Prohibition

Strangely, as its just off Deansgate, this place is a bit of a hidden gem Many people I talk to haven’t heard of it and only know of its existence when I recommend it. One of my favourite bars in Manchester, good value for money and a great atmosphere. Also organised a corporate do here (140 people) and it went down really well.

I’ve only been to Prohibition twice, but I’ve really enjoyed both visits. While the name implies it should be a speakeasy vibe inside, the size of the bar alone negates this concept. That being said, their ‘mixologists’ are absolutely fabulous.
The menu of cocktails may leave something to be desired– as mentioned in previous posts– the standard Tom Colins and a twist on a Mint Julip aren’t exactly all that appealing. If you are more adventurous, however, and you ask the mixologist to create something for you on the spot– they are more than happy to do so. Simply say «i’d like something fruity and strong, but easily drinkable» and voila! You’re downing a cocktail that tastes absolutely heavenly, and probably not on the menu.
Bars similar to Prohibition are popping up a lot more in America now, and I can say that most of them are not as nice.

Tucked between House of Fraser and the main Deansgate drag this cocktail bar has pretentions of speakeasy, with a menu that is seemingly as interested in informing you of the history of mixed drinks as it is in telling you which ones are actually available.
Thankfully Prohibition lives up to the eighty plus years worth of big-​talking preamble with some of the finest cocktail offerings Manchester has to offer. Their Tom Collins is easily the best I have had the pleasure to sip, the Cosmopolitan is wonderful (the same pink as it always is on the television) and the vesper would leave James Bond a little shaken and stirred.
The décor is dark, understated (aside from the strangely high number of candelabras positioned about the place) and the barstaff are warm, friendly and most importantly skilled in cocktail engineering. The only let down is the music which can sometimes be strangely absent, as if the bar staff have forgotten to change CDs (which is very probably what actually happens).

I used to come here 6 years ago and it was AMAZING! Great doormen, no queues, fantastic DJ albeit crap sound system but nobody cared. Prohibition used to be THE city centre spot which kicked off a top Saturday night and it was an unspoken rule: Prohibition, Living Room, Sugar Lounge, Circle — no arrangements necessary.
Oh how things have changed!- my Mum and Dad were always saying this phrase throughout my childhood– and «things aren’t like they used to be». After visiting Prohibition recently I am starting to sound like my parents. It has changed and not for the better. Despite outliving many of its peers, maybe this long established venue should have retired long ago. Door staff are still friendly, queues are still small but here is where the similarity with its bygone self ends. The easy entry was the highlight of the evening; Prohibition is way too dark bordering on gloomy and the Victoriana décor just looks odd and far removed from the desired Gothic chic look I think the interior designer intended.
Way too many people had been let in (and I arrived early) and this was compounded by a lack of bar staff for the thirsty throng. When I did eventually get served, the price of the drinks was over-​inflated for this type of venue. Glasses were poured half full and the presentation of my G&T left a lot to be desired– call me crazy, but I like ice and a slice of lemon in mine, is this too much to ask for?
It was a young crowd, VERY young. I mean, check the I. D sort of place where revellers were keeping their beedy eyes on the door in case Mummy or Daddy walked in. These children were far too young to appreciate any sophistication but maybe they were in the right place as there wasn’t any elegance in sight. This is a small bar which moonlights as a club at the weekend. I will only be returning here on a quiet Sunday afternoon for a coffee. Now I sound EXACTLY like my parents!!!

I really like this place. Prohibition is located nicely out of the way on St Mary’s St. It feels quite different to the normal Deansgate bars, and seems to catch a slightly smaller crowd somehow. I’ve only ever been on a Saturday evening, and every single time I’ve managed to bag a seat. It’s great early evenings as it does some fantastic happy hour cocktail deals so it’s a great place to start your night out. The black, gothic-​style décor is fab too.

A few years ago, in Berlin, we stumbled across a bar whose concept is entirely based upon the Prohibition era. Gawwwd, it was good. It was sleek but dirty. The drinks were strong and cheap, and the DJ played about the twiddliest techno I have ever danced to. Lord help me, I cannot remember the name, though I think it might have been somewhere around Kreuzberg…
Anyway, when I heard that there was a bar in Manchester called Prohibition, I instantly thought «JOY! We can recreate the wonder of that night in Berlin!» Ohhh, how wrong I was.
Prohibition ain’t that good, to be honest. It’s just another Deansgate bar. So, you’ve got your designer light fittings, your velvet couches, your smokey mirrors and sexy glossy surfaces. You’ve got allllll of that, but where’s the soul? Where’s the heart? Prohibition is just another sad example of Deansgate’s style-​over-​substance ethos when it comes to bars.
The drinks are alright, with an extensive selection of retro cocktails such as juleps and Tom Collinses, all for around £6. The wines are similarly reasonably priced, starting at £13 a bottle for a drinkable red. The thing is, and I know I’m being harsh, I feel like the drinks could be twice as good, and I still wouldn’t fancy coming back here. It’s just a bit… dead. What’s the point in having a nice glass of Syrah, when you’re bored and there’s no ambience?
When will the managers of these bars learn that they’re stifling their bars’ potential with overdesign of a simple concept? If they want to really channel the Prohibition era, they need to chuck out those tacky velvet couches and take a leaf out of Berlin’s book.

