Corbieres

Seeing that our favourite old haunt Sandinista was closed (either due to it being a Monday or perhaps their staff Christmas do, we weren’t sure…) we took the few extra steps to this hidden doorway.
It was pretty empty — this time definitely because it was a Monday! — leading to a lack of any discernible atmosphere but we were happy enough to grab a small table in the corner with a bottle of white. At about £15 with no obvious offers on, it wasn’t overly expensive, but slightly over what I was personally expecting to pay. The music was great throughout due to the excellent jukebox, and no wonder, you can practically have your personalised playlist going if the other patrons aren’t too bothered.
We had already eaten but they have an interesting food selection, with some cheese & cured meats available on a deli platter or a selection of pies, mash & sides. Small, simple menus, which seem like a great option if you’re out for a relaxing evening or afternoon.
It’s the décor here that always gets me. Is there really a need for disco lights and lots of metal lizards on the wall? The stucco-​style wall covering pushes it slightly too into the ‘British bar on holiday’ for my liking so I doubt it will become a frequent haunt for me.
It remains a bit of a secret so you’re more than likely to get a table, so an option if you’re weary and don’t want to keep walking…

I love this place, had some great drunken times in here. It used to have the best free Juke Box in Manchester, not sure if it still does?!!
Would definitely recommend it… If you you can find it!

Corbierés is a Manchester institution, a pub that people have been going to regularly for generations. A dark cellar bar hidden behind Cross Street & St. Ann’s Square, if you didn’t know this place then there’s not much chance of you stumbling across it — unless you like hanging around back alleys (I’m not gonna judge).
Up until a few years ago Corbo’s used to be one of the places my group friends would use as a starting and possibly end point to an evening; raucous, central and with a cracking jukebox — definitely a great spot.
In the last few years my drinking choices have changed, and I think that’s probably reflected in the options you can find around Manchester and the UK in general, Corbieres hasn’t reflected the changing drinking options — it’s a very conservative bar in that respect and I think that’s possibly why I don’t come here very often any more.
The tunes in the main are still good, think Manchester classics mixed with some good old indie and a smattering of XFM-​esque new music, nothing cutting edge, but it’s not offensive either.
As the friend I came here with the last time said «I don’t think this place has changed since I first came in 1990» — that’s possibly part of the charm, but maybe worth them having a look at what’s going around them a bit more.

Finally made into here after about 5 near misses! It’s a nice cosy underground bar with a famous jukebox and a Wizard of Oz themed pinball machine. Classic indie and alternative tunes. I had a half of San Miguel for £2 so not the cheapest but ok. I saw a food menu but was here for a late night drink so can’t comment on that. From the sign they seem to do one cocktail a week, changing weekly. Usual draft and bottled drinks available. Plenty of tables.
I liked the thick whitewashed walls with a pebble and gecko theme, quirky. I would come back again.

This is one of Manchester’s finest sub-​terranean drinking dens. Like music? There’s a great juke box. A real trendy atmosphere down there.
Gotta be on the top 10 list of Manchester’s must visits, or Manchester’s Gems, as I’ve come to call ‘em. Some great European beers on, nice and cosy, dimly lit, and a great atmosphere.
Can get a little tight when it’s busy, and it’s a little concerning for the claustrophobic amongst us. Can also get a little warm at times. But it’s well worth a couple of scoops if you’re out for a gig, or off out for pre-​meal drinks.
Excellent little boozer, oozing with Manchester soul.

Corbiers is a belting sub level bar with a good range of beers and wine. Its atmosphere is particularly suited to Friday night after work drinks. The place feels like its seen some history and is renowned for having the best jukebox in town. Be warned it does get busy and can be extent extremely hot. I like to think that if Hobbits were from Manchester… they’d drink here and listen to Morrisey.

After leaving DnD, we headed to here as we frequent this place often. My hubby thinks this is one of the best little places in mcr, to me, its like a grotto with a juke box. Now that may sound like an insult, its not; its just a very small bar underground painted white. However, the drinks are good, the food (whilst not sampled at this time) looked good but it is the ambience and jukebox that makes this place a winner. Its a really friendly place, the locals don’t look at you like you have 2 heads and its got enough seating/​standing areas to cater to all. I had a rather lethal cranberry margarita — it certainly kept me warm on that cold evening whilst we walked between bars.
Try this place, unless you are one of the ‘Printworks’ regulars, then don’t bother — the music alone would drive you out as its a cool eclectic mix of tunes that would be way above your music taste. Sorry, for the snobbery but this place is too small for people who wouldn’t ‘get it’.

An underground lair, this bar is hidden in a back alley and down in the depths of a cellar. It is cozy and a bit different to your average bar but not the first choice if the weather is good outside. The drinks are your normal selection at your average prices. There’s usually a relaxed crowd here.

