Big Hands

Bar nice. But the doormen need firing.
We were entering close to closing time. Our (beautiful female) friend was given entry. We were busy paying the taxi driver. When the three of us got to the door, 30 seconds later, we weren’t allowed in due to «closing».
Three of us stood on the one side of the counter looking out for our friend, meanwhile we had other friends inside drinking at the bar, they were approaching us: asking us to dance, wondering why we were on one side of doormen, didn’t have drinks, were stood next to the door and why we were looking glum.
It was cos of the strange bouncer. USE SOME COMMON SENSE. This was Embarrassing. I took friends, who went open minded and we were selected on who looked ‘hot’ by the doormen.
Perhaps I’m ranting but we’d taken a taxi from town, we knew some people out and part of our party was denied entry, cos 30 seconds had passed. We stood like idiots watching our friend finish her drink, then took a taxi back to town. It was a bad decision, by a bouncer and he completely ruined our whole night. Powerful bouncers, you have your power
Like I said nice bar, I’ve been drinking here for fifteen years. shame about that. I love this bar, but been slapped in the face. Taxis later I’m annoyed.

Had a really weird experience here two days ago. I go to Big Hands quite a lot when I come to Manchester, and while I’d never say it had a friendly vibe, I always liked the music they played and the seclusion away from the street etc etc. When I went there the other day though, at mid day, I ordered a coffee and waited for my friend to arrive. While it was just me, and I was the only person in the bar, they were playing some deafening ballet overture. I thought, pretentious, but never mind. When my friend turned up, and we were the only people there, the DJ began playing Roxanne by the Police at the same volume and we couldn’t hear each other. I went up and asked the DJ to turn it down (which was, I admit, embarrassing), and he just flips off the sound entirely and walks out, away from the booth, without a word. The manager (I assume) was sat at the bar right next to the booth, he also says nothing. So I finish my coffee in silence while my friend and I feel proper uncomfortable and then we just leave. It was so bizarrely hostile, for a bar with no one in it. Maybe they have a reputation that they felt I’d insulted, but they were playing flipping Roxanne!!! Come on! If anyone from Big Hands reads this review and can tell me why the fuck this happened, and why they seemed to want us to leave so much, I’d be pretty interested to know.

I would give Big Hands 3.5 stars if I could. Here are my reasons:
The Good.
Great dive bar atmosphere. Good jukebox. Relaxed and not pretentious inside with a bunch of different kinds of seating. Good for groups. Good bottle choices. Friendly staff.
The Not So Good.
Music choice was good, but too loud for longer conversation (am I getting old?!). Draught choices not impressive, especially compared to the bottles.
It is better than a 3 star, but not quite a 4.

Class bar, well worth a visit if you like your music alternative and your crowds laid back. Was in Manchester for a gig back in March and wanted to check it out for the rooftop beer garden alone. Nice selection of beers from what I could see & the prices weren’t bad. The bar staff were fun to chat to & very unpretentious. The place was slammed with drunken concert goers while I was there and the staff handled them with deadpan humour, good cheer & the odd ‘don’t mess with me stare’. Looking forward to dropping in for a pint next time I’m in the city.

Hidden away in the student hub of Oxford Road, Big Hands is a nice escape from the insanity of the road outside. It somehow manages to hide itself away just enough that it isn’t too crowded but those in the know are still able to find it.
The drinks selection is what you would expect from a small bar and the staff are friendly and relaxed. There are plenty of very squishy couches to sit on (or collapse into after a long day at uni/​work). A good place just to chill.

This is one of the dive-​iest dive bars I’ve ever been to. We were walking from Manchester city centre to the Whitworth and decided we needed a drinks stop along the way, so we made our way here (it was actually on the way to the gallery, which was extra handy).
Inside it’s dark and gloomy, but I know from Unilocal (thanks!) that there was a beer garden up the stairs, so we got our very-​reasonably-​priced-​drinks and headed up. During the day on a Friday it wasn’t too busy and we easily got a table for two. The bear garden is comfortable, lots of plants and a nice view over the surrounding areas. It was so nice to be able to sit and have a drink in the sun — something that doesn’t happen very often in Glasgow.

I hadn’t been to this place in ages but was recently invited by a few friends who live close by for a few cheeky ones. I absolutely loved it. On a hot summer’s day there’s quite a few options for people wanted to relax outside for a few. The terrace at Big hands is probably not on most people’s radars. The location is a bit odd and more accessible to students with it being half way between Rusholme and the city centre. The terrace here though is arguably one fo the best spots in Manchester. Spacious and with a feel of a Spanish rooftop bar it has a really nice, relaxed vibe. My visit was short lived but I will definitely be returning with a more detailed review to follow.

Big Hands. Fond Memories.
I remember, on my first day as a student, walking past Big Hands (next door to my halls) and thinking «I’ll like that in 3^rd year».
I did. Or, at least, I like — nay, love — the beer here. It’s where I properly fell in love with Delirium, and for that I’ll always be grateful. There’s a pretty good selection of craft beer that’s not mind-​blowing, but then neither is the price. It’s entirely reasonable.
But, Big Hands most certainly caters to a certain type of clientèle. Namely, indie/​rock people who like (very) loud indie/​rock music. From a jukebox (or not). That just isn’t me, and so Big Hands fails my test of any bar/​pub that I visit: is it conducive to actually drink in?
For me, nope. Unless the beer garden (on the roof) is open during summer, in which case it’s glorious and easily one of my favourite places to drink in Manchester. Shame it’s only open for two months a year.
I should mention that Big Hands does, occasionally, do food — but in this it’s rather inconsistent, so I’d not bet on Big Hands as a lunch spot. Which is a bit disappointing, really, because I’ve always liked the look of Big Hands’ food.

