The Fitzgerald

Came here for the new Wednesday open mic night. Saw four or five performers and they were all first class! I think it’s going to become a very popular Wednesday night. The velvet gin cocktail was excellent and moretti’s for 3 quid was very reasonable. Great ambiance and very friendly crowd.
They also had a silent movie playing in the background… I couldn’t take my eyes off it… great idea!

We went here for a friends birthday party, we’d originally planned to going to Whiskey Jar but it was far too busy to accommodate all six of us. Luckily there was just about enough room at the bar for us all here. Possibly as everyone was queuing for Tiki Lounge downstairs.
The staff here are amazing, I couldn’t believe the speed and precision with which they made our drinks, and what drinks they were. Lemon meringue with real toasted meringue and a spoon to eat it with! A lovely twist on the classic bramble, and something else that tasted exactly like a cherry bakewell!
I must make sure to visit again when there’s live music on offer, and try one of the teapot cocktails.

I really like Fitzgeralds. When friends suggest meeting there, I always think «great, I love this place». However, I never remember to actually arrange to meet anyone there myself.
This review is based on my last visit, which was on a busy Saturday night. As seems to happen a lot these days, I was double booked. My first engagement was a «leaving Manchester» do at someone’s flat, starting at 6.30. I arrived at Fitzgeralds for my friend’s 40^th birthday drinks at around 8.30 having drunk a half a bottle of prosecco and a shot of schnapps. I was surprisingly not drunk, especially given that I have recently finished dry January. More tipsy and overly chatty really. And I am chatty when sober (as those who have met me will attest), so imagine me after that much drink!
I was REALLY chatty to the guy on the door. He was friendly though and seemed to take me in good humour. I liked him until a friend, who is 6 years older than me, arrived and said she had been asked for ID, yet I was not asked. Might be one to bear in mind for those lucky enough to look young (clearly not including myself in that comment) might want to take ID with them.
When I got to the bar, it was surprisingly quiet for a Saturday and I was served pretty much straight away. I asked for an Old Fashioned. They have a Fitzgerald’s version but not wanting to veer away from a classic, I asked for a normal one and the woman happily obliged. She made the sugar crushing bit look easy (I have tried the sugar crushing on occasion and it took me ages). It was £7.50, which is a tad expensive for NQ but for the city centre generally standard price.
After my Old Fashioned, I went for a Fitzgerald Bramble. The bartender informed me that they had run out of lemon juice and used lime instead. I have to say it is a nice twist and would be tempted, next time, to ask them to use lime over lemon. For those who like to try something a bit different, may be worth a go. Again, this was £7.50.
The place had a really good vibe about it and quite laid back for a Saturday. There was a mixture of people although didn’t seem to be any one really young in there. In terms of dress, there were people in trainers, people (like me) a bit dressed up, so it’s the sort of place you can wear what you feel comfortable in.
Overall a big fan of the place and need to remember it more often! Certainly recommend a visit if you’ve not been.

Having only recently come back to Manchester from New York, I was looking for some good speakeasy-​style bars and was recommended The Fitzgerald.
There’s a great selection of cocktails, with a lovely dark interior. It’s signposted outside, but still feels exclusive enough to those who spot it.
I’d recommend to go on a Thursday, where there’s live jazz and a very relaxed vibe about the place. Going on a Saturday night is a completely different experience though — long wait to get served, the bar running out of glasses and a very different crowd. Still worth a visit though — Try the cocktail served in a suitcase, very impressive if you’re on a date!

Stumbled across this speakeasy when it first opened and decided to host a group meetup here. It’s located above the Rosylee Tea Rooms and can be accessed via some stairs inside the restaurant. Being a speakeasy it has quite a dark 1920’s prohibition style interior– it’s a small bar with wooden tables as well as more comfy leather armchairs.
Being a networking event it might have made more sense to clear some tables and have an area where we could stand and talk– instead we were seated on a long table with waitress service which made it a bit difficult to chat. Still the atmosphere is very cozy and intimate.
Cocktails were really good– asked for a recommendation and had the Lemon Meringue Pie followed by the Mata Hari.
There was another group in that evening so it was pretty busy, would be interesting to go back on an ordinary night and see what it’s like.

