So what goes into making a good bar? That depends on how you define a good bar and everyone has their own definition, but here’s my view:

Location, Location, Location: Open a good bar in an area that’s more accessible than alternatives. It goes without saying, an area that lacks a good bar could always do with one, but think about the experience and how people’s plans will be developed. Manchester has plenty of good bars, but most of them are in the Northern Quarter. Gaslamp, on the other hand, is located on Bridge Street just north of Deansgate, significantly shortening the distance to a good bar for many people.

Opening Hours: Near a venue open from 8PM-4AM? Open your doors 6PM-2AM. Remember the experience: people will probably plan to head to your venue earlier and move on to the next after you close and vice-versa. Gaslamp is open from noon and closes at 2am. When we left, people talked about going to Mojo (open till 4), but I convinced them Corridor was the smarter choice (also open till 4). Another great example: see Callooh Callay (open till 1) and Night Jar (open till 4) in London. Night Jar is my choice for a night cap.

Design: Totally depends on the people you’re trying to attract. Personally, I like something low-light, intimate, and with a touch

of class. Some bars are really simple and understated, which suits them just fine.

Gaslamp looks like they have seriously cut corners on the decorations…and that’s absolutely the look they’re going for. Minimalist and functional, this place eschews the pretentious attitude of Deansgate in favour of a much more comfortable and relaxed atmosphere.

Price: People will pay a premium price for quality. People will also pay a ludicrously-high price for crap. Some people want bang for the buck and would drink anything put in front of them if it’s cheap and gets them drunk. Think about the customers you want to attract and price the product for them. A good bar for me has good product at a good price. Gaslamp has a good range of beers at around £3-4.

Quality Product:

Of course, this measure of quality will be heavily influenced by my own personal preferences, but I’ll do my best to be objective. If its beers, the wider selection you have, the better. Unique and interesting beers from small breweries in far-flung corners of the world will do nicely. Microbreweries, craft breweries, and especially hometown local breweries are favoured. If it’s cocktails, start with fresh ingredients. Then simply delicious spirits. Then a range of interesting spirits. Better to do 5 amazing drinks than 50 average ones. Put it all in a nice glass.

Gaslamp doesn’t yet do cocktails, but they’ve got some nice bottles behind the bar and I have been assured they’ll keep it simple and strong.

Quality of Service:

Focus on the customer. Just be friendly and make your bar a comfortable place for people to pass the time. Treat your customers with love and respect and they’ll keep coming back. In fact, treat them like guests, not customers. A short wait is fine, 15 minutes for a beer isn’t. Can’t have a long chat? I get it, you’re busy…but don’t ignore me completely.

I spent 2 hours at Gaslamp by myself and had a great time chatting with the lovely bartenders. Service with an absolute smile.

That’s about it for now, but expect that this will be updated from time to time as my criteria evolves. And maybe someday this will be the criteria I use for setting up my own shop.

All these factors lead up to Gaslamp being a really good bar, but when asked why customers will want to return, the ladies of Gaslamp had only this to say:

“Because it’s awesome!”

“Because it’s great!”

Simple and to the point, just like Gaslamp.

The three restaurants of Constantin Constant: Cafe Constant, Les Cocotte, and Le Violon d’Ingres.

Three of the finest bars run by the same gang: Experimental Cocktail Club, Prescription, and Curio Parlour.

I’ll say this, there was nothing funny about these establishments dedicated to the finest culinary and cocktail experiences. The service across all of them was excellent and in some ways, it was a really enlightening experience. I realised that meals in Paris don’t have to be expensive if you want good food. I realised the service, even to an American on his own without a word of French, can still be first-class. I discovered the vieux carre (more on that in a minute).

