Atlas Bar

If your palette requires all gin with everything than Atlas is your spot. While they serve many types of drinks and you can just get beer, this place specialises in gin. It’s main super star is gin and they manage to mix it with different fruits and herbs to elevate the taste. The drinks with gin run from £5−7.50.
The bar is pretty big so it’s great for groups. The front part of the building is surrounded with Windows so it seems like you’re in a fishbowl. The only down side with this place is the location… A bit of a walk from the main Deansgate area, but the trek is well worth it if you like gin!

Whether you are a gin connoisseur or a complete novice, Atlas will have something for you. Boasting 210 gins, the bar never stops to amaze.
The bar staff are great and really know their stuff. Instead of throwing a couple of lime slices into your drink, they take time to craft a mixture of botanicals to really enhance your G&T. A favourite of mine is a sacred gin with fevertree tonic and a few pinches of peppercorns and juniper berries.
If you’re at a loss as to what gin to order, just ask the staff. They will happily let you sniff the various bottles until you find something you like!
Protip, sit outside at the back in summer with a G&T in hand and just watch the world float by.

The Atlas Bar is a great place to visit especially if you enjoy gins. They stock a healthy selection of various gins. This is the place which triggered my urge to try out gin for the 1^st time last year and I’m so glad that I did — it is now one of my go to drinks. The bar can get busy at weekends but I usually visit on Sundays when it is much more laid back. I am yet to try out the food but what I’ve seen definitely looks very tasty so I will definitely be going back to try it out. I recommend a spiced gin with ginger beer… Very refreshing!

Me and my partner have been here a few times and I really like it. I’m usually a vodka drinker but when we first went in atlas the girl was very informative about gin so I thought I would try it and if you have a good gin served well it’s really nice. I didn’t realise how many types of gin there were till I went in atlas. I’m really enjoying a spiced gin with gingerbeer it’s really refreshing I think it’s my new favourite drink. The first time I went it was a lovely summers day and they have a lovely little sun trap out the back it’s got a meditaranian feel it’s so chilled out there you wouldn’t even know you was in manchester. It’s definitely a nice change from Deanshanger locks. The food menu looked good too i would like to try the ploughman’s sharing platter.

Went in Saturday was a nice atmosphere not a bad pint music was a bit loud couldn’t have a conversation without shouting.
Will try again may of just been me

Its been awhile since I have been to Atlas Bar and first time since its refurb. Was only here for a short time for a post-​Teppanyaki drink but it was a nice warm place for a drink.
I like the new «look and feel» of the place and like the big wall feature above the ball with the clocks showing the times around the world.
It was just a quiet Tuesday in January so not many people in the bar so did lack some atmosphere. But I am sure closer to the weekend (and when everyone is fed up with being healthy in January) it will be busier.
Had a quick look at the menu and it sounds good. They do sandwiches, sharing platters, soups and plates like burgers, fried chicken, and Steak and Guinness Pie and smaller dishes like pâté and Pork & apple pie.
As with many places in January, they have some offers on. Its Dine & Drink for £19 for 2 people.

Last night was my first time back in Atlas since moving out of Manchester almost 2 years ago. It was my local bar when i lived on Deansgate and I used to come here for drinks all the time.
It’s been refurbished since and looks lovely inside. It’s underneath the train-​line, nestled in the arches under Deansgate station and has lots of nice features. I particularly like the wall feature above the bar that has clocks showing the time around the world.
There’s a huge bar which is well stocked, particularly with Gin — they specialise in Gins from around the world.
I haven’t eaten here yet — but I had a quick glance at the menu and it seems like a nice place for lunch, so i’ll be adding it to my list of places to try.

I can literally see into Atlas from my flat so I think I could safely call it my local. It is located in the railway arches next to Deansgate train station.
Atlas has been through some ups and owns over the years but the new owners are enthusiastic and keen to get it back to glory. Their menu now features over 90 gins with more coming in by the day. As a fan of gin I love going in to see what new ones they can tempt me with. Any bar with a gin bible is onto a winner for me.
There is a terrace at the rear of the bar which is a real sun trap so perfect for after work drinks if you have missed your train.
There is now a number of DJ sets on Friday and Saturday nights with a new menu to try featuring mezze style plates. I’ve not tried these as yet but have been told they are pretty good. This and Lock 91 keep me sane in the Locks area…

This isn’t one of my favourite places. It’s odd because around 10 years ago it was an ok place to drink. Since The Locks thing happened, it’s expensive prices and dated décor have been joined by chavs galore. It’s better mid week and has a beer garden but it never fails to amaze me how Knott hasn’t suffered the same fate.
It’s ok but there’s just better places to go!

