Night & Day

I’m a little stuck in 2 minds about my review of Night and Day as I’ve had 2 completely different experiences here so I’ve had to go with the average (which should be 2.5 stars).
As a music venue I had an absolutely great time. Up and coming bands being made readily accessible with cheap entrance fees and decent music pumped out on the stereo when there’s no one up on stage. Some of the bands who have played here have gone on to be massive so you could well catch the next big thing here in a tiny room.
Sadly this was all let down on my last visit when I was slightly delicate on a Sunday afternoon and needed to grab some food before the train. I tried to order some food but was told that they were only serving the breakfast menu. This would have been fair enough if it meant that they were going to be churning out plate after plate of tasty breakfast food. What I was actually served was quite possibly the worst breakfast I have ever paid for. £6.50 for one slice of toast, 2 overcooked poached eggs, some terrible boiled ham (I’m loathe to call it bacon) and some split hollandaise is not a great deal. I’d love to say that the other guys I was with had a much better experience but sadly not.
If you are after an evening of entertainment definitely check this place out but just make sure that you’ve eaten beforehand!

I have spent many evening at Night & Day and it’s is a excellent bar and venue. Drinks are reasonably priced, the bar staff are really friendly and when there isn’t a live band playing on stage, you can hear bands such as The Smiths, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Bloc Party.

Never had a bad night in here. Seen some good bands, mainly people I know friends etc. Always a good atmosphere and never had or seen any trouble, and I’ve been going in on and of for the last 25 years… I feel old now!!!
The beer is decent and not overpriced from what I remember.
Glad it’s still open after the threat of being closed down.
I would recommend this place to anyone.

Excellent venue for live music. Two local bands supporting main band who were from Coventry. Apparently.
No food served after six but plenty of places nearby.
Very central, just round from Piccadilly Square; across the road from a brilliant Record Shop, Piccadillys; close to an interesting looking Oxfam book and music shop.
So that’s tomorrow sorted.

Our lunch today was a frustratingly inconsistent experience. Some of our food was succulent and delicious, and some was badly cooked and unpleasant to eat. On one hand, the portions were generous, the breakfast sausage was delicious, and the pancetta-​wrapped chicken breast in coconut curry was 7 bites of heaven. On the other hand, the bacon was unpleasantly cold, the poached eggs arrived with hard yolks, and the roast potatoes tasted like an uncleaned griddle or deep fryer. Also, who pairs coconut curry with a side of unseasoned ratatouille (advertised as crispy roast veg)? I was there for lunch and didn’t have time to send my food back, but they also didn’t check in to see if everything was OK, and I had to pay up front so asking anything to be taken off our bill would have involved making a major fuss. They clearly use good quality, flavoursome ingredients, but I doubt I’ll be back soon. When I eventually return here, it will probably be for one of the £5 sandwiches, to partake in the delicious side of things while avoiding the inconsistent cooking pitfalls.

Another great Manchester music venue, and one of its oldest and most beloved. I wouldn’t say there’s anything that sets it apart from other places in the city, apart from its illustrious history, but the sound system was up to the challenge of Kyla La Grange’s stunning vocals and they have excellent cider on tap. It’s unfortunate the loos are behind the stage but the crowd was very friendly and polite and considering it’s a long narrow space there’s still good views.

This is the bar that Elbow and Jonny Marr (among other indie greats) have been campaigning to keep open because some bloke who lives a few doors down has been complaining to the council about the noise levels. How about NOT moving into one of Manchester’s most bustling neighbourhoods?!! Pah, anyway, the fact that the likes of Guy Garvey and Marr are fans of Night & Day made it all the more exciting when we stumbled across it for the first time, early on a Saturday evening.
Although emanating more of cool coffee shop vibe during daylight hours, you can see just by looking around the interior that things get a bit wild of an evening. With a Cobain painting above the bar, a knackered old piano on your way to the toilets, a stage set for live music and a DJ booth, this is without doubt the venue of choice for Manchester’s up and coming musicians and musos alike.
Drinks are reasonably priced, the bar staff are really friendly and when there isn’t a live band thrashing about on stage, you can hear the likes of The Smiths, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Bloc Party coming through the speakers behind the bar. One of the reasons I’ve moved to Manchester is to seek out quirky little places like this, so… jackpot! I will definitely be going back to see what happens after dark…
Watch this space!