I’ve been to the Fitzgerald quite a few times now for different reasons — it’s definitely one of those places that I find myself ending up in at an event but it’s never on my radar to think ‘oh yeah I must go there for a drink’
Up the side street by RosyLee/​Tiki Bar — it’s prohibition in style if maybe just a little too slick to make it feel really like I’m somewhere edgy. Put it this way it’s the sort of place I think even my grandma wouldn’t mind hanging out in (which isn’t a problem, it’s just how it is)
The music has always been a good mix of classic soul, hiphop and tunes you haven’t heard for ages — plus they have an open mic jazz night on a Thursday which I really must get down to check out soon.
I hear from female friends that the cocktails are pretty special and I’m usually pretty happy with the Goose Island IPA ad Brooklyn they do — although there’s nothing too adventurous in terms of beer on offer.
A cool place and definitely somewhere I need to check out more to maybe budge my review up to a 4.

Cocktail served in a suitcase …
I’m having one off them wired surreal dreams right. No? Awesome!
Let get on with it then, Fitzgerald is a lovely place — it dons itself in the regalia of the 1929’s and the staff are friendly, know there stuff and understand that if you give me a cocktail list that long I will need some time.

Highly recommended! As described highly original 1920s inspired bar, for the first 3 months they went all out on theme with bar staff wearing outfits and all… That’s been tamed now. Perhaps the novelty would wear off, I liked it anyhow. But great dark and a lil faux smokey atnosphere. This place is a bit of hidden gen above a restaurant with the entrance on an alley. Nonetheless it’s classy.
If you want a friendly drinks table service, no knobs or knobettes and a chilled evening or start to the night. This is def. One of the places to come.

The Fitzgerald is not even slightly a speakeasy as it has a giant obvious door with a street sign, but it does have a nice décor and atmosphere.
Cocktails were universally excellent — I adored the Lemon Meringue Pie which came with a toasted topping, the Vesper was as lethal as it was smooth, the Aviatrix came with a violet «fog» which was one of the best drink gimmicks I’ve ever come across and the remaining drinks we had featuring mint and campari (from the first page… I can’t remember their names) were also brilliant.
Prices range from about £6 — 8 which is basically as good as it gets for cocktails of this quality.
Music was good with the DJ playing a range from jazz to 90s R&B.
Service was a bit slow at times and they totally messed up the bill but the servers were all extremely nice and friendly, it’s not a snooty place at all. Highly recommended.

A likable place, with a style and atmosphere you don’t often get in Manchester. It reminds me of Bar & Books in Prague — half speakeasy, half private library.
The staff here were really nice and rather patient given our chronic indecision. Like B&B, in fact, we were handed plenty of popcorn. Cynical thirst-​creating snack some might say, but personally I find it a nice touch.
The cocktails are not quite there yet. Some of them were decent, but I found the classics needed some work. The sazerac wasn’t well balanced enough — I can usually do better, and the sidecar tasted like my own attempts at making them, which is not a good thing.
I will be back though.

Situated above Rosylee Tearooms (you get in via a door at the side) is the latest 1920s themed speakeasy club in Manchester. Expect amazing DJs, live music nights and some fabulous cocktails specifically designed for the era within it is set. One of the best in the Northern Quarter if you ask me. Make sure you go before it gets rammed!

Well that has to be the best on-​the-​spot find of the year for me.
Just before we arrived at Malmaison for our Christmas dinner with a group of friends I picked up a tweet from very recently opened The Fitzgerald announcing a night of great jazzy, bluesy, swingy tunes from Jo Dudderidge. A couple of tweets later and we were indeed very welcome to this fabulous place.
The décor is sleek, classy, 1920’s influenced. The music was truly great, a bit of dancing… a good cocktail selection. Prices however are getting on the exclusive side with ~ £5 a bottle of beer, cocktails at £9 — £10.
But we really had a great time and the guys behind The Fitzgerald clearly seem to be there to give everyone a good time too so it’s quite pleasing.
Will definitely go again.