockery at Winsome. Credit: The Manc GroupChef patron Shaun Moffat at Winsome. Credit: The Manc GroupDippy egg and asparagus. Credit: The Manc GroupInside WInsome on Princess Street. Credit: The Manc Group
She also wrote that it’s ‘far from a novelty restaurant’ in spite of its animal-shaped crockery.
And Dent added that while there’s an element of fine dining, it’s unpretentious enough that you’re happy to smear it all over the tablecloths and, indeed, yourself.
‘Deeply nostalgic’, ‘forward-thinking fine dining without any of the faff’, is how she described her Winsome experience.
“This is confident, clever cooking that stays just the right side of earnest, or at least as earnest as a chef can be when he also serves up a dessert that is essentially a 1980s school sponge pudding with a scoop of milk ice-cream flecked with multicoloured sprinkles, or hundreds and thousands as they will for ever be known in my heart,” she wrote.
Grace Dent’s Guardian review concluded with: “Winsome may well be my new favourite restaurant, and it’s the new, big, generous beating heart of Manchester hospitality. It’s classy but come-all – bring your gran, bring your baby, no one need feel conspicuous.
“There’s something about the place that makes me want to use it as a canteen, not least out of sheer curiosity as to what Moffat will put on the menu next. Great cooking, and forward-thinking fine dining without any of the faff.
“Bring your appetite and don’t wear pale colours. Aaah, Manchester, you have so much to answer for. Winsome will seriously impact your waistline.”
Winsome said in a post on Instagram: “It doesn’t get much better than that! We’re over the moon, full of pride and could not be more grateful to the team who’ve worked so hard to help us deliver this dream.”
Hidden Manchester bar Mala to offer unique ‘movie night’ experiences inside private cabins
Thomas Melia
You can have your own private film experience inside little wooden cabins at a popular Northern Quarter bar this summer.
Manchester city centre secret garden spot Mala is hosting an event where you and your friends can enjoy a private movie night with food, themed drinks, and bucket loads of free popcorn.
Listed as the ‘Cabin Movie Night’, get ready to sit back, relax and watch a cult classic, all from the comfort of your own personal wooden hut.
The film you’ll be watching is very on-brand too, as it’s none other than none than ‘Labyrinth’.
This secret garden spot is hiding right in plain sight over on Dale Street in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, and as well as hosting events such as these, they’re also home to some top tier eateries too.
Currently El Jefe, Doodles, Wok Bros, Christakis, D&X Caribbean, and Gulf are all serving up some cross-continental delights for you to enjoy in this marvellous space.
Some mouth-watering scran from El Jefe.Wok Bros have some delicious noodle boxes. Credit: The Manc Group
The Cabin Movie Night’ is the perfect way to round up your friends and watch a classic with a cocktail in hand.
There’s a handful of group packages available too at an additional charge, ranging from £30 to £50, which includes themed cocktails for each guest in the booking, and the cost of the ticket.