Bar 38

Time was when a certain Mr John Lydon, better known as Johnny Rotten, sneered along to the cacophony of the Sex Pistols, ‘We’re so pretty, oh so pretty, we’re vacant.’ In Bar 38 they’ve certainly tried hard with the way the place looks, and the drinks and food are fine and dandy, but there’s just something missing. It’s that thing that Simon Cowell can’t put his expensively manicured finger on when he talks about that ‘aura’, that ‘quality’ people have to have if they haven’t just humiliated themselves in front of the nation with their dying cat brigade act.
One thing you’ll never be short of in Bar 38 is places to sit, as it’s big and comfy with plenty of tables and chairs. In fact myself and a posse even found ourselves a table when we arrived on a Friday night, which absolutely flabbergasted me. Manchester? A table? FRIDAY? Oh my!
I’ll echo exactly what Angela said, it’s not to my tastes in terms of music or décor but I know that people like it well enough. And it’s certainly not a bad venue by any means, far from it. Although it becomes a club later on, I do think Bar 38’s perfect for either that stop-​off drink on the way home or for a quick tipple before heading somewhere else. Because while it’s comfortable and nice enough, I defy anybody to put up with that much magenta for that amount of time — even Barbie. It’s simply a city centre bar in a great location, perfectly convenient and pleasant enough, but if you’re looking for a place with heart and soul, head on to the Northern Quarter or Oxford Road.
Alternatively, you could have headed here on the day of the Royal Wedding for special offer beers in the unusual April sunshine and gotten more than a bit squiffy with the future love of your life. For that reason, my friends, I can never hate Bar 38.

I had a party at Bar 38, and what a night the party manager Lenka and her team made it a night to remember, with great food and some great Cocktails I will be going back there.

When a friend of mine threw her birthday here, I was thinking to myself, ‘Finally I get to check out the flickering lights bar!’!
To me, Bar 38 was the bar I’d glance at while trottin off for a film at the Amc and nicknaming it the ‘Flicker Bar’ owing to its constantly ever changing lights inside! The bar is very unusually shaped and the building definitely catches some eye. I bet its what attracts people to it in the first place itself! Anyhow, on the inside, this not a bad place to start off some cocktails, chit-​chat and then go nuts in some club around!
If you’re in the mood to dress up but want to save for the entire night, I’d say, dress up, look your best, start with drinks here (they can be little on the expensive end) and then zoom off to some club like maybe 42’s nearby! It;s great on the inside and does well mainly because of its décor. Though the crowd is not always great and will want you to leave in a good time.
So need a fancy place to start off? Try Bar 38 this time!

Blaaaarg. I hate Bar 38. I think it’s something to do with the literally horrendous music. It might also have something to do with the frankly shit tapas they serve. It’s probably, though, the fact that the blokes here are so bloody creepy that last time I was here (quick drink before a film) I almost lamped one.
I don’t know why some bars in Manchester fill up with the sort of blokes that think ‘sex-​pest’ is a compliment, and I don’t know why they seem to think my arse is up for grabbing. I mean, I don’t dress tarty-​like, and am usually very-​definitely-​with-​someone (the boyf, obvo). So, either I am a devastatingly attractive sex goddess, or these men simply grab all arses within their reach. While I would be happy to believe the former, evidence unfortunately (for all women everywhere) points to the latter. Some places are just full of blokes who think it is their God-​given duty (and right) to sexually harrass all women. Bar 38 is one of these places.
When it’s not full (of ass-​grabbing misogynists) Bar 38 is deader than Monty Python’s parrot, and while this makes it relatively safe, it’s a pretty miserable place to spend time. Other than fancying a pre-​film drink, I can’t see a reason why anyone would ever veer into Bar 38. Come on, people, The Temple’s so close by, just go there!

Funky house your ting? Bar 38 has undergone some huge changes in the last few months, with refurbishment after refurbishment. They keep scallies out (which is nice) but some of them slip under the wire by putting on a shirt or something like that. Apart from this only go to bar 38 when
1) it’s got other people in it (happens occasionally)
2) you’re not planning on getting any food because service is crap otherwise
If yee follow these guidelines you’ll have a nice time in bar 38. That is just turned up smashed when there’s lots of other folks there, otherwise you’ll quickly realise bar 38 is another new development suffering from crap management hoping the venue will carry it through.

I’ve been to Bar 38 a couple of times, and although it isn’t really my bar of choice (the varying shades of fuschia décor, neon lighting and mainstream music isn’t really to my taste) I have to say that the drinks and food are good a well-​priced at between £5−10 for a main. They often have special offers on the cocktails and a well-​stocked bar with polite service. It has a late night license with free entry so at night this bar turns into a club that can get very busy.
Problem is, it reminds me of those corporate west-​end clubs in London that draws a younger, dance around your handbags type crowd who often have far too much to drink, not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just personally I’m on the wrong side of 30. The toilets can often be a mess because of this and the dancefloor rowdy but if you’re under 25 it’s a relatively cheap club night out.

During the day (which is when I’ve most often been) iI’ve found it to be a nice, light, airy space, chilled and verging on empty at times. However, at the weekends/​evenings it seems to attract a rather unpleasant crowd, particularly of pervy men, the bar staff become hopeless at mixing the simplest of drinks (who asks for a gin and coke?) and short change becomes a reoccurring problem which you’ll have to wait till the morning to discuss with the management — Rubbish!
All this unfortunately has put me well off drinking here — even during the day.

Bar 38 is, supposedly, the upmarket venue in the St Peter Street ‘fun-​zone’. Crucially however, it is the least fun and it’s aspiration for better things is misplaced. The drinks are expensive, the seating is a little sparse and certainly uncomfortable, and the last time I was there someone threw a chair across the floor in the downstairs area. Yes, someone threw a chair. Oh well. The toilet area is hopelessly designedwords cannot describe the mish-​mash of intensions and desperation for cutting edge chic. Best give this one a miss, much better and more fun, options in the surrounding area.

To be fair, this is actually a pretty decent bar. It just has the misfortune to be in the «straight vilage», the area down peter Street that has Brannigan’s, Squares and Chicago Rock Café — need I say more? Its very lairy on the weekend in that area, and Bar 38 gets its share of that kind of crowd. However its a great, purpose-​built airy bar, well-​designed and really quite pleasant on quieter nights. Its a bit expensive, but is nice for sitting outside next to the mini-​amphitheatre during the summer.