The Stage Door

This really was a fleeting visit for two reasons. We were on the hunt for a relaxed drink after a film and it sounded right from the outside, but it was completely empty and at £8.50 a glass of wine that’s hardly surprising. It shouldn’t have been beyond them to warmly welcome their only customers, but it apparently was.
It might be full just before or after Palace Theatre performances (it’s pricing certainly seems designed to fleece the unwary out of towner) but its theatrically staged interior feels inappropriate and out of place particularly without a cast. It was empty, a bit miserable and as I say, pricey. Perhaps they just don’t care, we realised the we didn’t either and left.

We arrived for a Manchester International Festival show early — but not early enough to head down the road to Gorilla/​Font/​Blackdog etc. — so decided to try out The Stage Door. It doesn’t seem attached to the theatre itself but, trust me, it is part of it!
The interior is nice, if a bit dark, with plenty of seating. The service was friendly, if a bit slow considering the timing before the show. After some perusal of the menu and deliberation over a cocktail or wine, the bartender explained that they have a ‘buy two glasses and get the bottle free’ on wine, with the added bonus of being able to leave the rest of the bottle for the interval.
We sat towards the front of the bar as it was a warm night and the area close to the bar felt quite stifled. Just before leaving, we took the bottle back to the bar and showed our theatre ticket so they could leave it in the right bar.
It took us a while to find the bottle during the interval — they didn’t leave it on the bar but rather on one of the shelves at the side of the room!
Good to know that it’s there but not somewhere I’d go out of my way to visit.

Any bar that’s playing Stereolab when you arrive is good to me! This is a pretty good wee bar, and while you might only go there if you’re going to the Palace Theatre you’ll have a good time when you’re there.
It’s not the biggest of spaces, so it gets busier the closer to the start of the show. There isn’t any beer on draft, and it serves Pepsi. These are the only downsides to it though: the drinks prices are half decent and they have a serviceable cocktail list. If you get a seat it’s a pretty relaxing place to get prepared for your show.
Well worth a visit if you’re going for a show.

As I go out quite a lot (by quite a lot, I mean all the time) I am often surprised when there is a bar in Manchester I have never heard of. It’s not like I go to every bar, but even the ones I haven’t been to, I will know they exist. Tonight was one of those nights where I went to a completely new place being The Stage Door, which is a bar at the Palace Theatre. I don’t think it’s that new as my friend who I was with went there last year, so I am amazed I have never noticed it. I walk up and down Oxford Road quite a lot, especially when I go through my swimming stages.
We started the night in Turtle Bay, and after finishing the food and stash of 2−4−1 cocktails, we decided to head off. As we walked up, my friend mentioned about this bar and that we should go sometime. As we approached, we noticed a sign saying that their happy hour is 5 – 7 and 8 – 10 with two cocktails for £10, and since it was about five to eight, we thought it was a sign that we had one more cocktail in us.
The bar was empty, but I guess at that time it would be as most of their clientele would be post-​workers or pre-​theater goers. I wonder if they will get a bit more business now Cornerhouse has shut.
The waiter was lovely and polite whilst we were trying to decide what to get. We decided to order a Garden Tonic, which is a gin based cocktail with elderflower and apple. It was very nice and quite refreshing after the rum/​sugary cocktails we had previously.
I noticed several offers: 2 bottles of beer for £6; buy 2 glasses of wine and get the bottle; and the cocktail offer we took advantage of. I noticed that you can order interval drinks and take advantage of the offers.
I will definitely be coming back and will recommend to others. A bit of a hidden gem and if you go whilst a show is on then you will be guaranteed a seat and quick service.