As Nicolas says — the service here leaves a lot to be desired, however… it’s one of the best beer gardens in the City Centre and gets the sun well into the evening — so perfect for after work beers in the summer. It was also well ahead of the gin trend when it reopened in early 2012 (I think) there’s over 30 different types on offer but places such as Whim Wham Café have trumped Atlas in providing a fun and enjoyable place to quaff Mother’s Ruin.

We ended up going after a curry on a Wednesday evening. Very quiet and the staff had no idea what left or right was, bad atmosphere and bad drinks. Soulless and pointless.

Atlas has actually been named one of the world’s best bars. The WORLD. Who decides on these accolades, I wonder? Not that I’m knocking Atlas, I mean, heck, it’s lovely enough and a much-​needed cosy alternative to the almost unbearable sleekness of the Locks, but still. The world? Right opposite Deansgate station’s main entrance, occupying the underside of a railway arch, you’ll find this little watering hole. It acts as a refreshing change from Manchester’s overly clean and clinical bars, with its multicoloured fabric wall panels and its colour scheme of brown, burgundy and grey. Massive armchairs that swallow you and squidgy sofas to collapse onto make it perfect for a lazy afternoon or evening, and the terrace outside is perfect for smokers and the summer months. But at the same time its décor confuses me somewhat, as I expect with the promises of real ale and Pieminister pies, for it to look more… traditional? Maybe that’s just me.
Visit Atlas at weekends and you’ll find DJs spinning a range of funky house and soul, and it does seem to be one of those bars where people are likely to stop off before a night on the town. Because of its location near the locks it can be fairly sparsely populated during weekdays, conversely bursting with revellers on Friday and Saturday nights. And of course, it’s a particular breed who visit the locks so do expect a few bodycon dresses and strappy sandals. Draught drinks are your usual Carlsbergs and Stellas, Guinnesses and Tetleys, but you’ve also got the slightly more exotic likes of Grolsch, Peeterman and Leffe. The wine list is fairly modest, with five choices of red, six white and two roses.
Food-​wise, Atlas veers towards the slightly more adventurous. Typically there are sandwiches but some effort has gone into the mains, with offerings like Moroccan lamb burgers, Basque chicken and even a scrumptious snack of goat’s cheese crumpets. Crumpets and goat’s cheese. They simply have to be two of my favourite things. Putting them together? A work of genius! Now excuse me while I wipe the drool off my keyboard…
Sorry to be graphic. So far, so pleasant. So is there anything missing? …Well, unfortunately, there is. Friendliness. There’s an odd air about Atlas. You know those two shopkeepers in The League of Gentleman who act suspiciously around those who ‘aren’t local’? That’s what the Atlas staff do around presumably people they don’t recognise as regulars or friends. This surprised me, it really did. Considering its location, surely they’d be used to a vastly varied clientele? Not the case it would seem. The first time I ever went in there I was simply asking directions to Castle Quay, and indeed I was looked up and down. This isn’t exactly the greatest of attitudes when it comes to working in an institution which serves the public now, is it?
In conclusion? Similar problem to Dawsons Music. Everything’s pretty, all is in place, what’s on offer is indeed quality, it is simply the attitude that’s the problem. Come on, Atlas staff, you don’t want to end up like Tubbs and Edward now, do you? I’m simply awaiting the day when I walk out after finishing my beverage and unsuccessfully enquiring as to whether the staff have ‘seen my friend’ to hear the barmaid shout at the back of my head, ‘We didn’t burn him!’ *Shivers with fear.*

This is a decent bar with a nice terrace at the rear. great location, right under Deansgate station.