I can’t say anything for the food (haven’t tried any), and the drinks on offer are a standard affair, but for gigs the Night & Day is legendary.
The venue is a little sweatbox.
It’s rough around the edges.
It’s no frills with merch sold on a table by the drafty door.
The toilets could be in better condition.
The piano in the corner doesn’t work and has probably had hundreds of pints poured down it.
But all this is what small venues should be about! It feels like a bar that’s had a far few brawls in its day, but now is full of lovely friendly people.
Being pretty much a corridor means that people are packed in nice and tight. Uncomfortable for some, but it creates a great atmosphere. The stage is quite low, and there is nothing between the band and the audience other than mic stands and monitors, creating a very intimate feel. Having seen numerous bands here (Seafood, Bastille, Noisetttes, Slow Club, Two Gallants, Broken Records… the list goes on), i can safely say that no venue of a similar size can quite match the sing-​alongs of the N&D. If you’re into dancing around, then the crowd might be too packed for your tastes, but there’s no pleasing everyone!
If I’m allowed to get all nostalgic: Fondest memory of the N&D for me was seeing No Age there at the In The City festival. As people bought festival tickets for all the venues, the venue was packed to the rafters (probably beyond capacity…). The atmosphere was electric.
Due to it being long and thin, it’s definitely worth arriving in time to get a place up the front. Can’t imagine anyone enjoying a gig by the back of the bar!

Cool place, not too pricey, live music What more do you want !?

Night & Day was the location of my Saturday night; my mum & dad travelled up to see some live music and, although my mum kept talking about the «seedy doorway» look, I think they were converted in the end. Shamefully, I had never been, so I suppose I have my dad and his taste in music to thank for this visitation.
The venue is small and sweaty, but this seems to be what I like at the moment. The atmosphere was great and the crowd (all being roughly over 40) were great — who wants to be shoved around? Let’s get some manners back in our society because events are always so much nicer when people aren’t pushing and shoving and claiming their space. I can imagine it being really nice for a quick drink on your way into the Northern Quarter and, by the sounds of the other reviews, the food sounds like it’s worth a try!
Relaxed place, great acoustics, smelly toilets; everything you need from a live music venue.

Night & Day Café is legendary in this here city. I’m surprised that that a residential application at the Manchester universities doesn’t come with a contract to sign promising you’ll visit. And, visit you should. Not only will you catch some of the best live talent in Manchester, you can be safe in the knowledge that Mancunian stalwarts Oasis played one of their first shows here and the place has seen a ton of great bands over the years.
You can’t deny that only a very special venue would happily host both unsigned university acts and the Arctic Monkeys. Wow. A lot of bands come here and then scale incredible music industry heights, for example The Gossip, who I caught here with a group of my friends back when they were still a cult band only the gay community really knew about. It’s a small, intimate venue, thus making gigs like this all the more electric and exciting. Yes, I was inches away from a very energetic Beth Ditto. God, she can wail (as they say on Wayne’s World).
There’s such a great buzz about this place. It’s in practically the perfect location, surrounded by the Northern Quarter’s premier music stores like Piccadilly Records and Vinyl Exchange. It began, believe it or not, as a fish and chip restaurant in 1991. By day it’s a friendly café where you can hang out and munch on a range of yummy food, reading a book or chewing the fat with friends, and you’ll feel warm and welcome. Many reviewers have mentioned its shabby chic vibe and I’m happy to agree with them, it really adds charm to the venue. My, I sat next to a bicycle with tennis balls on its spokes once. It’s true! I don’t really know why it was there, but I liked it all the same.
And it only makes sense that a city with such a famous and well-​renowned music scene has a famous and well-​renowned music venue to match. Come on, you’re not a proper Manchester resident until you’ve been here. And you never know, you could catch the next big thing in music on that stage.

