Sugar Buddha

Went the other week for a drink after my birthday meal (and after going to Pitcher & Piano).
Was asked for ID when getting in — which you appreciated when you get older :) It was less busy than the other bars. We went upstairs and there was hardly anyone up there. Most people just sat down. A couple lads were falling asleep! Floor was really sticky and barman more interested in drinking/​partying himself!
He did give us 3 shots for just £2 when one of the girls pretended it was her birthday. LOL

Deansgate Locks is a busy pier of bars and at the end of walking the plank lies Sugar Buddha. Formerly my favourite haunt «Sugar Lounge» in which ballers and babes partied the night away on LP rose to the R&B mixes of the incredible DJ’s Shine and Cliff, Sugar Buddha has taken over its space and I was intrigued. Could it be as good? The Sugar Lounge was a legend– but sometimes for the wrong reasons and my memories are framed in a cocktail induced haze. So bring on the rebirth and I ventured there on a Saturday night with my delicious divas dressed to the nines.
Well, well, well, Sugar Buddha you ain’t half bad. There was an average sized queue of twenty somethings looking slightly anxious that they were not on «THE LIST». This may prove a problem to outsiders and out– of– towners. After negotiating the incredibly smart doormen– it helps if you know em, I entered familiar territory, curious to see what changes had been made. Very nice, it is a small space people but the gold-​leafed walls make it seem larger and the rearrangement to the bar to the rear centre is a definite improvement. My friend’s perception though was that this is a club, NOT a winebar and she thought that the bar should really take a back seat rather than dominate the evening. Oh well, different strokes for different folks.
The music was ROCKING! If, like me, you are a fan of R&B, Manchester is woefully lacking in venues which please our musical tendencies. However, Sugar Buddha blasted out my tunes mixed in with classic soul hits and some contemporary pop-​hip hop. I was gagging to shake my booty a la Beyonce but disappointingly, the only sizeable area to perform my routine is upstairs in the small, restricted V.I.P section. Sugar Buddha is not access to all areas and if visiting from other cities, this club is not somewhere I would be attracted to in order to bust some moves.
The décor is blingtastic with the most ornate chandeliers and a crowd to fit the bill. It is a nightclub temple where those that worship are the ones to see and be seen. Non-​premiership footballers, wag wannabees but also your regular fun loving folk partied the night away. The prices of the drinks were a nice surprise. I had steeled myself for the over inflated prices of its predecessor, but Sugar Buddha was more than reasonable charging an average of £4 per drink as opposed to the £8 we have been ripped off by previous tenants. I would recommend the «Golden Buddha Cocktail» made from Hennessy, Krug, mango and lychee– heaven in a glass.
Sugar Buddha is fun, petite, doesn’t dent the bank and good for a couple hours. Liliputian loos but efficient air-​con. Some minuses but plenty of pluses.