The three restaurants of Constantin Constant all reside adjacent to one another along Rue Saint-Dominique in the 7th. Cafe Constant is, as the name implies, significantly less formal. Four of us came for lunch with no reservation and walked away under €20 a head on the prix fixe. That is shockingly good value for Paris. Have a gander at some of the food:

The next night it was off to Les Cocottes. I imagine you might need to make a reservation here, as it was quite busy when I entered. However, I was on my own and you can actually eat at the bar, so I had no trouble getting a seat. Have I mentioned I hate eating alone? I always have to sit there and fiddle with my phone (probably tweeting about the meal) or checking my e-mail, etc…but sitting at the bar, there is no one across from me and I don’t feel uncomfortable in the slightest. I actually enjoyed being alone. Anyways, the food is very reasonably priced and certainly high quality. I think I managed to get away with €40 for starter, main, and dessert with a glass of wine. I started off with a langoustine dish, moved on to the special of the day – a chicken cocotte, and then had the chef’s special divinely chocolatey dessert. For those that don’t know, a cocotte is a dish served in a small fireproof pot. See it in the pictures below:

Lastly, on the high-end, we have Le Violon d’Ingres. I’m a terrible food blogger and didn’t make a note of what I had, so you’ll just have to trust me in saying that it was very nice, but the food was not of such significantly higher quality as to justify the price. Its more about the atmosphere which is much more intimate. I’d suggest going here for a romantic dinner; Les Cocottes is the better choice for entertaining.

On the drinks side, each of the three cocktail clubs I sampled had a completely different atmosphere.

First up was Experiemental Cocktail Club. This was the most mature of the three bars with a staff that ran the place like clockwork. They knew everything about drinks, and could match your tastes, but for a place called Experimental Cocktail Club, I didn’t find them all that experimental. That is not a bad thing. The drinks were innovative and perfected. They knew what works, there was no experiment. The vibe was pretty casual, but this was certainly the place for an intimate evening of fine drinking. My drinks: Tommy’s Margarita and a Ditzy Kitty.

After a couple drinks here, I trotted on down to Prescription. Best vibe of the night — the place was absolutely buzzing. Cool people, dressed cool, all enjoying cool cocktails. I found it so much easier to approach people and strike up conversations…even with the bartnenders who certainly had their hands full. Prescription also introduced me to the vieux carre. Oh, the vieux carre, a beautiful blend of Rittenhouse Rye, Grosperrin VSOP cognac, sweet vermouth, Angostura bitters, Benedictine, and a citrus zest. It was approaching 1am and it was time for me to move on…though I could have spent the entire night drinking vieux carres.

Curio Parlor was my next and final stop of the evening and I promptly found a seat at the bar where I camped out for the evening. It was time to slow things down a bit, move on to some classics, and really soak up my last evening in Paris. It was time for a Manhattan. I think people were sufficiently libated here because I didn’t need to initiate any of the conversations. A steady stream of people seemed to keep coming up to chat — maybe I just looked cool with the Manhattan. Of course, Curio Parlor was open till 4am so my 2 drink limit that I had held so tightly to seemed a bit meaningless, as this was my last stop of the night. I think I probably had 3 or 4 drinks at Curio and they were all delicious. I stuck mostly to classics (ok, manhattans), but I think a threw a surprise in from the menu, just to say I had.

All in all, I was very impressed with all of these spots and I would whole-heartedly recommend them to anyone…

Inherently funny? Hardly, thought I did meet some intersting people along the way.

More satisfying? Drinking at three bars is always more satisfying than one. Tasty food too.

More effective? I definitely feel like I experienced some of Paris’ finest by cramming these places into three days in Paris.

Drinks (because I always start with drinks)

Odder Bar (Oxford Road): This sister bar to Odd in the Northern Quarter has plenty of good offers for poor students like myself. £5 will get you a small pizza and a pint for dinner. The pizza is pretty small, but if you’re just looking for something to munch on whilst having a few drinks, its way better than a packet of crisps. They’ve got a decent selection of beers and a very chilled atmosphere.

Socio Rehab (High Street, Northern Quarter): Every single person I’ve asked for Manchester bar recommendations has always had this place on their list, and for good reason. The service is a little slow, but if you’re not in a hurry, their drinks are really something special. The staff are amazing at what they do considering their cocktail menu has over 80 drinks and even an order of 5 or 6 drinks still comes out right. My personal favourite is the Mid-Week Roller. Drinks come out at £6.50 each, which is on the pricier side of Manchester, but still way cheaper than London.

