Take gaming to a whole new level!
We love a drinking game as much as the next fresher, but there comes a time in every mature graduate’s life when you have to move on from Ring of Fire and say no to the dirty pint. But just because you’re forgoing the forfeit drink, doesn’t mean you can’t add a competitive twist to your night out. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of the best bars for gaming (and drinking) in Manchester.
1. All Star Lanes, Deansgate
Located in Manchester’s historic Great Northern building, All Star Lanes is the ultimate party destination. Think retro bowling, handmade cocktails, homemade all-American foodie goodness and plush karaoke booths! Gather your pals this festive season and drink, dine and bowl the night away. They don’t do things by halves. They do strikes! Click here to book. 235 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 4EN.
2. Twenty Twenty Two, Northern Quarter
The unique bar in the heart of the Northern Quarter promises more than the standard night out. With all-night ping pong set to a soundtrack of dancehall, disco, RnB, rap and UK garage Twenty Twenty Two is the late-night, wild weekend party spot of our dreams. click here for more information. 20 Dale St, M1 1EZ.
3. Base MCR, Millow Street
Head down to the only batting cages in the North and enjoy an evening out with a difference. Get a group together, book a cage, smash some home runs* and enjoy the awesome bar, amazing cocktails and great tunes while you’re at it. Click here to book a cage. 5 Millow St, M4 4DR.
*Base MCR has three cages, each of which can host up to five people per session. If you have more than five people in your party, you’ll need to split the group up for booking purposes.
4. NQ64, Northern Quarter
In 2017 Nintendo released the mini SNES, and gave us the chance to plug our childhood directly into our flat screen teles. Now, the owners of NQ64 have taken things a step further.
The bar is home to an underground drinking den where guests can play the retro arcade games and classic consoles from their youth while enjoying the beverages of their adulthood. Entrance is free, click here for more information. 2 Short St, M4 1PW.
5. Junkyard Golf, First Street
Step into Junkyard’s weird wonderland for a unique golf experience, complete with crazy cocktails and sick tunes. All Junkyard Golf Club courses are created from pre-loved items, random shizzle, and weird junk. And the Manchester yard boasts three melon-twisting, nine-hole crazy golf courses, each with a different theme for groups to putt their way through. Click here to book a session. 2 First Street, M15 4RP
6. Point Blank, Deansgate
Point Blank is the UK’s first simulation shooting range, offering visitors a unique leisure experience with exceptional shooting realism and the most up to date technology. The bar also boasts a great range of bespoke cocktails, beers, wines, soft drinks and a selection of snacks to enjoy on the shoot and in the bar. Click here to book a shoot. Basement, 78, Deansgate, Manchester M3 2FW
7. Flight Club, King Street
The bar has reinvented the game of darts which, until recently, had been played by men called Big Les in dingy pubs, using patented dart-tracking technology designed by Flight Club’s own astrophysicist. The same system also keeps score, tracks whose turn it is and which numbers each player needs to hit, before proudly announcing the winner’s victory on a big screen.
Each oche has its own seating area and table service, so food and drink (including pizzas, sharing platters, and cocktails) can be delivered directly to your board. Click here to book your board. Ship Canal House, 98 King St, M2 4WU.