Entertainment in Northwest England
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Sankey's
If you're a fan of techno, electro or any kind of nonmainstream house music, then a pilgrimage to Manchester's best nightclub should on no account be missed. Sankey's has earned itself legendary status for being at the vanguard of dance music (Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk and others got their start here) and its commitment to top-class DJs is unwavering: these days, you'll hear the likes of Timo Maas, Seb Leger and Thomas Schumacher mix it up with the absolutely superb residents. Choon! The best way to get here is to board the free Disco Bus that picks up at locations throughout the city from 10.30pm to 2am Friday and Saturday, and between 10.10pm and 1am the rest of the …
reviewed
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Masquerade Bar
There's no discernible gay quarter in Liverpool, with most of the gay-friendly clubs and bars spread about Dale St and Victoria St in Ropewalks. The Masquerade Bar attracts a real mix of gays, lesbians and bi's looking for a few laughs and a sing-song.
reviewed
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FAC 251: The Factory
Tony Wilson's legendary Factory Records label HQ has been converted into a brand new club and live-music venue part-owned by Peter Hook, ex-bass player of Joy Division and New Order. The club nights have a pretty broad appeal, from Monday's Hit & Run (drum 'n' bass, hip hop and dubstep) to Stoned Love on Saturday, which features the music of the ribald days of the late '80s and early '90s. Ex–Stone Roses bass player Mani is on the decks for Wednesday's Fuel.
reviewed
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Barfly
This converted theatre is home to our favourite club in town. The fortnightly Saturday Chibuku Shake Shake (www.chibuku.com) is one of the best club nights in all of England, led by a mix of superb DJs including Yousef (formerly of Cream) and superstars such as Dmitri from Paris and Gilles Peterson. The music ranges from hip-hop to deep house - if you're in town, get in line. Other nights feature a superb mixed bag of music, from trash to techno.
reviewed
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Baby Cream
This supertrendy bar, run by the same crowd that created Liverpool's now-defunct-but-still-legendary Cream nightclub, is gorgeous and pretentious in almost equal measure. One pretty cool feature, though, is Creamselector - a set of touch screens where you can make your own compilation CD from a databank of more than 4000 tracks (for a price) - it's like taking a piece of the famous nightclub home with you.
reviewed
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Philharmonic
This extraordinary bar, designed by the shipwrights who built the Lusitania, is one of the most beautiful bars in all of England. The interior is resplendent with etched and stained glass, wrought iron, mosaics and ceramic tiling - and if you think that's good, just wait until you see inside the marble men's toilets, the only heritage-listed lav in the country.
reviewed
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Magnet
Red leather booths, plenty of velvet and a suitably seedy New York-dive atmosphere where Iggy Pop or Tom Waits would feel right at home. The upstairs bar is very cool but totally chilled out, while downstairs the dancefloor shakes to the best music in town, spun by up-and-comers and supported with guest slots by some of England's most established DJ names.
reviewed
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Albion
No children, no music, and no machines or big screens (but plenty of Union Jacks). This 'family hostile' Edwardian classic pub is a throwback to a time when ale-drinking still had its own rituals - another word for ingrained prejudices. Still, this is one of the finest pubs in northwest England precisely because it doggedly refuses to modernise.
reviewed
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Old Wellington Inn
The Old Wellington Inn, one of the oldest buildings in the city, was severely damaged twice by bombing, in 1940 and then in 1996, but this irrepressible Tudor pub still manages to stay on its feet. It's a Manchester institution and a lovely spot for a pint of genuine ale, particularly when it's sunny outside.
reviewed
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Britons Protection
Whisky – 200 different kinds of it – is the beverage of choice at this liver-threatening, proper English pub that also does Tudor-style meals (boar, venison and the like; mains £8). An old-fashioned boozer with open fires in the back rooms, a cosy atmosphere…perfect on a cold evening.
reviewed
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Dukes 92
Castlefield's best pub, housed in converted stables that once belonged to the duke of Bridgewater, has comfy, deep sofas inside and plenty of seating outside, overlooking lock 92 of the Rochdale Canal - hence the name. If it's sunny, there's no better spot to enjoy a pint of ale.
reviewed
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Blue Bar
You don't need a premiership contract to guarantee entry anymore, which means that mere mortals can finally enjoy the relaxed ambience of this elegant waterside lounge. So where have all the footballers gone? Downstairs, to the far more glam Baby Blue, a private members' bar.
reviewed
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G-Bar
There's no discernible gay quarter in Liverpool, with most of the gay-friendly clubs and bars spread about Dale St and Victoria St in Ropewalks. G-Bar, in a small lane off Dale St behind Metrolink, is the city's premier gay bar, even though it attracts a mixed crowd.
reviewed
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Temple
This tiny basement bar with a capacity of about 30 has a great jukebox and a fine selection of spirits, all crammed into a converted public toilet. If you want to get up close and personal, this is the perfect spot to do it in. Hardly your bog-standard pub.
reviewed
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Music Box
Deep in Jilly's Rockworld complex you'll find our favourite club in town and - judging by the queues - almost everyone else's, too. The punters come for the superb monthly club nights, such as Mr Scruff's Keep it Unreal, as well a host of terrific one-offs.
reviewed
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Bridgewater Hall
The world-renowned Hallé Orchestra has its home at this enormous and impressive concert hall, which hosts up to 250 concerts and events a year. It has a widespread program that includes opera, folk music, children's shows, comedy and contemporary music.
reviewed
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Lass O'Gowrie
A Victorian classic off Princess St that brews its own beer in the basement. It’s a favourite with students, old-timers and a clique of BBC employees who work just across the street in the Beeb’s Manchester HQ. It also does good-value bar meals (£6).
reviewed
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Club V
White leather sofas and club nights with names like Angel Deelite and Venus don't always augur well if you're looking for some really good music, but this little basement club defies all expectations with its devotion to garage and funky house.
reviewed
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Kro Bar
The ice-cool hand of Scandinavian design is all over this terrific bar in the middle of student-land. An excellent bar menu (mains around £7 to around £9) packs the punters in at lunch, while DJs keep it going at night until closing.
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Bar Centro
A Northern Quarter stalwart, very popular with the bohemian crowd precisely because it doesn't try to be. Great beer, nice staff and a better-than-average bar menu (mains £6 to £9) make this one of the choice spots in the area.
reviewed
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Hannah's
One of the top student bars in town. Try to land a table in the outdoor patio, which is covered in the event of rain. Late opening, a friendly, easygoing crowd and some pretty decent music make this one of the better places to get drunk in.
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South
An excellent basement club to kick off the weekend: Friday night is CWord with Strangerways, featuring everything from Ibrahim Ferrer to Northern Soul, and Saturday is the always excellent Disco Rescue with Clint Boon (once of the Inspiral Carpets), which is more of the same eclectic mix of alternative and dance.
reviewed
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Dry Bar
The former HQ of Madchester's maddest protagonists (legend has it Shaun Ryder once pulled a gun on Tony Wilson here), Dry has remained cool long after the scene froze over, and it's still one of the best bars in the Northern Quarter.
reviewed
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Odd
This eclectic little bar – with its oddball furnishings, wacky tunes and anti-establishment crew of customers – is the perfect antidote to the increasingly similar look of so many modern bars. A slice of Mancuniana to be treasured.
reviewed
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Cavern Club
Reconstruction of 'world's most famous club'; good selection of local bands.
reviewed
