Cool And Quirky Bars In Manchester

• Why we recommend: this is the ultimate spot for a little friendly competition, with high-tech digital dartboards and a killer food and drink menu to boot
• Location: Ship Canal House, 98 King Street, M2 4WU
• Best for: interactive darts, boozy brunch

Bringing you some bold signature cocktails, tasty pizzas and tech-savvy dartboards for you to challenge your friends on, this cool watering hole on King Street is an experience like no other. The interiors are fairground-themed, adding a little whimsy as you challenge your friends at a huge range of quirky games.

Looking for the best bar boozy brunches? Check out Flight Club's weekly brunch socials, which feature unlimited pizza paddles and a whole bottle of prosecco each while you play.

• Why we recommend: there's a lot going on at this activity bar, from interactive darts to shuffleboard, and it's all automated to make scoring easy. We can easily spend the whole afternoon or evening here
• Location: 43A Brown Street, M2 2JJ
• Best for: interative darts, shuffleboard, pizza

This spot has quickly become a favourite hangout in Manchester. The competitive social bar offers a unique twist with interactive darts, various game modes, and tech shuffleboard, where scoring is automated for a seamless experience.

With plush surroundings, personal table service, and music-inspired decor that pays homage to Manchester's rich history, you'll never miss a moment of the game. And with food crafted by the chefs behind El Gato Negro, including mouthwatering small plates, pizzas, and burgers, plus a curated drinks selection, it's the ultimate spot to spend the entire day (or night) in style.

• Why we recommend: we love the high-tech shuffleboards on offer here, complete with all sorts of fun games, and their pizza is a must-try too
• Location: 201 Deansgate, M3 3NW
• Best for: shuffleboard, boozy brunch

In need of the quirkiest bars in Manchester city centre featuring plenty of activities? Then Deansgate's Electric Shuffle, from the team behind Flight Club, is calling your name. Expect a similar twist on a classic bar game, complete with high-tech, automatic scoring, but with shuffleboard instead and across a retro-industrial space. Better yet? Upgrade your experience to a boozy weekend brunch complete with one hour of gaming, two hours of unlimited pizza and a bottle of prosecco each.

• Why we recommend: who doesn't love bowling? This cool, late-night destination promises hours of fun, with a carefully curated cocktail menu adding to the appeal
• Location: 57 Whitworth Street West, M1 5WW
• Best for: bowling, late-night fun

Start stretching out those arms, make sure that lunge is in check and (most importantly) get practicing your victory strike dance; Wynwood Lanes is a playground for the city's big kids. The kitchen is open 'til 1am, meaning you can chow down on tasty burgers, pizzas or loaded fries from Smash and Dash whatever time your game finishes. This Oxford Road watering hole is strictly a competitor's zone, so bowl on.

• Why we recommend: this is one of the coolest looking bars in the city, with graffiti-covered walls, and it's a real haven of retro gaming that helps you unleash your inner kid
• Location: Peter Street, M2 5QR
• Best for: nostalgia, gaming, themed cocktails

Gather your friends and get down to NQ64 on either Peter Street or Manchester's Northern Quarter for a fun-filled, nostalgic evening packed with all your favourite games from your childhood. Enter the glowing neon playground to find an array of retro consoles and pinball machines, as well as the likes of Guitar Hero and Super Mario Bros. Feeling thirsty? There are themed cocktails for that, like the Kirby, made with Beefeater pink gin.

• Why we recommend: one of the most unique gaming bars around, Gameface offers quirky fun with a high-energy atmosphere - perfect for those who can't sit still
• Location: The Printworks, 27 Withy Grove, M4 2BS
• Best for: gaming, group outings

Gameface packs ten original games into one epic venue inside Manchester's Printworks. As you move through the space, you'll take on fast-paced challenges, earning points across rounds that test reactions, coordination and quick thinking.

Perfect for group bookings, birthdays and work socials, games are easy to pick up, with no waiting about or overcomplicated rules. Once the games wrap, the bar takes over, so you can debrief over a drink or two.