Keko Maku (High Street, Northern Quarter): This place takes you back to a simpler, more relaxed time; your own little island in the middle of Manchester . Leave your worries at the door, there’s no room for them here. Drinks are generous in both size and alcohol content. Also, they have a rum club for £10 that’ll score you an invite to one of their brand-supported drinkfests every 6 weeks or so. I haven’t been yet, but it sounds like pretty good value to me.

Mojo (Bridge Street (Backside), just off Deansgate): A rock n’ roll cocktail bar. What more needs to be said? I picked this venue for a recent MBA student meet-up and about 50 of us descended on the place on a Tuesday…entirely dwarfing the other 15 or so other people. By midnight, though, quite a few other people had come along and the place was getting rather full. Apparently, on the weekends, Mojo is completely packed and it’s one of the best late night haunts in the city– when everything else is closing, the party continue here till 4AM. With a pretty extensive and reasonably-priced drinks menu (£2 Quilmes, wow) and a good mix of rock, pop, and even reggae, Mojo makes a great choice for either a large group on the dance floor or a few friends taking over one of their many booths in the back.

Coffee

Java (near Oxford Road Rail Station): My first stop in Manchester and on my way to school. They have free WiFi, decent food, and they can pour a real nice cup. I especially like their frappe’s for those balmy summer days in Manchester. Ha, who am I kidding? It’s just a nice place to sit and waste away a couple of hours and they’ve got flat whites on the menu too.

North Tea Power (Northern Quarter): Wayne and Jane run this little cafe tucked away in the Northern Quarter. Apparently they are the first in the UK to offer espresso tea. No flat white on the menu, but they are more than capable of making you one.

Restaurants

Well, to be honest, I haven’t really ventured out too much. I’ve got a list a mile long, but I’ll save that for my next post once I’ve actually had a chance to try a few.

By all means, if you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments….I’m going to eat my way through the town over the next few weeks before the madness of the MBA really sets in.

I recently discovered that these three words bear almost no meaning in the city of Amsterdam. Over the Easter weekend, I decided last minute to take a trip to visit the Dutch and see what kind of trouble I could get into. Four of us flocked to this city of debauchery with no agenda and no plans; our only obligations lie in making the most of the city. In the very centre of the city, I only had one recommendation, the speakeasy bar Door 74.

It was Saturday night and I would normally try and book for any classy cocktail bar, but here it would appear that is the onlyway of getting in at all if you’re not lucky. We didn’t really know what to expect except some really nice cocktails. A reservation was for 10pm and from the moment we walk in, we’re treated like VIPs at the most exclusive night spot in town. A kind gentleman takes our coats. A beautiful girl shows us to our table where a nice selection of nuts and olives awaits. Would we like a glass of champagne to start? Why yes, we most certainly would.

A Dry Vodka Martini

The drinks menu is extensive with plenty of interesting and unique creations. No fruit drinks here; if there’s fruit, it’s because they’re using their own homemade fruit syrups. The red vermouth is homemade too. Rare bitters find their way into rare and often infused spirits. Every drink is a tribute to the art of bartending.

Sure, they can do the classics, and whilst my friends were working their way through the cocktail menu, I was putting the bar through its paces. I started off with my personal bartending benchmark, a dry vodka martini with a twist. Surprisingly, the waitress asked if i wanted it shaken or stirred. This seems like a haven for purists, so I didn’t feel out of place saying “Stirred, never shaken.” I think it’s generally regarded that shaking a martini only serves to dilute the drink. Anyways, this drink goes down smooth, crisp, clean, and with just the slightest sweetness to it. Served in a chilled glass, it is truly a thing of beauty and rates among the best I’ve ever had. Ok, so they passed that test, but even I can make an (admittedly, average) martini.

“Could I have a Perfect Manhattan?”

“Absolutely.”

