“What is this place?” 12 quirky bars in Manchester

Described as a ‘debauched cocktail bar’ in the heart of the Northern Quarter, Behind Closed Doors aims to bring ‘sex, rugs & funk ‘n’ soul’ to the people of Manchester.

If you’re over the age of 25, chances are you probably remember visiting a video rental store as a kid. If you miss that regular Saturday night ritual, a visit to Blockbuster NQ will feel like a nostalgic blast from the past.

Described as ‘late night escapism’, The Daisy is a subterranean haven of a cocktail bar in the Northern Quarter. Find it under Evelyn’s.

Dusk Til Pawn isn’t a pawn shop that trades around the clock as its name might suggest, but rather a suave and sophisticated speakeasy under the guise of somewhere you can cash in your unwanted trinkets.

Is it really a drunken night out in Manchester if you don’t (at least consider) heading to Fab Cafe? Or Fab Cafe Bar to use it’s never normally used full name.

Nestled away underneath the Northern Quarter’s infamous Oldham Street, this is a tiny bar with a huge personality.

Return to your youth and relieve the stresses and strains of adult life by whacking baddies Double Dragon-style or jumping gleefully from platform to platform in Bubble Bobble at NQ64. Get your arcade thrills as well as cocktails and craft beer at this underground bar.

From shoot-‘em-ups to pinball, classic platform games and button-bashers, you’ll find them all at NQ64.

On the Hush is a popular Northern Quarter cafe bar, winning awards for its bottomless brunch. Loyal customers and visitors to Manchester love its colourful style, imaginative cocktails and casual all-day food offering.

The Halcyon Project Distillery is a must-visit destination for anyone looking for a unique and immersive cocktail experience in Manchester. Owned by the Zymurgorium Group and run by brothers Aaron and Callum, this bar is located in the heart of the city in the Bonded Warehouse and boasts its own in-house distillery.

If antique glassware and taxidermy squirrels are your thing, this is your kind of drinking den. Hidden above New York-style rum bar Cain & Grain, and behind a door disguised as a stack of crates, you’ll find Science & Industry – an eccentric speakeasy bar.

Finding itself resting in the top 20 of the top 50 cocktail bars in the whole of the UK, Speak In Code makes everything in house and is passionate about flavour exploration, hospitality, oh, and hip hop, which inspires the drinks menu.

Twenty Twenty Two is a Northern Quarter hangout with a difference. It has the metro tiles, basement decor and late night action typical of other bars in the area, but it also has table tennis and other games.

Tucked away on Shudehill is the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it bar, The Washhouse. And, as it’s name suggests, it’s not what you’d typically expect from a place to drink cocktails.

With its disguised entrance and back street location, Wood & Co has the feel of a secret speakeasy only frequented by those in the know. The unmarked door is on South King Street, in between Cross Street and Deansgate. Descend the steps and you’ll find yourself in a tiled, sleek space centred on a marble bar that stretches the length of the room.