• Why we recommend: an affordable gaming bar that offers something for everyone, it's difficult not to enjoy Boom Battle Bar
• Location: Unit 2A, The Printworks, 27 Withy Grove, M4 2BS
• Best for: gaming, large groups

Boasting shuffleboard, karaoke, 'crazier' golf and axe throwing, Boom Battle Bar in The Printworks is certainly up there on our list of quirky Manchester bars. The cocktails here are oh-so Instagrammable and delicious too, from the Fruit Bomb to a spiced mango margarita. And if you worked up an appetite? There's a crackin' menu for that, including pizza, loaded fries, nachos and wings.

• Why we recommend: you really feel like you're in a prison here, thanks to the jumpsuits, guards and cells, and the personalised cocktails are a nice touch
• Location: 1A Watson Street, M3 4EE
• Best for: cocktails, a story-driven immersive experience

A cool and quirky bar in Manchester city centre, Alcotraz is bringing together smuggling, supping and speakeasy vibes in one fun prison-themed experience. Your task? To sneak a bottle of your favourite spirit past the guards so the talented inmates can turn it into a tasty tipple, while snapping mugshots in your orange jumpsuits and dodging the warden.

• Why we recommend: this is truly a hidden bar, accessed through a laundrette front, and their cocktails are some of the most inventive we've ever seen
• Location: Shudehill, The Printworks, M4 4AA
• Best for: creative cocktails, speakeasy vibes

Laundry day getting you down? With more than just soap suds and wash cycles on offer, this pick of quirky secret bars in Manchester is a hideout for those in the know. Go for a tumble through the dryer, where you'll discover a lair of potent libations, banging house tunes and late-night antics. Though it may be a bit of a competition to secure a space here, we promise it's well worth the queue.

• Why we recommend: a real hidden gem, this place is cosy, cool and full of excellent cocktails - plus, they've always got cracking tunes going
• Location: Stevenson Square, M1 1FB
• Best for: old-school vibes, cool cocktails

For cool places to drink, Dusk Til Pawn is unbeaten. Hidden behind the pretence of an old pawn shop window, this quirky watering hole is made up of comfy sofas, a blasting jukebox and top-notch cocktails, including a unique twist on the classic Old Fashioned.

DesignMyNight awarded this spot Manchester's top hidden gem as far back as 2015, and it's continued to impress ever since, so be sure to swing by for concoctions and killer tunes in a unique setting. 

• Why we recommend: created and owned by people who are genuinely passionate about great cocktails, you know you're in for a treat with the drinks at Schofield's Bar
• Location: 3 Little Quay Street, M3 3JZ
• Best for: twists on the classics, date night

A classic cocktail bar created by brothers Joe and Daniel Schofield, Schofield's Bar is a top choice for date night or sophisticated drinks with friends. They prioritise traditional drinks made with quality ingredients, with a real focus on hospitality.

You'll find this place on the corner of Sunlight House, a famous, art deco-style building in Spinningfields. Choose from a wide range of tipples, from a daquiri to the elderflower and Cointreau-based Sunflower.

• Why we recommend: the giant martinis are seriously impressive, and with a 3am closing time, this is one for those who like a party
• Location: 40 Blackfriars Street, M3 2EG
• Best for: giant cocktails, late nights

On the corner of Blackfriars Street and Parsonage, you'll find the neon signs and exposed brick walls of The Liquor Store. With cocktails named after The Walking Dead, the globe's best liquors and martinis as big as your head, this place sure knows how to get a party started - with late-night music and drinks until 3am every single night.

• Why we recommend: a charming neighbourhood bar with a passion for unique drinks, this venue is inviting all-round - a great shout for date night or catching up with friends
• Location: 97 Beech Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, M21 9EQ
• Best for: creative cocktail flavours

Found on Chorlton's ever-popular Beech Road, 97 is a neighbourhood cocktail bar that packs a mighty punch. All marble finishes, candlelit ambience and high-end spirits, it's sleek, chic and all kinds of sophisticated.

With the team behind Tariff & Dale and The Lead Station at the helm, you're sure of show-stopping flavours with every sip. Expect reimagined classics like a raisin-and-apricot–sweetened house spritz and sensational seasonal twists featuring cocoa-butter–washed pandan rum or IPA-reductions.

