Tribeca

Easy is the name game. Light snacks, classic bar food quickly delivered and an excellent beer battered fish n chips. Affordable house wine (under £7 until 9pm). Nothing special, but special for that. Competent, easy and quick in the heart of the Gay village (near enough). Great for when you have no plan but don’t want to be disappointed. Lively mixed crowd, all en route somewhere but happy to linger.

We came here with friends to start the night after a meal. We had the house white at £6.95 a bottle. Ok at that price it takes the enamel off your teeth but as a third bottle it’s quite acceptable!

Not really for me if truth be told. Went in because it was raining and cold and from the outside it looked OK. When we got in it was just a bit lifeless. I ordered a cocktail from the cocktail menu and they guy behind the bar looked at me like I’d ordered a pint of petrol or something. They mustn’t do them often because they then asked me to take a seat in one of the booths and they’d bring it over. 10 mins later they brought it and whilst it wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever had you could kind of taste the cheapness to it. Not the most awful place ever, like I say, probably just not for me.

This bar is just ok, it has a pretty cool vibe to it, i guess due to its name Tribeca a Manhattan neighbourhood it kinda resembles it with its huge windows and huge bar in the middle, we only really come in here for the cheap house wine at around £6.95 a bottle its great to catch up with friends on the sofas or the booths at the end. theres nothing really that special about the place though its a cool bar and has a better style than some of the bars on Canal Street. Its kind of one of those in mid stop to the nightclub or a place to come and have fun with youre mates.

This place instantly transported me back to my student days — possibly something to do with the shabby-​but-​trying-​to-​be-​plush décor, sticky floor, hen parties and cheesy early noughties pop blasting out of the speakers. Student bars, however, are normally quite cheap and cheerful when it comes to drinks prices but this place failed to impress, both in terms of selection and price. The offers advertised did nothing for me as the drinks weren’t to my taste («What do you MEAN there’s no Belgian cherry beer? Is this some sort of sick joke?») so I drank up and got out quickly.
I think this is one of those places that will seem amazing when you’ve already had a few, but to walk in there sober AND be presented with the world’s most boring array of beverages is an experience I would be quite happy not to repeat again.

Has anyone been to Detroit Bar in London’s Seven Dials/​Covent Garden? It bears some startling similarities to Tribeca. In no particular order…
— An apparent reference to a city/​neighbourhood elsewhere around the world
— A posh atmosphere (at least, at first glance)
— Clientele attired in everything from streetwear to clubbing getup
— A drink list that appears good on paper yet falls flat upon execution
— A posh atmosphere that’s trying too hard, relative to its clientele (at second glance)
For an ostensibly gay bar, Tribeca gave me an overwhelming feeling of ennui. Little pockets of conversation were taking place. I didn’t witness any mingling between groups. And noticeably absent were smiles, hugs, and boisterous laughter. These gays did –not– put the gay in ‘gay’.
Is this what happens when gay bars go to die?

I’m not a fan of many places in the Village, but Tribeca is one of the good ones. A safe bet. A break from the garish glitter and sleazy scenes of its neighbours, showcasing tasteful photography and pictures to create a trendy setting for g&ts and cocktails. The first time I came here I asked if it was a gay bar or not and the answer was «half and half» — so maybe that’s why. Either way, I raise my metaphorical glass to them.
Where to start? At the beginning I suppose… when you walk into Tribeca your feet trigger the welcoming groan of solid wood flooring as your eyes take in an open plan, colour-​coordinated bar area where black, red and purple make up the scheme. What I like about the main bar area is that it’s spacious without feeling vacant or hollow: this is achieved through pseudo-​partitons such as the strategic placing of sofas and chairs, having the bar in the middle instead of at the side etc. Whatever it is, it works.
There are other rooms as well that aren’t always open… saved for the busy nights. But the benefit of these rooms is that they can be hired out for free. You have to put a deposit down, and there are some sort of terms and conditions, I’m not entirely sure of the specifics, but I think it has something to do with a minimum spend behind the bar.
They’re good rooms too, the most popular one is the downstairs Bed Bar, which is exactly what it sounds like. Tucked away in the corner are five sofas/​mattresses/​beds (that sort of thing) adorned with cushions and partitioned with sheer drapes. Now I know what you’re thinking… a load of inebriated, over-​excited fools let loose on a bed of all things… recipe for disaster? Interestingly, not. Each time I’ve been down to Bed Bar there has only been appropriate conduct, and I’m pretty sure that those attempting any inappropriate conduct would be kicked to the curb before they could whisper ‘cheeky fumble’. There is also the Purple Room on the mezzanine floor, and the Red Room at the back… no prizes for guessing their colour scheme.
What else do I like? Well, on Sunday — Thursday, all drinks are £2.50 apparently, schwing! Plus between midday and 8pm everday, a bottle of house wine will only set you back £6.95, double schwing. True, I would like to see Tribeca a little busier on week-​nights, as it’s sometimes a bit empty, however the silver lining of this is to take advantage of their food menu, which is served until 9pm, and includes a selection of dishes on offer at two for £12 which isn’t so shabby, really.

