In a coup for the city’s bartending scene, some of Manchester’s best cocktail bars have been named amongst the UK’s creme de la creme – with two ranking amongst the top 10 in the country at the Top 50 UK Bars awards.
The prestigious list, released annually, named four Manchester bars in total at a glitzy awards ceremony in London last night.
Coming in at number eight on the list this year was hidden Manchester cocktail bar Speak In Code, up two places from the year before, whilst ranking highly in fourth place was the brilliant Schofield’s Bar, having moved up twelve places on its 2022 ranking.
Spring Gardens cocktail bar Blinker, opened less than a year ago by ex-Gordon Ramsay bars boss Dan Berger, also ranked in this year’s top 50 – coming at number 41.
And there was an honourable mention for Zymogorium’s newly-reopened Project Halcyon bar, located in the Bonded Warehouse beneath the Old Granada Studios, which took home a special ‘One to watch’ gong at last night’s ceremony.
Whilst London once again dominated the list, there were still a large number of northern drinking spots included with a total of 14 of the Top 50 Cocktail Bars to be found in Scotland and the north of England.
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In Leeds, Tabula Rasa, (#48), Hedonist (#45) and Below Stairs (#42) were all recognised for their top-notch drinks, atmosphere and service, whilst in Sheffield natural wine bar Bench (#50) and cocktail bar Public (#39) were also given honours.
Liverpool bar Present Company also cleaned up at the awards, ranking at number 20 – a jump of 23 places from its 2022 position.
Over in Scotland, meanwhile, Edinburgh bars Panda & Sons (#6) Bramble (#13) and Hey Palu (#27) all got a mention, as did secret Glaswegian bar The Absent Ear (#25) and natural wine and cocktail bar Lunar (#49).
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Image: Project Halcyon
Image: Speak In Code
The Top 50 Cocktail Bars list is compiled by bar industry experts and offers a unique perspective on where those in the know like to go for a drink.
Each year, the list is chosen by a mixture of bartenders, bar owners, writers, critics, and other hospitality professionals.
To ensure each region in the UK has an equal opportunity to shine, voters are broken down into six geographical regions. Each voter then has four votes, including for one cocktail bar in their region and three others from anywhere else in the UK.
Top 50 Cocktail Bars community manager, Charli Tomney, said: “I am so excited to bring back this event with a bang. We have a real variety of bars, some with a capacity of 24 people some with 300. There are bars with spirit specialities, new bars that have opened just months ago and some female-owned businesses from across the UK.”
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Chris Lowe, publisher of Top 50 Cocktail Bars, said: “We have created Top 50 Cocktail Bars to help people find the best bars, which are often hidden, around the UK.
“London still has more bars on the list than any other city but having almost all of the UK’s major cities represented showcases the explosion of great venues on the cocktail scene.”
Feature image – The Manc Eats
Eats
Salon Madre – A new tequila bar and pool hall is opening in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
A new tequila bar and pool hall is set to open in Manchester in a couple of weeks, from the same team behind Madre.
The huge new space, Salon Madre, will be serving up the tacos and burritos that have made the Mexican restaurant at Kampus so well-loved.
And all that’s alongside a drinks menu that centres around tequila, including frozen, classic and flavoured margaritas and palomas.
Can’t stomach tequila? There’ll also be wines on draft, Corona and local beers.
The food menu will show off signature dishes like al pastor tacos, with daily rotating specials, plus Gringas, nachos and Madre’s huge burritos.
Salon Madre has taken over a spot just off Kampus’s lush garden that was previously home to a Seven Brothers taproom, right next door to Madre itself.
Salon Madre is a new Mexican pool hall and tequila bar in Manchester. Credit: The Manc GroupSalon Madre is a new Mexican pool hall and tequila bar in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
As well as all the Mexican food and drink goodness, the bar will have four pool tables and will be screening Lucha Libre (Mexican wrestling) and American sports.
The dream is to bring the fun and liveliness of a Mexican pool hall to the heart of Manchester, in this beautiful spot right near Piccadilly and Canal Street.
Salon Madre will open on 6 December at Kampus, with bookings for Christmas groups and parties now available.
First look at Stow as beautiful new open-fire restaurant opens in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
A brand-new restaurant is set to open in Manchester this week, from the same team behind the Northern Quarter’s well-established Trof.
Stow is opening on Bridge Street this Friday, bringing live fire cooking and a seasonal menu, plus plenty of local beers to the mosaic-clad spot in the city centre.
The new Stow site has, at various points over the last few years, been a Grindsmith coffee shop, Thai BBQ Neon Tiger, and Juicebox wine bar.
We’ve had a sneak peek inside today ahead of its official launch later this week, and the Stow team have transformed this place into a cosy, relaxed restaurant space.
There are low pendant lights, white brick walls, and a beautiful tiled bar, in an understated and neutral interior.
As for the food, the entire Stow menu will be cooked over a custom-built grill from Firemade in Somerset, fuelled by wood and charcoal, with a concise menu of meet and fish plus veg-centric sides and snacks sourced from the ‘best produce they can get their hands on’.
Stow will be owned and operated by Matt Nellant and Jamie Pickles from Trof, who want to celebrate the ‘simplicity of great ingredients cooked over open fire with very little faff’.
The wine list will be exclusively French but the beer list will show off local breweries, and cocktails will feature classics with a twist like a Cremant Cocktail.
Inside Stow, a new restaurant in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Jame and Matt both come with a proper hospitality pedigree.
Jamie left restaurant management in 2018 to return to his hometown in the Peak District, working in The Devonshire Arms pub in Pilsley before holding a kitchen residency at Saint Francis Provisions in Kinsale, Ireland.
Once back in Manchester, he’s been developing dishes and writing menus for various restaurants, including Trof.
Dishes at Stow are seasonal and cooked over open fire. Credit: The Manc GroupStow is a new restaurant from the team at Trof. Credit: The Manc Group
Matt took over as general manager of Trof and eventually acquired the business from Mission Mars in 2020.
His career started in cocktail bartending but includes management roles for large groups like Living Ventures and Revolution.
Stow will open to the public on 22 November on Bridge Street in Manchester.
Georgina Pellant -
8th February 2023 
