A
glass triangular prism sits on the pavement outside the Armani store
on Deansgate. It’s hardly noticeable during the day, but at night
the light emanating from underneath it, and the door staff, isolated
from colleagues at any other nearby bar, draw a lot of attention. To
read the bar’s name, you’ve got to walk right up to the door
staff, to check the pale white lettering printed in a slender font on
the glass.
I went
on Bank Holiday Sunday. In front of me, a group of
twenty-something-year-old lads were being stopped by security.
I told
the doorman I was going to meet a girl. He let me in, past the
exasperated group and down the long, under-lit staircase to the bar
area where the bar staff were mixing cocktails over Bunsen burners. I
met my date near the DJ booth, where deep house pulsed from an
immense touch-screen glass mixing station. It’s worth going to see
that alone. (But of course, my date was better to look at.) The
painted brick walls and iron ceiling offered good reverb, and looks a
lot better than I’m making it sound. Before long we were smashed on
“Love You Long Time” cocktails and the supplies from their
(incredibly tall) back-bar.
The
toilets, normally the downfall of many a “classy” bar, were on
top form: clean, with soap and moisturiser dispensers and Dyson
Airblade hand-dryers. On the way back to the bar, I noticed the
walkway passes not only the restaurant’s dining room but the
kitchen, and you can stop to watch the chefs frying up behind the
darkened glass.
A
rough guide for a night out: check this bar out, then head into
Spinningfields for venues of the
same class. But beforehand, just keep your group small, load up your
wallet and dress to impress.
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