I’m a huge foodie and enjoy nothing better than sitting down with friends over an amazing meal and some quality drinks. I wouldn’t think twice about dropping a fair wad of cash on a meal out if I’d enjoyed it so when I discover a place that serves good food and even better drinks with a pricelist that won’t make your purse recoil in horror then we’re on to a serious winner.
This is exactly what you’ll find at The Alchemist in Manchester – a painfully cool bar in the centre of the city with a mesmerising cocktail list and a massive serving of style. I visited with the boyf for an evening of drinking after spotting the cocktail list online and we certainly weren’t disappointed. We ordered food from the brilliantly priced menu – Baked Halloumi with Beetroot Relish (£4) and two giant helpings of Cajun Chicken Fajitas (£12 each) – and it was delicious. Exactly what we wanted and needed to set us up for a night of cocktail tasting in the painfully cool, shabby chic interiors of the bar.
The cocktail list is huge with most ringing in at around £7-8 a go, incredible. I’ve tasted a lot of cocktails in my time and I like to think I can tell a well-mixed concoction to an amateur, usually with the latter coming in at a lot more than £7 so I was overwhelmed by the quality of the drinks served to us at The Alchemist making it very difficult to leave! I started with a Rose cocktail called ‘Flower Sour’ which was right up my street and Joe ordered a Lagarita which I’m pleased to report delivered on taste as well as kitschy-ness! Next round we tried one of the sharing cocktails (which is normally against my beliefs) but I just couldn’t resist the sound of this – The Mad Hatters Tea Party. We were amazed as a giant Bunsen Burner filled with fresh fruit was lit in front of us on the table and left to bubble.
5 minutes later our waiter turned up with two adorable vintage tea cups filled with dry ice to pour our cocktails into which created a real show filling the table with smoke and turning heads all through the bar. The cocktail itself was absolutely delicious, fruity and sharp, I really had to resist ordering another round of these just for another go with the smoke! The next couple of rounds were a mix of classic and experimental cocktails for the alchemist bar with the boyfriend ordering this impressive whisky based cocktail served smoking in a giant bald eagle – standard.
Our experience at The Alchemist Manchester was amazing and I can’t wait to visit again. Definitely one to check out the next time you’re in Manchester – just make sure you’re not driving, you really don’t want to miss out on these bad boys!
xax