nice bar great if you like a good bottle of wine staff a bit snotty tho

Tribeca is one of my favourite bars in Manchester. Friendly to both gay and straight people alike, it’s a great place to start a night out or enjoy some food.
The décor is reminiscent of a New York loft bar, deep purples, reds and black, low lighting, leather sofas and a central sunken bar. The drinks are reasonably priced (even more so during Happy Hour) and the food is great. Steaks, club sandwiches, fajitas and sharing platters are just some of the many things on offer. The curly fries are legendary amongst my friends and I and sometimes they’re the only thing that can solve those after-​work or hangover blues. The £6.95 wine offer (4pm-​8pm every day) also tends to help.

This is another of the hovels the medics surf through like a swarm of drunken locusts on their crawls, but even the little I saw told me that this wasn’t somewhere I’d visit any other time. Like a lot of the places in the gay village it’s loud and colourful, but unlike a lot of the others it’s lacks any sort of character or charm.
There’s a DJ playing music and it gets quite busy, but it’s never managed to seize me in the way other places have. I never have a reason to go out that way to verify my opinions, and I honestly can’t be bothered to. There are much nicer places in Manchester that I know and trust, so I can afford to give a few places the cold shoulder. Tribeca is squarely on the ‘meh’ list.

I really like this bar.
I’ve been about six or seven times now, I have a lot of gay friends and a lot of straight friends. This is a very good place to go to if you’re out with a mix of the two.
It’s in the gay village but on the outskirts so it’s kind of mutual territory. It’s cheap, it’s big, it has another bar below it (BED) and a huge island-​type bar in the middle and they serve you at all sides so you never have to queue to long. And jugs of cocktail are buy-​one-​get-​one-​free. Messy times.
It’s a good place to start a night off, I wouldn’t really stay here all night. Music is cheesy as you’d expect but it’s a good laugh and the DJ is usually up for playing most requests.

What a characterless, witless, joyless, over-​hyped bore of a bar.
This place is absolutely everywhere in Manchester and clearly thinks an awful lot of itself but for the life of me I can’t think why!
You can always tell when somebody is an idiot by whether they close their mouth after speaking or not. The drooling moron behind the bar was leaving nothing to chance as he stood their revealing his tonsils like some kind of oral flasher– he wanted to be absolutely sure that we understood the limitations of his mental capacity.
What he didn’t want to do was interrupt his– obviously deep– conversation to serve us.
By the time we managed to get our hands on some drinks my interest in our new discovery had wained so you’ll forgive if I don’t have a hell of a lot to say about Tribeca.
The seating areas are colour coordinated in a hilarious bid to be chic or fun or… something, meaning you get to find out exactly what it’s like to sit in a blue bit, a red bit AND a purple bit without having to go to another bar, thrilling.
Um, the music I don’t even remember, the toilets flushed and ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ…

This is a chic ‘New York Attic’ concept style bar close to Manchester’s Gay Village on Sackville Street, described as a bi-​sexual bar. Tribeca has denied being labeled a Gay bar because it is as gay and straight friendly as you’ll get. Every time I’m here i tend to stick to the non-​alcoholic beverages maybe i just need to loosen up.
The ground floor offers a great big bar, serving cocktails and bottles, with large a large bar and fabulous low slung sofas and booths taken up very quickly.
It has B.E.D and a bar downstairs that can be hired out for private functions. The innovative B.E.D. concept below stands for ‘Beverage, Entertainment and Dining’, an underground ultra lounge and restaurant where you can dine and recline on full-​sized beds whilst enjoying their new menu it’s clean sheets and stiff drinks.
This bar is definitely worth a visit to either start your nite or end your evening!!!