• Why we recommend: earning itself a spot on the official Top 50 UK Bars list, this bar has got an excellent reputation. Their menu is fully plant-based, making it good for the planet as well
• Location: 7 Jackson's Row, M2 5ND
• Best for: award-winning cocktails

Bringing New York vibes to Spinningfields, Speak In Code is a tucked-away, cosy drinking den touting exposed brick walls, low lighting and botanical decor, which has secured itself a place on the official Top 50 UK Bars list. Their menu is entirely plant-based, with cocktails named Track 1 through to Track 12 and featuring everything from shiitake mushrooms to tobacco-spiced liqueur, as well as some twists on classic serves like the SiC Old Fashioned.

• Why we recommend: there's an experienced team behind this bar, so you're in safe hands with their cocktails, and we love the cool, up-cycled look
• Location: Unit 1, Northspring, 70 Spring Gardens, M2 2BQ
• Best for: a wide variety of drinks

Founded by Dan Berger, who has worked as a bar manager for The Ned and Gordon Ramsay's restaurant group, Blinker is one of the best cocktail spots around. The cool venue features up-cycled furniture and sleek white tiled walls, perfect for a few drinks with friends.

They've got a huge drinks menu to choose from, featuring both classic and signature cocktails. Our favourite? The Picante Verde, made with lime, agave and pineapple.

• Why we recommend: the bar still maintains the feeling of a private memebers' lounge, just without the price tag, and they offer a range of inventive cocktails to suit all tastes
• Location: G18 Tib Street, M4 1NB
• Best for: exclusive vibes, basement drinks

Formerly a private members' lounge, The Daisy is a sophisticated spot in the basement of Evelyn's in the Northern Quarter. The Parisian-inspired destination is decked out in cool artwork and comfy sofas.

They're whipping up tea and coffee during the day, and by night you can sip on elegant cocktails aplenty. Our favourite is the Strawberries and Cream, featuring wild strawberry vermouth and whisky.

• Why we recommend: these guys specialise in creativity on their cocktail menu, with a huge array of spirits to choose from, whether you fancy keeping it traditional or finding something new
• Location: 4 Norfolk Street, M2 1DW
• Best for: unique drinks

Owned by bartending brothers Joe and Daniel Schofield, Sterling is a favourite of cool cocktail bars in Manchester, hidden in a subterranean bank vault. The sultry, dark space is full of elegant wooden furnishings, with a vast selection of spirits behind the bar.

They're whipping up every cocktail you could possibly think of here, ranging from vintage classics to unique signature sips - our favourite is the strawberry and coconut-based Lava Flow.

• Why we recommend: this place is truly something special, but don't just take our word for it - it featured on the UK's Top 50 Cocktail Bars list
• Location: Eagle Street, M4 5BU
• Best for: intimate atmosphere, award-winning drinks

With a marble-topped bar, exposed brick and snug nooks, Stray is the kind of place you want to spend some time even before you've looked at the menu. Intimate and unfussy in the corner of Mackie Mayor's Grade II‑listed food hall, it's perfect for shopping trip pit stops, post-work drinks and long nights over cocktails.

Despite only opening in 2023, it's already gained national acclaim, featuring in the UK's Top 50 Cocktail Bars. Its USP is precision without pretension - think tomato vine margaritas and vino coladas.

• Why we recommend: there's no such thing as an understated drink here - they come bubbling, smoking and even colour-changing, and there's a stylish but relaxed feel to the bar that we love
• Location: 1 New York Street, M1 4HD
• Best for: theatrical, affordable cocktails

With three bars across the city, The Alchemist is a great choice for scientific-looking cocktails which incorporate everything from dry ice to smoke, like a citrussy Foam Alone or the Zombie Apocalypse, served in a laboratory-style beaker. The New York Street venue is a favourite, with a party atmosphere come the weekend and a menu of international eats such as Korean fried chicken burgers and crispy halloumi flatbreads.

• Why we recommend: they really take things up a notch here, with cocktails that you're unlikely to find anywhere else - and the menu is 100% plant-based too
• Location: 7 Keepers Quay, M4 6GL
• Best for: experimental flavours, vegan cocktails

If your cocktail tastes lean toward the experimental, you've found your happy place in Finders Keepers. With a team of mixology PHDs behind the bar, every drink is a work of art. 

