Acclaimed Manchester cocktail bar named one of UK’s best quietly closes its doors

An acclaimed Manchester cocktail bar that was formerly named one of the best in the UK has quietly closed its doors for good.

Tucked away beneath the former set of Coronation Street in the Old Granada Studios complex, and hidden in the basement of Manchester‘s historic 1800s Bonded Warehouse at St. John’s, Project Halcyon Distillery officially opened its doors in 2022 due to COVID-19 pandemic delays – with the intimate venue going on to become a city favourite.

The acclaimed, Speakeasy-style bar drew inspiration from Prohibition-era Chicago, focusing on ‘halcyon days’ of calm and luxury.

It included an on-site distillery used to create bespoke ingredients for its seasonal menu, and beyond cocktails, even featured a so-called ‘Stillroom’ for masterclasses and had private, curtained room dedicated to absinthe, with traditional fountains, called ‘Salon Vert’.

But despite its success over the years, and even earning a place in the coveted Top 50 Cocktail Bars in the UK list on several occasions, Project Halcyon has officially – but somewhat quietly – now closed its doors for good.

“Project Halcyon has poured its last cocktail,” the venue said in a statement shared to Instagram.

“It was with sincere regret that due to unexpected challenges at the ownership level we must close our doors for the foreseeable. Though we say goodbye, the memories live on.

“Thank you to everyone who shared in our craft, our community, and our story.”

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After the news broke on social media, Project Halcyon’s Instagram post was flooded with dozens of comments showing support for staff members, and remembering the venue as one of their favourite cocktail bars in the city centre.

The nature of some of the comments also prompted Project Halcyon to issue a follow-up statement below addressing concerns over money owed to workers and other partners, adding: “We sincerely hope that anyone who may be owed by the owners of Project Halcyon – past and present team included – receives what they are owed.

Read more:

• Glitzy Spinningfields bar famed for its bottomless deals shuts down
• One of the Northern Quarter’s original coffee shops has suddenly closed down
• Legendary Manchester bar Sandinista shuts down after more than a decade

“We are not deleting comments and have no interest in doing so. We also cannot control how Instagram manages comment threads. This page is run by the team, not the owners.”

Featured Image – The Manc Group