The people's voice of Greater Manchester

X

Food & Drink

The bar that sold some of Manchester’s cheapest pints has closed ‘until further notice’

Daisy Jackson - 16th December 2021

One of Manchester city centre’s most infamous bars, Bar Wave, has closed ‘until further notice’.

The doors to the Portland Street bar were quietly locked up last weekend.

A notice posted in the doorway states: “As of Saturday 11/12/2021, Bar Wave will be closed untill further notice.

“Sorry for the inconvenience.”

Portland Street’s Bar Wave. Credit: The Manc Group

Portland Street’s Bar Wave. Credit: The Manc Group

The notorious bar serves some of Manchester’s cheapest drinks, with stickers in the windows still loudly promoting £2 specials all night.

ADVERTISEMENT

It sits on the ground floor beneath the Britannia Hotel, on one of Manchester’s busiest streets.

Read more: Manchester’s winter village Mala target of £15k robbery with ‘entire stock’ stolen

ADVERTISEMENT

The long-standing bar was known for its karaoke and its giant pitchers of cocktails.

It’s not yet known the reasons for the closure.

The Manc has contacted Bar Wave for comment.

Featured image: The Manc Group

Food & Drink

Enormous Manchester venue set to open (again) after brief rebrand

Daisy Jackson SakkuSamba may be about to reopen in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group

SakkuSamba may be about to reopen in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group

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 Group

Vs when it was Raft. Credit: The Manc Group — The restaurant when it was previously SakkuSamba. 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…

Read more

Featured image: The Manc Group

Food & Drink

Northern Quarter craft beer bar Fierce Bar announces sudden closure

Thomas Melia Northern Quarter craft beer bar Fierce Bar announces sudden closure

Northern Quarter craft beer bar Fierce Bar announces sudden closure

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.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Fierce Beer (@fiercebeer)

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.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Image: The Manc Group