Now I think this is the place where all the crazy pill-​popping and hungover Saturday gay crowd ended up for Sunday brunch. I remember entering all bright and early (like 11 am bright and early), and being the only one without huge purple sacs under my eyes.
But I wasn’t in white spandex with angel wings either.

Only started drinkin here in the past few months or so, had never tried it until a friend took me in, I was so impressed that I now drink here regularly. Situated just off canal street, Tribeca is a hip, modern, funky kinda bar. It does food, which is extremely tasty, the seating is amazingly comfy, lots of red and black leather sofas and chairs. In the daytime it can feel a bit cold, probably down to the dark décor but at night it has a great atmosphere, a great place to chill out. They do some good drink offers too, like a bottle of wine for £6 inbetween certain times and cheap cocktail offers

Situated on the edge of the gay village in the centre of Manchester this is a trendy and fun night out. The bar area has enough seating to feel comfortable but without making the place too laid back. The staff are friendly and polite. Prices are reasonable and the atmosphere is cool and social. Downstairs is BED, a further bar/​club with actual bedsquality. The music is good and there is room to dance when the night gets going, that is if you can drag yourself out of bed once you get comfy. The atmosphere is fun and friendly, definitely worth a trip.

This place is like a boudoir! Sultry décor, dimmed lighting and a great selection of champagnes, wines, cocktails and spirits. An ideal setting for a first date!

Funky little bar on the edge of the Gay Village, opposite Sackville Park (giving it one of the better views in the city centre). The owners have designed it as a New York-​style loft bar, indeed Tribeca draws its name from a trendy Manhattan district.
The bar itself has three separate areas, the main room, the Red Bar which is in a raised area at the back of the room (with appropriately red sofas) and the Purple Bar on a mezzanine over the entrance door. The bar itself is in the centre of the room and is a bit pricey by Manchester standards, you’ll be paying over £3 for a pint or a short and mixer (though they do have a nice offer of £6 bottles of house wine between 4 and 8pm every day)
In the basement, is the unique BED bar. According to the website, BED stands for Beverage, Entertainment and Dining but is better known for having several large and comfy beds in it, perfect for relaxing with friends or with your significant other. This isn’t as seedy as it sounds, though as you might imagine that area of the bar is in high demand. BED hosts the bar’s club nights, which include an 80s night, a hip hop night and funky soulful grooves on most other nights. Tribeca itself also holds a pub quiz on a Monday.
Tribeca (and BED) is just that little bit different and is a fun addition to the Village and Manchester in general. Well worth a visit

I’ve been going to Tribeca since I came to Manchester in 2001, and although I like it, I only kinda like it.
It’s a cool-​looking bar, very New York, serving good food, and the £5 bottles of wine are fantastic value for money, but there’s just something about the place that doesn’t sit well with me.
The mezzanine gets too hot on a busy weekend night, for example. The place subscribes to the music volume up at 9 p.m. policy, regardless of how many people may actually be in the bar (a pet hate of mine, that one). You get some really, really obnoxious people in there. There aren’t enough seats, yet there’s not enough floor space for standing. Everyone is in everyone else’s way.
On the plus side, Tribeca does offer some good live music, a quiz (at least they used to; I hope they still do), a wide selection of cocktails and the aforementioned cheap wine deal. During Manchester Pride, it’s just on the outside of the Gay Inclusion Zone, allowing you to meet up with your cheapskate friends who don’t have wristbands.
Maybe I’ll go back there a few times over the next few weeks and try again. Watch this space.

Going on a Thursday we were promised a chocolate fountain, but on arrival we found out that this had been now moved to Tuesdaysno matter as we took great advantage on the two-​for-​one cocktail pitcher offer — with concoctions such as Hurricane, Pop Your Berry and Willy Wonka many a trip to the bar was needed, and it helped to enhance the fun environment that Tribeca has perfected, with mood lighting and an acoustic singer playing the perfect mix of songs for the first hour or so.
If you’re feeling a little drowsy, a trip to Bed downstairs may not be quite what you’re expectingwhile your comfort demands may be fulfilled, the mix of eighties classics are guaranteed to get you dancing!