The Perfect Manhattan

Meanwhile, we ordered another round of house cocktails for the table and so far my favourite is “The Viking” – Akavit, Barbancourt rhum, Lillet blanc, orange  bitters. Just then, one of the bartenders approaches me and says “Are you the one who ordered the Perfect Manhattan?” Somewhat guiltily, I acknowledged I was the trying to gauge just how good their cocktails were. “You seem to know your drinks. Let’s find you that Perfect Manhattan.” Now it was a journey we were taking together. I try one whiskey that I am warned is quite strong. As delicious as it is, its probably going to overpower the vermouth. He knew it too and without hesitation he brings over a 100-proof whiskey which he thinks will suit it perfectly. This was only the second taste, but I knew this would be the one. A few minutes later, my Manhattan arrives and he’s standing there waiting for me to taste it, slightly nervous that it might not be what I was looking for, but showing the kind of excitement you get before someone opens a gift you have really put a lot of thought into. One sip and it’s perfect. Actually the best Perfect Manhattan I’ve ever had…twice.

So we worked our way through and I think I might have gone for a Sazerak, but it didn’t even matter. I was only trying other drinks because I would have felt bad about having the same Manhattans all night. It was nearing 3am and I asked what time the bar closes and with a spirited laugh (no pun intended) the waitress says, “We close when the bartenders feel like leaving…and they really hate leaving.” But it was getting late and we’d drank plenty, so we decided it was time to call it a night.

We walked back to our substandard accommodation and I had to drop off my roommates and take the single key so I could walk my friend back to where she was staying and still be able to get back into our hotel. The moment we walked out she looks at me and goes, “You know, I bet it would have been fun to stay there longer…” I didn’t need much persuading and we quickly jumped in a taxi. We thought we would just stop by for one last drink.

My foray into bartending.

We arrived back at the bar around 4 and were told it had shut some time earlier. After some persuading, we managed to get in and realised they were just getting started. There were still a good 15 or so people and they were cleaning up so we were told we could have any simple drinks. Like shots. Easy to pour, easy to serve, and too easy to drink. At one point they even put me behind the bar, a sign of respect that I don’t take for granted. They guided me around their vast selection of spirits to pour out shots for everyone and apparently, I was only the 4th person to person to work the bar who didn’t actually work for the bar. Rum and cokes were the bartender’s choice and their house rum is El Dorado from Guyana, which has a slight vanilla taste to it. We ended up talking for hours with the staff and other patrons lucky enough to be invited to stay late. A late night became an early morning and most of the guests slowly started to file out by 6. Everything, most of all our sobriety, was coming to an end. There were 5 of us left now, but we can’t leave without one last drink.

Out comes the champagne and a shot of whiskey each. A couple glasses down and some more meaningful chat and it’s now 7:30. We’ve lasted as long as the bartenders wanted to and they decided its time to finally call it a night. Have we really been here for the better part of 8 hours? Handshakes and hugs all around, it’s been an adventure and this is what Amsterdam is all about.

After that night, all I wanted to do was go back…which we did, the very next night. It was another night of decadence that ended with us stepping out into the light of day. Even now all I can think about is the next time I can get back for another round with some of Amsterdam’s finest bartenders. One last drink? I hope that’s never the case at Door 74.

Door 74

PS HUGE thanks to 52 Martinis for the fantastic recommendation.

Every recommendation I had heard about this place said to try the tequila verdita. A shot of tequila and a shot of some green magic, verdita, that’s a combination of mint, coriander, pineapple, and jalapeno. No matter how I describe it, I’m not going to do it justice, you just owe it to yourself to get over to Casita and have one.

After that I moved on to a Wray and Ting. Ting is a Jamaican grapefruit soda that I can only imagine would go well as a mixer with just about anything. J Wray is Jamaican rum, so I can see how someone got the idea to mix them together. Really refreshing and it kind of made me forget it was just a dreary Monday evening in the middle of the London winter.