I have a confession to make in that I’ve been living in Manchester for 7 years now and had never actually been to Big Hands until last Friday. Basically it was one of those places where people would say «yeah big hands is great» «oh you know what it’s like» — and I’d just nod and smile thinking damn I’ll get there one day!
Ok so it is pretty out on a limb being up by MRI hospital and surprisingly close to the Manchester Academy music venues, making it pretty popular I guess before gigs. Again I’m not really sure why it wasn’t on my horizon before this but basically I would always go to Kro across the road before gigs at the Academy.
The bar looks tiny from outside but is surprisingly spacious throughout and has a lot more room in the back. It has a real ‘neighbourhood bar’ feel about it and the staff were pretty friendly, plus they were playing great music at a volume that you could actually chat over even though it was about 12.30am.
A good selection of craft beer and some good beers on tap, it was great to also see the Okells beer from the Isle of Man represented in the bottle fridges.

Big Hands is a cool divey/​hipsterish place with a fine selection of ciders from which I selected Magners (classy!). Meanwhile, it’s all very red and there’s writing on the walls in the toilets of which I approve. Definitely a good stop off before a gig at the Manchester Academy.

Big Hands is an essential watering hole before a Gig or even if you just happen to be in the vicinity. It has a really nice relaxed atmosphere even when it is crammed full of sweaty Metal Heads (as it usually is for the type of Gigs I go to). If I lived near by then it would be my local so that I could go in and play a game of guess who is playing a gig by the punters attire and general appearance.
If you happen to pop in to play this game (Soon to be screened on BBC1). and see me in there, then be assurred that there is about to be Metal of the highest quality going down \m/

I’ve got me some real love for Big Hands. It’s a down and dirty drinking den with a jolly good selection of spirits and whatnot, and they do a might good espresso for when you’ve had a weeee bit too much whisky.
The music here is always good, no matter when you come in. I don’t know what night is what, but be assured you’ll hear the best motown, rockabilly, indie (proper indie, no less), post-​punk, shoe-​gaze, riot grrrl (if yer lucky) and all that sort of lovely stuff. If there’s nobody spinning tunes, you can have a go on the jukebox. Though, last time I went it, I put £2 worth of songs on, and none of them came up the whole time we were there. A bit disappointing, but not the end of the world, as I’d found the £2 on the bus. Hmmm, but for those who don’t find money in random places (one day I’ll tell you about the time I found £100 at London Victoria…), this might have been more upsetting.
The staff here are great (but maybe I am biased because I worked here for a short time…) and they will serve you super fast, even if it’s busy. They’re allowed to drink on’t job, too, so next time you’re there, buy your barmaid a drink, won’tcha. They work darn hard.
During the day, Big Hands do ace sandwiches (noon-​3pm, I think…) for £3. Basically, it’s half a baguette and a hellll of a lot of filling. Tip, go for roast beef, mustard and cheddar with all the salad, and avoid the stilton and bacon mayo mix; it’s gross.
I love Big Hands, and I hope they never get new tables, or clean the floor, or sort out the weird bumpy floor. It’s flawed, and I love those flaws.

My first attempt to go to Big Hands was a spur of the moment thing in my first year when my friend and I noticed that the chalkboard outside was advertising a ‘whiskey night’. When we were told it would cost us £3 to get in we were a bit puzzled — the bouncers informed us that the DJ was called DJ Whiskey and there were no offers on whiskey. £3 was a lot to me in those days (and I would’ve been too stingy to splash out £3 on a pint of Krombacher in those days too) so we moved on.
Countless visits to Big Hands later and I’ve just about forgiven them for their false-​ish advertising. It’s a cosy little place perfect for a pre– or post-​gig drink or even for spending a whole evening.
Recently I’ve been to VooVeeAhVee* there, which (shameless plug coming up as this is my friend’s night) is a really good night if you’re in to Rockabilly, Funk, Motown, Anti-​Folk and the like. I have no idea what Anti-​Folk is, but basically the music is good. Unfortunately I am unable to stay up ’til 2am on a school night, but he has assured me that later in the night he’s had people dancing on the tables to the Beach Boys. Big Hands is the kind of place where you won’t be told to get down due to health and safety reasons. It’s a place where you can be yourself and if you happen to be a table dancer then that’s just fine with them.
* You can join the group for notification of when the next VooVeeAhVee will be

I’ve been to Big Hands a handful of times, (see what I did there?), and have always been surprised by just how much space there is tucked away behind that tiny façade. Its dimensions must be something along the lines of three metres by thirty, it’s basically a path. However, great use is made of the available space and the vintage sofas, chairs and tables are positioned into intimate booths, perfect for small groups.
I’m not going to lie, it’s not my favourite place in the whole world. The music, although generally unquestionable, is too loud for real conversation, the bar is pretty expensive and the clientele is primarily drawn from the hipster elite. I got into a rather awkward conversation with a member of Friendly Fires here once after convincing myself he was a session musician. I guess if that’s your sort of thing then this is very much your scene. Oh, and the upstairs toilets are really quite terrifying — think along the lines of deserted bus station.