Hmm. There are a few things that I should be prohibited in this bar. For one, the DJ that played here last night. His completely inappropriate handbag house didn’t get one person shaking their booty. So he changed it up a little around 11pm. Great, chart R&B, that’ll do it. This place had half emptied out within 30 minutes of us arriving.
I can see how the designers of this bar tried hard to achieve the american speakeasy style (hence its namesake) but somehow falls short of the distinction; unfortunately there’s such a fine line between decadence and tacky and it could just be down to that extra chandelier and crushed velvet couch. The bar seems to be well stocked, although I can’t say I tried any cocktails from the mixologists as I didn’t want to stay for round two.
What I can’t understand is how the managers of these kind of bars can underestimate how important it is to set the scene for the clientele. It just seems like they’re trying too hard. If it’s decadence you are trying to achieve, believe it or not sometimes less is more.

This place is far too pretentious with its name and its décor and their ‘highly trained mixoligists’-otherwise known as… barmen.
One thing I will give a big pat on the pack for is Prohibitions ‘Fall in love in 15 minutes’ an acoustic night where local artists have 15 minutes to showcase their talent and get you to fall in love with their sound. I am a sucker for acoustic nights, and new talent… you got me Prohibition you got me!

Two things and nothing more.
One. Calling a bar Prohibition isn’t funny, isn’t ironic, isn’t clever– its just plain stupid. It’s like calling your hotel ‘No Beds’ or your bakery ‘We Fucking Hate Cakes’, and it’s just going to make people feel cheated and used when they find out it was all a big fat joke.
Two. You can’t claim to be cool through some kind of name dropping osmosis. Going on about how bands like Oasis, The Stone Roses, Elbow and The Smiths are quite good and from Manchester and then going ‘oh yeah, and have you been to Prohibition? That’s in Manchester too’ is just lazy.
Going off Prohibition’s efforts at marketing, should you make the effort of going along one Friday, you can expect to have the piss taken out of you then not get your drinks until half an hour after you’ve ordered them.
I’m annoyed.

This bar is located next to the famous Gaucho Grill in the Deansgate area of Manchester. I’d consider it more of a high brow sort of place, as it has steered clear of your bog standard beers in favour of more imported versions such as Peroni and it’s main forte is the cocktail. As such it’s quite expensive.
I’ve only ever been here at night, and the décor has always struck me as kind of gothic. Very dark, candles (fake or otherwise) and the curtains are always drawn. Not that makes it gothic or anything. Being in there i kind of felt as though i’d been duped into a vampire feeding frenzy, and any moment Blade would smash his way in and save the day. It never happened.
The music ranges from in house DJs to hip, retro tunes blasting loudly out of the speakers. There all occasional stand-​up comedians performing as well. It’s not exactly a place to go for a good boogie, as there’s not much space, but that doesn’t stop the ardent dancer or drunkard. Those guys can dance anywhere. And it’s a bit too loud for a conversation. So just stand and bob your head and try to look cool like everyone else does.
If you’re not exactly flush with cash, i might recommend making your visit a little brief. Otherwise it may hurt.

Prohibition is based on St Mary’s street in Central Manchester. I am not sure how long Prohibition has been in Manchester but it looks fairly new and popular. I went to Prohibition back in September for a friend 30^th birthday and it was a really good night. I had never been before and I heard it was the sister bar for Living room so I imagined it to be quite impressive. Thankfully I was impressed, Prohibition is a cocktail bar as well as a restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the food is not to overly priced and they offer a very nice menu, the food did take a little while to arrive but we were in party of 8. I was also surprised to see that drinks were reasonably prices, there were a few draft lagers on special offer, I think there were about £2, they also offered a wide variety of cocktails that were a little more expensive but the girls at our table that ordered them really enjoyed them.
We went on a friday night and we did reserve as we were advised to when we called and enquired, I think it was just as well we did as they bar and restaurant was packed. The interior was really nice and very eye catching, the staff were very polite and well mannered. There was quite a lot of people there out for a meal and then heading out to town for the night. There was also quite a few people that just popped in for some drinks. If you are in town on a weekend I would pop in for a drink, I think it closes quite early sometimes at about midnight, it later on a weekend.