We're talking the Sharon's Picante, an elegant twist on a spicy margarita, the Champagne On Ice, a dreamy blend of vodka, pear and vanilla ice cream, and the Forest Fruit Sbagliato that arrives with a sculpted iceberg. Pair your concoctions with Gordal olives or a balsamic snack mix and you've got the makings of a great night out.

• Why we recommend: the interiors here are so enticing, with their art deco touches and glazed tiles, that you'll almost forget the views outside are stunning as well
• Location: 100 King Street, M2 4WU
• Best for: rooftop views

After cool rooftop bars in Manchester? Head up to the seventh floor of the Hotel Gotham, where you'll find exclusive cocktail den Brass, featuring original 20th Century glazed tiles, art-deco furnishings, bespoke light fittings and speakeasy vibes. This private members club certainly has an exclusive feel to it, as well as elegant drinks and fantastic views of the city.

• Why we recommend: this is one of our favourite rooftop terraces around, and their selection of beer is second-to-none - it's pretty affordable too
• Location: 20 Fountain Street, M2 3AW
• Best for: craft beer, a rooftop terrace

Found just off Market Street, DogHouse Manchester is a one-stop shop for craft beer fans, food lovers and anyone who appreciates a rooftop drink. Downstairs, you'll find a taproom pouring 30 beers, while upstairs offers a terrace alongside cocktails, their own gin and great grub.

It's a brilliant shout for everything from after-work drinks to weekend celebrations.

• Why we recommend: serving up some of the best in both beer and gin, Seven Bro7hers Social is a trendy spot that overlooks the water - and their food is well worth trying too
• Location: Unit 27A – 28, Lowry Designer Outlet, The Quays, M50 3AH
• Best for: waterside views, gin, craft beer

How does a Salford Quays bar with its very own gin school sound? Brought to you by the team behind beer brand Seven Bro7hers and gin brand Four Sis4ers, Seven Bro7hers Social is a top joint with lots to offer, including a mouthwatering menu featuring beef Wellington with smoked pomme puree, plus curried monkfish. It also comes equipped with its very own large terrace overlooking the waterfront, industrial interiors and live entertainment throughout the week.

• Why we recommend: boasting 18 keg lines, you won't be short on beer here, and their street food offering is always a bonus as well
• Location: 10 Tariff Street, M1 2FF
• Best for: craft beer, street food

Northern Monk Refectory MCR is a laid-back dining room and cosy basement bar all in one, situated in the Northern Quarter. This spot is a top choice for craft beer, thanks to 18 keg lines, four cask lines and a fridge full of refreshing bottles from all around the world. Even better, you can find delicious street food from Cardinal Rule, a quirky South American vendor which is one of the only places in the UK that serves US-style biscuits.

• Why we recommend: you can easily spend a whole night here, thanks to their wine offering and entertainment, and it's home to some great value pizza for when hunger strikes
• Location: 2 Half Moon Street, M2 7PB
• Best for: French wine, live music

Take a trip to this cave of French wine on King Street, where you can enjoy delicious drinks, mouthwatering pizzas and regular live music sessions. Corbieres Wine Cavern specialises in vino as you might expect, but the hidden bar also boasts a great selection of beers from around the world and cracking cocktails to boot. They've even got an old-school jukebox, and when you spend a fiver here between 4 and 8pm Tuesday to Friday you'll get a free pizza to enjoy too.

• Why we recommend: run by people with Michelin stars to their name, it's clear that Flawd Wine has been carefully curated. You can find independent wines from all over the continent, and you might just discover a new favourite
• Location: 9 Keepers Quay, M4 6GL
• Best for: low‑intervention wines

Flawd is by no means an ordinary wine bar. Run by a collective of industry heavyweights with Michelin‑star credentials, it serves up sensational British produce along with some of the world's best vino.

The drinks list focuses on low‑intervention bottles from small‑scale producers across Europe and beyond, with many sourced directly from independent vineyards. Meanwhile, the menu is designed to pair with every sip, packing in wonderful wood-fired creations, fermented dishes and seasonal small plates.

