One of the hardest situations to handle when you’re newly sober is a night out. And it’s not made any easier when you’re stuck drinking sugary softs for hours like diabetes doesn’t exist.
Thankfully, there are more exciting alcohol-free drinks nowadays than Fanta and sparkling water. And while most Manchester bars offer at least one AF beer, here are ten that go the extra mile.
From the ‘Temperates’ list at Hawksmoor’s bar, to the seven-strong menu of lo-and-no ales, lagers and ciders at Band on the Wall, to the ‘Born Again Porn Star’ at Piccolino Caffe Grande, these places embrace sober-curious socialising and make you feel included in the fun. The only thing you miss out on is the hangover.
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Book Now Manchester City Centre
Atlas Bar
Atlas Bar is known as one of the originals of Manchester’s modern cafe-bar scene. And for its extensive collection of gins – over 570 varieties and counting.
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Book Now Manchester City Centre
Piccolino Caffe Grande Manchester
With its terrace overlooking Albert Square and Manchester Town Hall, and a beautiful interior featuring a 40-seater private dining room, an open kitchen, and an oyster bar, Piccolino Caffé Grande Manchester is a real destination restaurant. (And, notably, it’s one that doesn’t price people out of the experience.)
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Northern Quarter
Band on the Wall
So called because the performers used to play on a stage situated halfway up the wall, Band on the Wall has been a stalwart of the Manchester music scene for about 200 years.
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Manchester City Centre
Dear Sailor
Dear Sailor is a reclusive bar but once inside, it’s no shrinking violet. It’s the sort of place where you could come in for a pre-dinner cocktail and end up dancing on the tables.
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Manchester City Centre
Ducie Street Warehouse
Ducie Street Warehouse is all sorts of things, but one of those things is a restaurant. It’s an all-day affair with everything from classic brunches to late-night cocktails. On the menu you’ll find a good selection of small sharing dishes and large plates – it’s a sociable kind of place. And of course, you’ll also find Ducie Street Warehouse’s signature focaccia flatbreads.
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Ancoats
Finders Keepers
Finders Keepers, a quayside bar at Islington Marina is the perfect sunny day spot. Its thoughtful seasonal cocktails are the main draw with interesting ingredients, such as pear and vanilla ice cream and kumquat, that set them apart from the million Porn Star Martinis doing the rounds.
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Manchester City Centre
Hawksmoor
The first Hawksmoor steakhouse outside of London is a confident affair. Well sourced steak and attention to detail have created a place like no other.
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Rawtenstall
Mr Fitzpatrick’s
Mr Fitzpatrick’s is a venerable institution: Britain’s last temperance bar. If that makes you think of puritanical Victorians, fear not. Mr Fitzpatrick’s is hospitable and homely with feel-good comforts like hot chocolates, huge sundaes and Lancashire cheese pies with beans.
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Manchester City Centre
Schofield’s Bar
Various prestigious best bar gongs have been awarded to Schofield’s Bar since it opened in Quay Street’s iconic Art Deco Sunlight House in 2021. The most recent being the number one spot in the 2024 Top 50 Cocktail Bar list.
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Manchester City Centre
Sexy Fish
Sexy Fish is no mere minnow in the UK dining scene. It’s brought to you by Caprice Holdings, the group behind some of London’s most glam dining spots. Think of it as more of a humongous mermaid – beautiful and ever so slightly improbable.