How on earth I’ve missed this little gem out is beyond me. Sometimes something staring you so obviously in the face can be overlooked. This has certainly been the case with Atlas, with me anyway. So many times I have just walked on by. Today however a lunch meeting brought my attentions to the specials on the board.
I found myself in a pickle placing the bar. It was cosy yet formal, a fine mix of all things I like about a bar like this. I love the cosy nature of the Metropolitan, yet I also admire the chique über cool nature of the Obsidians of this world. This it seems is a fine mix of these two pet loves of mine. Whats more my spicy bean burger was delish, and the home made thick cut chips were delightful. The service to top it off was friendly and the staff were extremely pleasant and attentative. I will definitely be bookmarking this place for a meet place with some friends. It has a rich history and has been around for donkeys years, not that it matters too much of course, the place is smoking. I loved it.

What I shall say about Atlas is that Knott bar is across the road. It’s a matter of personal tastes I reckon and Atlas isn’t just to mine. With Deansgate Locks across the road, I’d associate it more with that type of bar.
There’s always food offers on show however. I’m yet to check out the cheffing here because then I’d say my preferences would lead me to Deansgate Locks if desperate. My review is just by comparison with its neighbours now you’re thinking. My response is that Atlas hasn’t got much going for it to render a review on its own merits. Well actually it stands on a very beautiful architectural corner of Manchester city centre.

Looks like Atlas needs to be put back on the map. Get it? Oh, sorry, I liked it.
To make the preceding joke even worse, I’m not even interested in putting Atlas back on any map because I don’t like it that much.
Its alright outside in the summer, but even then I cant see why anyone would choose to go here over two of the greatest bars in Manchester situated just a few paces away. Both Cask and The Knott are absolutely gorgeous, with a much better drinks selection.
Also, I once went in to enquire about a chefs job here, and they were asking me questions as if I should be honoured to work in their kitchen. This I didn’t like.
The drinks are expensive as well, and considering the quality available nearby, I don’t particularly rate this watering hole. An average 3 stars from me.

Back in the nineties, Atlas was one of the coolest bars in Manchester. Despite being located at the far end of Deansgate, it always seemed to be bustling with local deejays and musicians like Elbow, Doves and Badly Drawn Boy. The fact it sold great beer on tap was obviously an advantage as was the fact it had a fab food menu and cool beer garden.
Sadly, it’s never been the same since the original owners decided to sell it and concentrate all their energies on running their own deli. The beer garden is still a perfect place to sit and catch a few rays on a sunny afternoon but the new décor and ambience suck. We’re talking Sofa Workshop style furniture, dated fabric wall panels and bad house and soul on the stereo. The clientele is also more towny with boys in long sleeve shirts and girls in heels and tight dresses.
In short, Atlas is a shadow of it’s former self.

So I had just come out of Knott Bar and was kind of tipsy and not quite ready to go home yet. Oh look, there’s another bar across the road that I’ve never been to, let’s see what it’s like.
And so in one evening I discovered both Atlas Bar and Knott Bar and was very happy with my new friends!
I didn’t rate Atlas as much as Knott, it’s very different, it’s a night featuring open-​mic nights and karaōke night and food rather than an emphasis on drinks.
But it’s good, there’s a really good atmosphere and everyone seems really up for a good night in there!
Again, right on the outskirts of the city centre on the bottom of Deansgate but a good location to either start or end a night. Would definitely head here with work people for a couple of lively drinks after a bad day!

Built into the bridge which passes over busy Deansgate, Atlas is easily missed if you are one of those idiots who hurriedly speed past it to get to favourite chav hangout the Locks. But this is exactly why I like it, its easy-​to-​overlook position, though dangerously close to the idiot camp, and lack of tell-​tale bar neon acts as some kind of moron filter making it something of a safe haven from divs.
One of the original «places to be seen» in Manchester during the 1990’s, Atlas has now matured into a nice little alternative to the generic behemoths that litter the city centre.
It’s reasonably priced and has a fantastic patio area perfect for lazy Sundays or summer nights.

This bar has so much potential. I was in this week during the day, its chilled and I stopped by for a coffee. This place has a lot of history. Tony Wilson lived a 2 minute walk away and would often do interviews here, Rob Gretton would come here for lunch as the short walk from The Hacienda offices around 1997.
Can you believe though that at 3pm they were playing Meatloaf’s ‘Bat Out Of Hell’ — IF MUSIC IS THE FOOD OF LOVE, IVE GOT INDIGESTION! Why is it that great places get sold and end up embracing mediocrity? Its a great bar but needs some attention to detail, music first!