• Why we recommend: you can find every type of wine here, and they even sell bottles to take home if you just can't get enough
• Location: 28 Edge Street, M4 1HN
• Best for: global wines

If you take your vino seriously, you're in good company at the Ad Hoc Wine Shop. The shelves are absolutely stacked with classics, up-and-comers and low-intervention bottles from all over the world. 

This is the stuff the importers drinks themselves, so expect a top quality drop whatever your budget. Pop in for a glass or few and grab some bottles to take home.

• Why we recommend: we love the cosy, retro feel to this bar, and there's a great variety of drinks to suit everyone - with a hearty food menu on offer as well
• Location: 8 Thomas Street, M4 1EU
• Best for: vintage decor, affordable cocktails

From its craft beer down to its juicy burgers and roast dinners, Trof is a casual but fun place to settle down. Toting its own vintage vibe, retro furniture and exposed brickwork, this place has a chilled out aesthetic, which switches into a party atmosphere when night falls. The cocktails here come in at £10 or less too, from a Smoked Ice Tea to the Gingerberry Highball.

• Why we recommend: a welcoming neighbourhood bar with a simple but stylish design, The Jane Eyre is perfect for a few chilled drinks and nibbles
• Location: 14 Hood Street, Ancoats, M4 6WX
• Best for: relaxed drinks, top quality wine

Named in memory of the owners' mum, The Jane Eyre is a neighbourhood bar with a whole lot of heart. Stylish, sleek and intentionally simple, the decor is designed to make you want linger, with a vibe to match. Expect locations in Ancoats and Chorlton.

Over on the menu, you can expect classic cocktails crafted with care, inventive twists and a curated selection of keg and bottled beers alongside world-class wines. There's plenty here to pair with your tasty tipples too, like British cheeses, charcuterie and nibbles sourced from local suppliers.

• Why we recommend: this place feels glamorous the second you step in, and it's a particularly great choice for anyone who loves to pair their cocktails with delicious seafood
• Location: 7 New York Street, M1 4JB
• Best for: seafood, opulent decor

A glam little seafood and cocktail lounge on New York Street, Bar Shrimp is all low lighting, plush red banquettes and sweeping drapes that cocoon the room. With a hi-fi rig and dedicated music director the vibe is laidback yet highly luxe.

Following a mantra of seafood, drinks and sound, it serves up oysters and small plates of tuna crudo, Cornish crab and more alongside sensational signature serves, all to the tune of a painstakingly picked playlist.

• Why we recommend: The Lawn Club is our go-to for celebrations, whether it's with a bottomless brunch, happy hour cocktails or just alfresco food and drink in a lively setting
• Location: 7 New York Street, M1 4JB
• Best for: outdoor drinks, bottomless brunch

Boasting both an ivy-laden indoors and an outdoor terrace that's perfect for summer, The Lawn Club is the perfect spot for alfresco drinks whatever the weather. Located in the heart of Hardman Square, this place is a wonderland of outdoor seating, with two-for-£12 cocktails from 5 'til 8pm Sunday to Thursday - from the Candyfloss Martini to a blackberry mojito.

You can even nab a bottomless brunch here, featuring pizzas and endless mimosas.

• Why we recommend: the 1950s Polynesian look creates a unique drinks setting, and where else can you get a pizza for free?
• Location: 60 Oldham Street, M4 1LE
• Best for: free pizza, quirky interiors

Looking for a cool and quirky bar to meet your mates at? Head to Mean Eyed Cat Manchester, a Johnny Cash-inspired hangout that oozes 1950s Polynesian vibes, featuring secret tiki bar downstairs and rum runner cocktails coming with your very own mini cowboy hat. 

Best yet, there's a free pizza with every drink until 9pm, so you can fill up ready for your night out ahead.

• Why we recommend: you'll really feel like you've stepped into the 1920s here, thanks to live jazz, old-school cocktails and a speakeasy-inspired setting
• Location: 11 Stevenson Square, M1 1DB
• Best for: speakeasy vibes, live music

Vintage charm meets cocktail finesse at this unique bar. A wonderland for those who love a dash of 20s-style debauchery, Fitzgerald is primed for Prohibition-inspired evenings of sipping craft cocktails, curling up in romantic nooks and swooning over live jazz and blues musicians every Thursday night, alongside DJ sets on the weekend. They even offer bottomless brunches here too, complete with buttermilk chicken, halloumi or classic beef burgers.