Whenever I hear a band I like will be playing Night & Day I get very excited. The intimate surroundings make it absolutely ideal for live gigs; no matter where you stand in Night & Day if you’re inside the door you will be able to see the whites of the band’s eyes. The band is so close to the audience that they are forced to react to their presence and to the feeling of the crowd, and it can make for intense or exuberant shows (not to mention that, to get to the stage, the performers usually have to walk in and then back out through the crowd). Seeing US indie group Manchester Orchestra here took on an almost religious tenor complete with lingering organ chords and the hushed audience singing like a church congregation.
I have been here on occasions when there is no live act playing and found it to be a decent place for a pint and a catch-​up in cool environs (wooden clad frontage; red walls pinned with posters advertising upcoming gigs; the glass mosaic chandeliers) but it is really when music is being played live that Night & Day really leaps into fizzing, crackling life.

I have only ever visited Night and Day mid-​morning, so I can only comment on the day part. From what I experienced on that cold morning, I can wager that the rest of the day will be just as good. I stumbled into Night and Day after agreeing to meet a friend there (I had walked right past it and not noticed it at all), seeking refuge from the snow, and was greeted by what is a fairly unassuming venue. Night and Day is not sleek — or chic. Night and Day is plain at best, but in its normality, it exudes personality. The waiting staff are wonderfully friendly and the entire venue as a friendly, warm atmosphere, which certainly helped us feel at home.
Not only was the atmosphere great, so was the food! My friend and I both ordered Full English Breakfasts, and they were really fantastic. Great quality and at a very reasonable price of only about £4. We sat and delightedly munched our way through the enormous plateful, and then were happily allowed to sit and chat for a few hours, with no pressure from the staff to move on at all. The venue could do with a bit of work in terms of comfier seating and better loos, but as it is at the moment, it is a really great place to relax.
The venue schedules a great range of live music events and it is definitely worth checking out the schedule online at their website.

You know how some cafes and bars, you can just sit and eat and drink and hang out for hours on end, progressing from lunch to coffee to a light dinner, then booze, and you step outside and realise that somehow, 6 hours have. Well, Night & Day is one of these places. You ‘pop in’ for a quick sandwich, and you emerge, squffily peering at the sky, wondering why it’s dark. Maybe that’s why they call it Night & Day…
The food at N&D isn’t fabulous Michelin-​starred fare, but it is tasty. Yes, the service is slow and you might, at busier times, have to go back up to the bar and ask «where is my food?» but it just adds to the general laid-​back feel that permeates N&D. Foodwise, there’s always a great range of sandwiches, and the soup of the day is usually pretty tasty, though occasionally on the salty side. My personal fave is the burger, served with chunky chips and a nice salad for around £5.
In terms of booze, N&D have pretty much everything you might want; a good range of bottled and draft beers, decent wine and a great array of spirits. The G&Ts here are particularly good, even when it’s gig time and they’re served in a plastic cup.
Music-​wise, expect to be listening to Belle & Seb, Animal Collective and the like during the day, with a pretty much –anything-​goes policy at night. Gigs here are great, and past gig nights have seen N&D play host to, well, most good bands. It’s always good to check out the gig listings, as the likelihood is that most of the bands that play here will either sink into obscurity, or their next gig will be highly expensive and sold out.
By far one of my favourite places to hang out, night or day.

