A new Deep South-inspired dive bar is tipped to open its doors in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, bringing more late-night rock and roll antics to Oldham Street.
According to a licensing application submitted by Leeds-based bar operators The Mean Eyed Cat, the team has got its sights set on the home of former Michelin-recommended restaurant District.
The application shows that the bar is proposing to take over the basement space and ground floor at 60 Oldham Street, suggesting that District may be shutting its doors for good – although, with consultation remaining open until 23 February, nothing is confirmed as of yet.
Described as a ‘Deep South-inspired bar with an ode to the rock n’ roll legend Johnny Cash,’ the proposals state The Mean Eyed Cat will be serving ‘food and drinks including specialist cocktails’ and that the premises ‘will also comprise of a small outside area at the front.’
Cocktails being made at The Mean Eyed Cat bar in Leeds. / Image: The Mean Eyed Cat
The Mean Eyed Cat is known for giving out free pizzas with every drink. / Image: The Mean Eyed Cat
Open until 3am in the week and 4am on weekends, if successful it will offer an all-day service with hours from 11am every day, plus live music, film and entertainment.
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Already a popular fixture amongst the bars on Leeds’ Call Lane stretch, its owners have been looking for a Manchester location for some months – even offering a generous finder’s fee to anyone who could help them find a new site.
Known for serving up free pizzas and offering its customers a chance to ‘roll the dice’ for free (or discounted) shots, on its website The Mean Eyed Cat describes itself as a ‘little rebellious and a lot raucous’.
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Having recently revealed plans to open in Liverpool on 24 February, it now seems that the party bar is coming to Manchester city centre next.
On the drinks front, customers can expect to find its signature Mean Marg cocktail (where margarita meets Corona) on offer alongside plenty more Southern-inspired cocktails to ‘fuel your mischief all night long.’
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Pizzas, meanwhile, come in a host of Deep South-inspired flavours including Texas BBQ and smoky chipotle, and are included free with any drink ordered before 9pm.
The Mean Eyed Cat’s signature Mean Marg cocktail (where margarita meets Corona). / Image: The Mean Eyed Cat
The news, however, is bittersweet – as it suggests that the end is nigh for Oldham Street’s New Wave Thai restaurant-turned-cocktail bar, District.
Despite receiving rave reviews for its food, last October the Michelin-recommended restaurant closed its doors after its owner sent an email to newsletter subscribers saying the business was suffering from ‘extreme economical pain’.
At the time, the news left fans of the Michelin-recommended restaurant in a panic but when District reopened as a cocktail bar everyone assumed all was well again.
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Now it’s not so clear what the future holds for the brand, which has not put out a statement about closing but does appear to have deleted all of the posts from its Instagram account and wiped its website.
The Manc has contacted a representative for District regarding the Oldham Street bar and former restaurant’s potential closure.
Feature image – The Mean Eyed Cat
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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.
You can get FREE sandwiches in Manchester this weekend – but only if you have certain names
Emily Sergeant
Hungry Mancs can help themselves to free sandwiches this bank holiday weekend… but there’s a bit of a catch.
You can only get yourself a sandwich if you have one of these particular names.
We’ve been enjoying some absolutely stunning sunshine across Greater Manchester and much of the UK over the past couple of months, and nothing says sunny days more than taking a packed lunch or grabbing a meal deal and taking it to your local park or greenspace for a picnic.
This is why Pret A Manger has decided to make picnics easier for those who are lucky enough to have a certain type of name.
This late May bank holiday weekend, the popular high street coffee shop chain will be dishing out hundreds of free sandwiches across the UK – including here in Manchester – to anyone whose name happens to start with ‘Nic’.
That means people called Nick, Nicholas, Nicola, Nicole, Nico, Nicolette, and plenty of others could be in with a chance of some free feasting over these next couple of days.
You can get FREE sandwiches in Manchester this weekend / Credit: Wikimedia Commons | Supplied
Here in Manchester, it’s the chain’s Portland Street site, just off Piccadilly Gardens, that’s participating in the free giveaway this weekend, and there’ll be 50 sandwiches a day given out, so you’ll need to be quick if your name starts with ‘Nic’ and you’re feeling peckish.
The offer is only limited to Pret’s freshly-made sandwiches, and unfortunately excludes baguettes, wraps, or rye rolls… but free food is better than no food, after all.
All you’ll need to do to grab a freebie is show your ID at the tills of participating stores this Saturday (24 May) to prove your name, and you’ll get to walk out with your lunch in hand, all without having to spend a penny.
Manchester’s Portland Street Pret A Manger will be giving out 50 free sandwiches to ‘Nics’ this Saturday, and they’re on a first-come-first-served basis.
Georgina Pellant -
6th February 2023 
