Blackdog Ballroom is a slick and stylish underground bar with several pool tables, late opening hours and the intriguing prospect of clandestine, password-operated rooms.

The Venue
If you have recently read Peter Hook’s riotous book The Hacienda – How Not To Run A Club, you’ll be well aware that New York was a big inspiration for the music of New Order and the building of the infamous Whitworth Street night club. This special relationship continues to this day and the latest expression comes in the form of the NYC-inspired Northern Quarter hangout, the Blackdog Ballroom.

You’ll find the entrance of Blackdog Ballroom on the corner of Church Street and Tib Street. The bar itself is underneath Afflecks Palace in the space that was recently occupied by the pop-up club Blink. Prior to that it was the sweaty North nightclub, and older heads may even remember it was once the vodka-fuelled pre-cursor to Revolution, known as Isobar.

Through the glass doors you head down to a dimly lit bar via a distinctive wooden staircase and enter a space with a smart, funky decor and lots of dark wooden paneling. The first things to catch your eye are the cool stripy lightshades hanging over the long bar, which stretches down the left-hand side of the room. Slate tiles surround the bar and work well with the dark green walls, wooden flooring and sections of open brick work. Seating comes in the form of booths, smaller tables with chunky seats and white, modern designer bar stools that nicely contrast with the dark furnishings. It’s not an excessively cosy drinking den, but it is well designed and it does have the potential for late night debauchery as it is actually deceptively spacious and has a number of discreet areas.

Even though it has barely opened its doors it is sort of place where you could go in during the daytime (it opens at 12noon), lose track of time and come out in the early hours of the morning (it’s open until 4am). Once past the bar you’ll see the glow of red from the back of the room. This is where you’ll find the venue’s pool tables. Bang on the bar industry trend, Blackdog has five bright red tables sitting side by side with comfy seating around them - perfect for hanging out with your mates and having a few games over a drink. For those that prefer strutting their stuff to potting balls, just around the corner there’s a small dance floor with a DJ booth in tow. And, in the near future, also expect to find secret rooms policed by passwords, which you might find at venues in Mayfair or Manhattan but for Manchester, it is an intriguing prospect and certainly different.

The People
Two well-known industry heads are behind this new Northern Quarter watering hole - Ross Mackenzie of No 1 Club and Jobe Ferguson, the man responsible for the success of the Northern Quarter Restaurant and Bar. The Blackdog crowd will inevitably include your usual Northern Quarter types – creative folk with a sense of style, as well as people from further afield looking for a night out with a bit of a difference.

Another big plus for the venue and one that ties in with one of the bar’s inspirations (the NYC service industry speakeasy, Employees Only) is that the Northern Quarter is so reliant on the food and drink sector that Blackdog is bound to pull in a few workers after they finish a shift. Not only that but with links to clubs like Sankeys and Number One Club, the chances of Blackdog becoming a stop off for DJs, before or after the show, are pretty much guaranteed.

The Food
If you’re a bit peckish, you’re in luck because the Italian-American food is very satisfying. Light bites include garlic bread or a bowl of mixed olives (£1.95) but it's the onion rings that are perfect – chunky, crispy, light and moreish they're great for snacking on over a pint. Other starters include Blackdog dough balls (£2.95) and bruschetta which combines juicy tomatoes and shreds of basil on crunchy pieces of bread - fresh and flavoursome if a touch heavy on the garlic.

The stars of the menu are the burgers. These are well-seasoned 100% Cheshire beef patties with various toppings. The Scooby Snack is particularly good, stacked high with sweet relish, Parma ham, a generous amount of cheese and pesto – it’s a real feast with fries on the side for £7.95.

Lighter options include a range of salads. From chicken and chorizo to goat’s cheese with anchovy, aubergines, peppers and croutons (£5.95), they have a few interesting ones on offer. And there’s also an ample range of pizzas, in either 6 or 12 inch portion size, at very reasonable prices. With cool names such as the New Yorker and Soho they nicely tie in with the theme of the bar. The seafood pizza is served without cheese, but does have tomatoes, prawn, squid, mussels, tuna, red onion, capers and dressed rocket (£7.50). For a veggie friendly option, choose the Rustica, a pizza topped with char grilled veg, artichokes, olives, goat’s cheese and pesto dressing (£6.25 for 12”). The latter, although tasty with beautifully sweet artichokes, is very rich with a liberal amount of cheese.

Overall, the food is of a very respectable quality, as you might expect seeing as one of the owners runs the highly rated Northern Quarter Restaurant and Bar.

The Drink
On tap there’s San Miguel, Erdinger, Carlsberg Extra Cold, Tuborg, Gaymers and Guinness. You’ve also got the reassuring sight of bottled Peroni, Cusquena and Kopparberg and a good selection of wine. The spirit shelf is very well stocked and you should even keep an eye out for classic speakeasy tipples, like the oddly named bourbon Knob Creek.

The Last Word
With its potential for long, time-bending sessions and after dark antics Blackdog Ballroom is set to become a firm favourite in the neighbourhood. Keep your ears open for those passwords, but remember - it’s a secret.

venue information venue map view manchester review user reviews (3) image gallery (6)