How delighted I was to stumble across this little basement by accident, strolling down Half Moon Street just because it had a nice name. And there, opposite the fire escapes, and between the back doors and wheely bins… is Corbieres… a welcoming little rectangle of light luring you in and down its steps. And I really do mean ‘luring’ — my beau and I had said just 5 minutes ago that we didn’t fancy a beer, and yet we soon found ourselves at the bottom of those stairs investigating the various lagers on offer!
There wasn’t a great selection on tap, certainly no names that I recognised, and the barman didn’t seem too enthused about what was on, but I got to try a new Czech lager that I was quite pleased with. And there was a good selection of bottled goodies behind the bar as well.
The room is rather small, but the atmosphere of the place is just great: exciting yet understated, the kind of place I could imagine both hipsters and die hard football fans could rub shoulders and neither would snigger at the other. That’s my kind of place.
The jukebox is wonderful. During our brief visit we were serenaded by a mixture of Happy Mondays, Stone Roses (we are in Manchester after all) and some other classic delights. In fact, one of the quotes on the walls (see photo) claiming to be from Ian Brown himself, is that it «always was, still is, the best jukebox in Manchester.» High praise indeed.
To sum up, my beau and I both left already plotting our return, this time with friends in tow, to show off the cool bar that we found!

I don’t know whether to chalk this up to the power of Unilocaling but this place has seen a real surge in popularity lately — my last visit was a Thursday evening and there was barely enough room to swing a finger up to the legendary jukebox. I know Thursday is supposed to be the new Friday but this was completely ridiculous. This is a bit upsetting because Corbieres intimate surrounding lends itself better to a smaller crowd than this (upsetting for me, obviously, in a purely selfish way — I’m sure it’s smiles all around with the owners and managers). It’s still a really cool place and definitely one of the bars I would take visitors too if I was trying to show them the best of Manchester city centre.
I want to also bestow a word of warning — the draught beer is very expensive, very expensive for Manchester anyway (some examples are over £4 a pint). I’m not saying that paying almost £5 for a pint of beer is symbolic of western civilisation coming to a crashing end but that’s exactly what I’m saying.

I was led here mysteriously, Half Moon street? Where and what? It’s like the whatever and a half platform in the Harry Potter things. Tucked away down a side street in central Manchester, this is a little gem.
Corbieres is Prague in Manchester to me. It’s the cave type underground set up and I love it. It’s a shame it’s so small as it often gets packed and there’s not that much seating. The range of beers and food exuberates this Europeanness I miss about Prague. The jute box is a good thing and overall it’s a nice cosy place with a cool name to go with it.

Well hello you, where have you been all my life?
I like wine bars, especially ones which are as cosy and as comforting as this one. The name implies pretention; I promise you the place is not. I mean, it’s situated down a back alley where locals relieve themselves of their bins for starters. Half Moon Street however is such an attractive name, you’ll soon forget the refuse and become seduced by the mosaic horn and the underground location. It’s also very Manchester, and fellow residents will know exactly what I mean by this claim.
The draught beer isn’t great, but this is a place you can imagine literary greats snuggling up in to quaff wine and throw philosophies around. And munch Mediterranean food, which you can. I agree with other Unilocalers — the get there early advice really is to be taken literally. It’s a dinky little place that gets rammed during the early evenings so you really need to secure your seats and keep them. While it can get busy, you are served quickly and that fact is testament to the quality of this little bar.
Oh and lovers take note. Corbieres is a very romantic place for a date. Scruffy and quirky enough not to smack of pretence, ostentatiousness and desperation but smart and sophisticated enough to impress. Raise a few glasses and chin chin.

I’m mainly just reviewing this place because of the claim to have the best jukebox in Manchester. Claiming to have the best anything is always a tricky statement to live up to, because it inevitably leads to arguments and pointless internet forum discussions, and I am nothing if not eager to loudly proclaim my opinions to all and sundry. Having said that it is a good jukebox, just not the best, a title I would instead hand to the one in The Salisbury, although my preference for metal may be biasing that slightly.
As a pub it’s pretty decent, and nowhere near as classy as the peculiar name would have you believe. The jukebox certainly adds an extra layer if you’re into Manchester music as well. It’s all very laid-​back and cool, and you wouldn’t regret visiting.
Anyway, anyone knows the best jukebox in the world would just be a guy at a laptop on youtube taking requests for 50p. That way you could literally have anything playing, like a DMX Ghostbusters remix (
).

I’ve been here on a couple of occasions — firstly for a birthday party, when I was introduced to the self-​proclaimed best subterranean drinking den in Manchester. It was a Friday evening which started off relatively quietly. However, as the night went on this small bar became completely packed and the jukebox was cranked right up making it difficult to have a conversation. It was near impossible to get to the bar or toilet, and one of my friends told me she was manhandled by office men still in their work attire when she tried to get to the toilets. Luckily we left to go elsewhere as I could not have stayed in this sweaty cave for much longer, despite the decent beer and good music.
The next time I came for a quiet mid-​week drink and the atmosphere was completely different. There was a mix of young and old people all enjoying a quiet drink with a predominantly Madchester soundtrack. It was fantastic.
So, my advice would be to get there early, as this is a really good place for an after work or pre-​night out drink, and as the others have said, don’t be put off by the fact it calls itself a wine bar — it’s certainly not one.

