Val Penny's Hotel and Restaurant Reviews The Traveller's Guide to Hotels and Restaurants around the World

Recently, I spent a weekend in Manchester, England with my daughters and we stopped in to the Atlas Bar for lunch. It is situated in the railway arches of Deansgate and seemed to be a smart venue with an industrial look specialising in gins. It has a heated, south-facing beer garden. 

However, we were guided towards the front of the restaurant as being the area set aside for serving food at lunch time. Our table was next to the bucket that caught the drips from the leaking roof! That could probably have been better avoided.

My older daughter and I both chose the soup and sandwich combo which was a great size for lunch. My younger daughter chose the pate. She enjoyed that too. We had soft drinks to wash our meals down, so did not try any of the array of gins on offer. Our initial waiter was helpful and prompt. Half way through our meal it would appear that the “B” team came on duty. The waiter was replaced by a less polite and more incompetent waitress. We ordered coffees and teas and were brought the bill without being asked if we wanted anything else. There was only one other table being used at that time, so it was not as if she were rushed off her feet.

Would I go back to the Atlas Bar? Although the food was good, the service and surroundings were so disappointing, I probably would not. Do I recommend the Atlas Bar? No, I cannot, in all honesty, do that. There are too many other bistros available to visit in Manchester.

Valerie Penny