Tuesday I came back for a few pictures and had to give their vodka martini a try. I was served Fair vodka, one I’d never heard of before. Apparently the worlds first Fair Trade vodka and quinoa-based vodka. Quinoa, another thing I’d never heard of. Anyways, my martini was just as crisp and smooth as I would have expected, having really enjoyed all the other drinks I’d had so far. As I’m sitting there, Will goes ahead and pours 8 shots of Jager and passes them to everyone around the bar. Friends of his, I presume, since they all knew his name…but then again, I felt completely comfortable calling him Will and I’d only just met him the night before. 15 minutes or 20 minutes goes by and I’m savouring the last few drops of martini before asking for the bill. “That’ll be…a fiver” Will says, as he pours me shot of Buffalo Trace bourbon. I insisted he take at least 10 for as kind as he’d been.

Now, I mentioned the place is small, but that only makes you more inclined to talk to the people around you. I’ve been here twice now and both times I struck up conversations with complete strangers. Yes, I know that’s something I would do. Yes, I know that’s “very American” of me. But I’m pretty sure this would hold true for anybody coming to visit. Will himself introduced me to new people while I was just sitting there by myself on my second visit. Apparently on the weekends it gets much busier, though.

The place is decorate with all kinds of crazy crap on the wall behind the bar.  Every bit of space is taken up, but it seems every item is in its place. It’s organised chaos. I don’t think you could fit any more bottles on the shelves, but that’s fine because Casita has every bottle they need. Starting to make sense? I’m willing to bet that the things on the wall are all collected over many years and each item has a story behind it. Moving on to the music, I can confidently say I’ve never been to a bar in my life that could get away with playing “Foxy Lady” by Jimi Hendrix followed immediately by “Push It” by Salt n’ Pepa…and Will has a thing for Barenaked Ladies which isn’t a bad thing, but certainly a far cry from any other bar in the area (ask him about his favourite song). Thing is, you’re probably doing so much talking, you’re not really paying attention to the music.

What more can I say that hasn’t already been said? I may live around the corner from Casita, but even if I was trekking across the city, I think Will and the atmosphere of Casita would make you feel like a local. The drinks are great, the prices make you wonder how this place turns a profit (my guess is lots and lots of repeat customers), and its made all the better by its friendly and fun atmosphere. When you’re surrounded by many other pretentious bars, Casita is about as refreshing as the Ting that they serve.

Get in early, they’re only open till 11.

The Tip: Portobello Star

The Tipster: Will Foster, Bartender and Owner

On any night of the week, I can go in and know that I am going to get great service and great drinks. Ask for a Full Marks (sweet with bourbon), a Broadmoor (might have been a special, rich and whiskey based), or just have them make you a hell of a good martini.

There are three main areas: the open bar in the front of the house, the sit down seating area (complete with bathtubs cut in half to make couches), and the upstairs more private area. Upstairs is practically a different bar. A world apart from the commotion downstairs, the drinks menu is different (though, like the rest of shoreditch, this changes every week) and while the area seats 15-20, a couple could sit up here and feel like they have complete privacy. It feels exclusive. Also there is a dedicated bartender and server so you’re rarely at risk of going thirsty.

Things to note: sun-thursday they’re only open till 11. Fri-Sat till 1. On any given night, its worth making a reservation if you want a seat.

Also to note: If you’re on foursquare, you’ll see I’m the mayor. I encourage you to try and dethrown me because htis place deserves all the business it gets.

The Tip: Casita

The Tipster: Andrea

Thursday night is one of my favourite nights to go out. Friday mornings are one of my least favourite mornings to go to work. It was my job to organise a work night out, or “team building exercise” as I preferred to call it. The “grill” portion of Dollar Grill and Martinis is pretty good value for what you get. Around the table everyone walked away satisfied with their burgers and steaks that all came in between £10 and £15. About £20 total after we’d washed it down a nice glass of Malbec. We then proceeded downstairs to really kick the night off with the other house specialty, the Martini. They have a really wide range of spirits and, being a vodka martini man, I started with Ciroc before moving on to the less-traditional Akvinta vodka from Croatia. The beer selection was limited, but unique: Viru (Estonia), Moritz (Spain), Blue Moon (USA), Deus (Belgium), and both light and dark Bath Ales from here in the UK.

Drinks tend to be on the pricier side at about £8.50 for a martini. We had about 5 before the night was out.

Favo(u)rite American Hangout : The Big Easy
Tipster: Brett Newmark, Operations Manager