You could probably wander around Manchester for a decade and never once step foot inside this tiny little bar.
In fact, you could spend a decade looking for it and complete fail to notice it because it’s been obscured by a sparrow pecking at a discarded chip.
I would’ve never heard of this place if it wasn’t for a tip-​off and once I entered, I immediately liked the space.
It’s homely, welcoming and warmly lit by candles… the latter is an important factor because, thanks to it being underground, there’s no natural light peering in. Somehow, the owners have turned this to their advantage, and to the detriment of you wallet as one pint turns into 3 hours of blissful idling.
It’s a seductive little bugger, make no mistake.
Sadly, because this place is so small, it doesn’t take much to make it rammed. Maybe that’s why no-​one talks about it? They want to keep it to themselves as a secret.
It’s not surprising really because it really is a wonderful place to spend your time.
The beer, although limited, is well kept (if that’s even the right term) and the food is simple but great (think grub from the Med).
In short, it’s the kind of place you trip over by complete accident and end up enthusing about to your friends.

I always forget how wonderful this cosy little bar is. Hidden in a cellar, just off St Ann’s Square, it’s an intimate place with great beers and one of the best jukeboxes in Manchester! The dimmed lighting, candles and great music give it an ace atmosphere too — kind of New York new wave meets an old fashioned wine cellar! Cosy, romantic and very cool, it’s a great place to take a first date.
Corbieres also serves reasonably priced, Mexican-​inspired food in the daytime. So it’s a nice place to stop off for some lunch and a cheeky drink if you’re shopping in town.

Alison’s is a pretty good review of Corbieres, covering all the main points. It definitely deserves a visit. However, she writes that the bar has managed to keep a low profile and that if you get there early, its all yours. In recent months its popularity has absolutely boomed if that used to be the case, and on Friday and Saturday nights, you’ve often got little chance of getting in, let alone sitting down, or accessing the Juke Box.
The Juke Box is an absolute joke, no doubt, as it claims, it’s the best in Manchester. The place is in a cool wine cellar which gives in a unique feel and it has a lizard attached to the bar (great idea). There isn’t a focus on wine despite being a wine bar and the clientele are indeed much better than your average Deansgate set. Its genuinely one of the coolest bars around and I think its one everyone should try, so I do advise going, just make it a week night…

Corbieres is bit of a misnomer as there is nothing pretentious about this subterranean drinking den, nor is there a focus on wine. It is quietly tucked away and a little hard to find (even if you have been there before?) so, It doesn’t attract the usual alcopop-​sipping posers, but rather people who like their music and beer. The décor does make you feel a little like you are in a wine cellar (perhaps that’s what is in the name?) and can get a little chilly if there are not many people in. They have a fine selection of tapas and a none too bad veggie selection too!
But the main draw of this bar is the famed jukebox… which claims to be the best in Manchester… you can choose form all the favorite MADchester hits, and some lesser known and diverse ones besides! cooler still is the fact that they have a pinball machine!
Corbieres is great for groups of friends, and indeed due to the size of the place if you get there early, you almost feel like you have hired it for the night… choosing songs from the Juke box to sing along to with your mates in comfortable abandon! I am glad this bar keeps the low profile that it does…

This is aa amazing, unique bar. It is tucked away behind St Anne’s Square and is a real hidden gem. I have been going to this place since 1991 and love it as much today as I always have. The main attraction is the fantastic juke box. Full of Indie and Rock classics, you can be transported to a different place and time. You feel like you are in a badly lit cave but with tons of atmosphere, without having to try!
The staff are freat, always cheery and friendly. The pub has a real community feel to it. A fantastic placeYou have to go !!

There are so many things I love about this place. Let’s start with its less than auspicious entrance. A gap in the wall, adorned with a mosaic horn in the bewitchingly entitled Half Moon Street. Blink and you’d miss it. It’s not the kind of place you’d stumble upon by chance.
There’s something inexplicably Manchester about this place. It’s underground in every sense of the word. This subterranean drinking den exudes an atmosphere that is thick and seductive.
It boasts the best jukebox in the world and its always great to hear the strains of a familiar and classic tune belting out as you descend the stairway on a Saturday night. Can’t believe they no longer have Love Will Tear Us Apart on there though — that’s a real travesty.
It’s always crowded by mid-​evening due to the small size of the place so I would recommend heading there in the afterwork period to watch the throng assemble and feel the atmosphere build notch by notch.
The only problem I have with Corbieres is the lack of decent beer. You would think they would at least have a few decent continental ales in the fridge but alas no. The food is pretty good and of the mediterranean variety.