Black Dog Ballroom is never a haunt you find deserted…I’ve spotted scallywags, tourists, post-prom graduates, hipsters, and stags, and likely all in one night. With this in mind, you have to give it to the guys at BDB for continuing to up their game and keeping things fresh.
They don’t look to be attempting to attract a new crowd, rather simply accentuate the appealingly seedy, doubtlessly NYC-esque feel that the basement pool hall successfully perpetuates.
The measures they’ve used to this end are minor but important; namely additions to the food and drink offerings and changes to their social media and online presence. Firstly (belly ranks before eyes), I was happy to see the welcomed addition of a New York-style burger, complete with authentic wrapper and tasty to boot. Not surprising considering the owners have been on their own altruistic taste-testing mission in the Big Apple, and the recipes have been created by Executive Head Chef Anthony Fielden, from the Northern Quarter Restaurant. There’s a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic milkshakes along with carafes of wine being added to the beverage menu too. What’s more, the prices still leave you with enough change to afford that really badly-played game of pool at too-late-an-hour to a keep proper score.
Change-up number two is their snazzy new website, which looks and works exactly as it should when representing the slick late night spot that it does. In all fairness, before the revamp I’d never visited the site, mainly due to the fact that the basis of Black Dog’s appeal was it’s trusty, nondescript, open all hours, haven of good times to be had. But the shiny new website, which aims to open a dialogue between punters and proprietors, provides a handy resource and drew my attention to additional pull factors such as the weekly quiz night, cocktail masterclasses, and corresponding new cocktail list – take a look at the tasty-but-lethal concoctions on offer (at pleasingly unpretentious prices) here.
Continuing to hold the crown for latest licence and now embellishing this title with an appetising expansion of the food and drink menu, Black Dog Ballroom successfully secure themselves as a favourite and landmark of the City’s Northern Quarter. Their nomination in the category of Best Bar at this year’s Manchester Food & Drink Festival Awards just goes to show this!
If BDB is your favourite watering hole, then you can vote for them to win here.
BDB is open until 4am every night, and food is served until 1am (also available for takeaway).
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Manchester Events, Manchester Bars, Manchester Restaurants, Manchester Exhibitions
Tags:
Northern Quarter