Am I the only one who doesn’t rate this place that much? I think it’s a nice set-​up and sound, and certainly an attractive atmosphere, but it’s definitely not a gift from the heavens.
I suppose part of the problem could be I’m not really into the sort of music that plays here, but also it’s because it’s way, way too expensive. £6 to see a bunch of unsigned acts? I’d understand if they were all brilliant, but every time I’ve been at least half have just stood on stage playing one boring chord-​filled wonder after another, with little to no charisma. And the bar is overpriced as well, considering a lot of the punters are going to be students.
I’d like to think I’m wrong, and that I just picked odd nights, but the signs aren’t adding up so far.

Considered the must-​play Manchester music venue for up and coming bands across the country, Night and Day has earned its amazing reputation by just being, well, incredibly and completely cool.
By not pandering to the allure of drinks promotions and trashy nights to pack in the punters, and by having promoters that really care about the bands that play, Night and Day is a prestigious venue even in the face of stiff competition from the newly emerging Deaf Institute.
It’s a great place to stop by and get a burger and a drink at lunch time, sit in a shabby booth and watch the world go by. The bar has a really interesting selection of drinks too so it’s always a good place to get going if lunch turns into an afternoon session.
The last time I came here was to see a lunchtime showcase during the In The City festival. It was a bit quiet attendance wise, but it meant that we could sit at the tables in front of the stage and really enjoy the bands, who were mostly acoustic based so the whole thing was perfect.
This venue is full of character and cool. Pay it a visit and become a fan for life.

Night & Day looks and feels like the kind of bar Tom Waits would stumble into when he was writing seminal albums like Small Change. There’s a flickering sign in the gold window, a long bar where you can order shots and bottles of beer and bartenders that treat you like a long lost friend (until your money runs dry!).
As well as being one of the city’s most alluring dive bars and we’re talking grubby and run down rather than boho chic, Night & Day is also one of Manchester’s best music venues with live bands playing five or six nights a week. Admittedly, the sound isn’t as good as the Academy or The Deaf Institute but the great atmosphere, promising local bands and established underground bands make it a must visit.
When I was music editor at City Life magazine many moons ago, there were so many great gigs at Night & Day — from Goldfrapp, Add N To (X) and The Gossip to Elbow — that I was tempted to move in!

This place is a great hang out. I love the effortless shabby chic interior. I feel like I am sitting in a warehouse in HeartBreak high every time I visit. Last time I went I ordered pitta hummus and olives from the bar menu (£2.99) and a large pear cider… followed by a scrumptious chocolate cake. The best thing about this place is that it supports local artists and in doing so it has created a great atmosphere. The place is buzzing and the staff are really friendly.
Unlike a lot of bars in the Northern Quarter that have put up there prices due to the recent popularity of the area this place has remained fairly cheap. Get down to Night and Day for a great café during the day and live music and fun at night. Does what it says on the tin!

The Night and Day Café is one of those places that people love to talk about. And its true, you always feel like you don’t spend enough time there, like this is the kind of place you would own if you could.
It’s on Oldham Street, slap bang between shops selling records and shops selling vintage dresses. So you’ve got your gig research plus your gig outfit right there, heaven.
The staff are friendly — even the staff on their Box Office phone line are, like, super duper friendly and you never expect that. I phoned once to check if a band were playing because one website said yes, the other no and the guy told me he’d make sure that the unofficial rubbish was taken down straight away.
It is clear that the organisers have a great collective ear for new music. Many bands that have played the Night and Day have gone on to conquer the country. They booked Speech Debelle to play this week long before the words ‘Mercury’ and ‘Prize’ crossed her path, for instance. I’m looking forward to Everything Everything and their John Peel Day.

I love the Night & Day café!
Situated on shabby chic Oldham st, it is a big and battered all-​day hangout that has the character of a New York night spot.
It is the type of place where you can turn up for coffee and newspapers early on, move onto cold drinks as it gets dark enough to be acceptable, stick around for a live band later in the evening then move onto an unexpected jaunt around the boho Northern Quarter afterwards.
I’ve just convinced myself, I’m off there right now!