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Inside Voyeur, a mysterious new post-punk 80s-inspired cocktail bar

'You can look, just don't get caught'

Daisy Jackson - 23rd April 2025

A brand new cocktail bar is set to open in Manchester this week, with dark and mysterious interiors, 80s inspiration, and a raunchy theme.

Voyeur is opening in the heart of the Northern Quarter, and here it’s all about modern drinks in a post-punk 80s setting.

The walls are decorated with beautiful voyeurism photography from the 80s, including artists like David Hockney, Nick Taggart, and Malerie Marder.

Even the menus celebrate the artistic side of voyeurism, with drinks presented within a book of photography.

Those drinks include creative twists on drinks dating back more than a century, from the Kaleidescope of Lies (a two-in one cocktail inspired by a pina colada, with a strawberry daiquiri foam top) to The Voyeur (made with coriander-infused tequila for a savoury punch).

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There’ll be monthly themed specials, kicking off with The Breakfast Club, where seasonal drinks take inspiration from Lucky Charms cereal, chai latte and an acai bowl.

Cocktails inspired by The Breakfast Club at Voyeur

Cocktails at Voyeur in the Northern Quarter — Cocktails inspired by The Breakfast Club at Voyeur

The dark space is lit by marble table lamps and a glittering green disco ball (and not much else), perfect for an evening spent sipping cocktails into the early hours.

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Between Thursdays and Sundays, Voyeur will have DJs spinning vinyls.

Voyeur is opening this week on Oldham Street and will be open from 5pm to 2am between Tuesday and Sunday.

Find out more HERE.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

Eats

Brilliant Salford Greek restaurant receives glowing national review

Kallos in Salford has received a rave review fro m Jay Rayner. Credit: The Manc Group

A fabulous Greek restaurant in Salford has received a glowing review from a top food critic, who described its food as providing ‘its own gorgeous kind of sunshine’.

Acclaimed restaurant critic Jay Rayner has heaped praise on Kallos in his Financial Times review.

The modest restaurant has been open for just over a year, but has already earned itself a place in the prestigious Michelin guide – and now a rave national review too.

Operated by couple Ioanna and Ivan, Kallos brings a taste of Santorini to their stripped-back, concrete-filled, light-flooded new space in Salford.

And while Jay Rayner admits in his review that Kallos’s interior hasn’t done much to lift this corner of Salford’s ‘badly organised grid of fast-rising apartment blocks’, the food itself ‘provides its own gorgeous kind of sunshine’.

Rayner heaped praise on Kallos’s phenomenal flatbreads, noting how it’s impossible to exercise restraint ‘in the face of bread this good’.

He also raved about their topped flatbreads (like one with ‘knots of sweet roasted lamb shoulder cooked until it has collapsed’), red prawns the length of a hand, and soft dolmades stuffed with rice and minced meat.

Topped flatbread with lamb

Tinned fish — Topped flatbread with lamb

Kallos is part-owned by sommelier Ivan, who is striving to have the largest collection of Greek wines in the UK at the restaurant.

Jay Rayner noted both the selection and the affordability of this carefully-curated wine list, saying that it’s nice to find that ‘outside London, drinking well need not require the sale of a spare kidney or child’.

And then he came to the section of the menu that’s dedicated to premium tinned fish.

“It feels like the UK has woken up only relatively recently to the possibilities of impressively fine foods from a can,” he wrote.

Kallos in Cortland at Colliers Yard, Salford

Kallos in Salford has been added to the Michelin Guide — Kallos in Cortland at Colliers Yard, Salford

“It is genuinely exciting to see Kallos devote a whole section of the menu to these treasures, even if it is basically the same victory of shopping that results in a good cheese board.

“But it takes both serious knowledge and a brave evangelical enthusiasm to offer a list like this.”

Rayner’s review went on to praise the tinned mackerel, served with a ‘balloon of hot bread’, pickled chillies, and an ‘aioli made with so much garlic, consenting adults should make sure to eat it together’.

Signing off his review, Jay Rayner wrote: “As the plate lands on the table, the sun finally comes out over both Salford and Kallos. Finally, the grey is banished. At last, all the beauty is here.”

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Featured image: The Manc Group

Eats

Bask is BACK – bosses confirm return to ‘golden era’ of popular Stockport spot

Bask reopening in Stockport

In brilliant news for Stopfordians, Bask is officially coming back, as current boss Jon Fitzpatrick is bringing back one of the key core members of the OG owners and staff, co-founder Benji Taylor.

Very exciting times for the town centre.

While local DJ, musician and entrepreneur, Jon, is the man behind the Irish-American bar and grill reboot under his surname that began in June of 2025, the business has gone on to become more of a morning and afternoon venue in the time since then.

However, with the help of Benji returning after a bit of well-deserved time off and having spent a period working on other ventures, they’re looking to dip back into the evenings as well and make this more of an all-day spot.

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A post shared by Bask ⚫️🟠 (@thisisbask)

Writing a statement in the caption of the post, the duo said, “We couldn’t be more proud to announce that Bask is back, and we are pleased to reveal one of the original crew returns to help our team return it to the golden era.

“Live music, great bands, entertainment all week, and non-stop fun. We’re not a late-night venue like it was recently; we want to keep it mature and [aim] to enhance the experience for our customers.

“Our daytime, sport and relaxed atmosphere won’t change, and our kitchen will actually be open later than it is now! We have many goals, but our main aim is to put credible, exciting live music back on the Stockport map. With Benji and Jon’s experience, it’s gonna be a magical time for Stopfordians.”

We met face-to-face with the prolific pair last week, and they made it clear that their shared vision is simple: marry Fitzpatrick’s steady daytime trade with the initial magic of that very first iteration of Bask.

Get it right, and they could very well create a new all-seasons superpower on the Stockport bar scene, as the brand certainly had a taste of that when they first captured attention with inside that packed-out unit just outside the train station.

Speaking to The Manc, the Bask boys admitted it was a “real shame” how things transpired towards the end of the previous setup, acknowledging that trouble with some problematic punters (especially in the early hours of the morning) effectively “spoiled” what became a weekly pilgrimage for many others.

Bask is not so quietly becoming the best night out in Stockport

That’s why, although they’re opening well into the evening and nighttime – with a full schedule of regular events such as live music, stand-up, karaoke, quizzes, darts nights and more already lined-up – they haven’t gone for a late license this time around, as they want to preserve what made it special.

Set to fully re-launch on 1 May from 5pm onwards, we’re expecting them to be off to the races the second the word about the comeback spreads.

Ben and Jon also still believe that in the era post-Bamboo in Hazel Grove closing, Stockport hasn’t really had a well-known and reliable night out, comparable to that kind of experience. Other than here.

Now, Bask isn’t a club, nor was it ever supposed to be; it was a bar that, on its day, was one of the biggest parties in all of Greater Manchester, and although it won’t be ’till two’ this time around, we can’t wait to see the gang get back to their best.

Locals will also be glad to hear that borough favourite Stock Party will also be returning this summer, and you can bet on seeing some familiar native faces taking part.

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Featured Images — The Manc Group/Bask (supplied)