• Why we recommend: there's all sorts to keep you entertained here, from live music to cocktail classes and basement DJ sets - and there's even outdoor space that's great for summer
• Location: 14 Tariff Street, M1 2FF
• Best for: cocktail classes, DJ sets

One for the dram lovers amongst us, this Tariff Street spot is whipping up all manner of heady concoctions, spread across two floors in a Grade II-listed building. Fronting some moody lighting, live entertainment, cocktail classes and even a terrace for barbecue grub come summer, there's plenty to sink your teeth into at The Whiskey Jar. Fancy a boogie? Head downstairs to their basement bar for DJ sets and disco balls galore.

• Why we recommend: for a night out packed full of free entertainment, this German-style beer hall always delivers. You can even push a button to have prosecco delivered to your table
• Location: 27 Peter Street, M2 5QR
• Best for: cabaret, live music, German beer

Albert's Schloss Manchester offers the finest tankards of beer from across Europe, Bavarian-inspired Cook Haus cuisine, and live performances every night of the week. It also has a killer cocktail menu and "push for prosecco" buttons at every table. What more could you want?

• Why we recommend: there's live music going on every single night at this iconic venue, and they've hosted some pretty big names in the past, so you could be discovering the next music sensation here
• Location: No. 26 Oldham Street, M1 1JN
• Best for: nightly live music

This popular live music venue is pumping out the tunes until 2am Monday to Saturday, with performances every single night of the week. They've hosted everyone from Jessie J to The Manic Street Preachers in the past, so there's something for everyone to enjoy while sipping on a cracking choice of beer and craft ales. And if you swing by in the daytime? Expect a traditional pub atmosphere with delicious pizzas to top it all off.

• Why we recommend: you can always find something big going on here, with two stages in one venue and a whole load of cracking food and drink on offer
• Location: 38 Charles Street, M1 7DB
• Best for: popular gigs, street food

If its live music and alfresco drinking sessions you're after, check out what the folks at YES on Charles Street are up to. Expect some of the hottest global artists performing live across the iconic pink gig room and cool basement stage, with past names including Wings of Desire, Yard Act, Giles Peterson and Ghoulish.

You'll also find quirky art exhibitions, pop-up screenings and plenty more on the suntrap terrace space. As for refreshments, enjoy affordable pints and classic cocktails galore, as well as street food from We Can Be Gyros or Pepperoni Playboy Pizza.

• Why we recommend: there's a weekly lineup of entertainment to be discovered here, a lot of it for free, and nowhere does Southern US food better in the area
• Location: 13 Quay Street, M3 3HN
• Best for: blues and jazz music, US-style food and drink

From bourbon-laced cocktails and classic concoctions to a choice of live jazz music or DJs, Blues Kitchen is bringing a taste of America's deep south to Manchester. You can also pair your drinks with low 'n' slow cooked meat or juicy burgers. As for fun events, check out their RnB and Afrobeats nights every Friday or the hip hop orchestra brunch come Saturday, both of which promise non-stop bangers while you party.

• Why we recommend: these guys are all about rock 'n' roll, with a jam-packed lineup of entertainment and quality cocktails or beer on the cards
• Location: 27 Blossom Street, M4 6AJ
• Best for: rock music, comfort food

A firm choice for live music, Jimmy's has got rock 'n' roll running through its veins. Band posters decorate walls, there's knickknacks collected from touring artists, and a long list of acts taking to the stage. The support? Great beer, classic cocktails and comfort food, including crispy fried chicken burgers, fish finger butties or loaded fries, with bottomless brunches available every Saturday too.

• Why we recommend: the best of its kind in the area, Bunny Jackson's Juke Joint promises a regular schedule of Southern US-inspired music and eats
• Location: Jack Rosenthal Street, M15 4FN
• Best for: American vibes, live music

From the same minds behind Crazy Pedro's, Bunny Jackson's is a hopping and rockin' live music bar. Billed as Manchester's greatest 'juke joint', it plays hit after hit, as well as having Americana vibes in the menu and interiors. Tuck into hotdogs, chicken wings and Southern-style burgers here, accompanied by a cracking selection of bourbons and whiskies.