The Dulcimer has a laidback, cultured vibe and fits in well with the Chorlton bar scene thanks to a nice space, good booze and regular music nights upstairs.

The Venue
The Dulcimer is a welcome addition to the buzzing Chorlton bar scene. Ignore the ridiculously gaudy blue and yellow frontage as inside it's more rustic with exposed brickwork, wooden tables and chairs and a white ceiling with spotlights that's more loft conversion than tacky boozer.

The bar is on the left and there's a yard at the back for smokers who can't make it past a pint without gasping for a nicotine fix. However, the most remarkable thing about The Dulcimer is the music. None other than local boy and revered DJ, record collector and head of Twisted Nerve (Badly Drawn Boy's label) Andy Votel has a regular slot here.

Indeed the bar is owned by his music associate Lee Janda. His nights run in the upstairs room which is decked out with enormous wooden, Jamaican sound-system style stack speakers. There's also a custom-made wooden DJ booth and don't be surprised to see people wondering what obscure 45s he’s pulled from his dusty crates on any given evening.

But that's not where the musical slant ends. The Dulcimer has also hosted performances by legendary 70s folk singers who they've persuaded to revive their careers. It's licensed to 130am, which is a lot later than neighbouring venues and anywhere that advertises global psyche and hairy funk nights deserves continued recognition.

The People
The Dulcimer attracts an interesting, open-minded, arty and muso crowd: the sort of people you'll find reading The Observer music magazine on a Sunday afternoon. But that said, there's a good mix of folk and a healthy male-female ratio. This is Chorlton, don’t you know.

The Food and Drink
Food is served till 7pm every day and there's a good choice of less predictable sandwich options such as crayfish for under £4. The soup of the day and a sandwich option tends to be the most popular though, coming in at £5.95.

On tap there's Konig Ludwig, Bomber, Thwaite's dark, mild and bitter , Peroni and Kingston's Press cider and there's a rather impressive bottled beer selection too, which includes the likes of Pacifico, Brooklyn, Cooper's Sparkling Ale, Modelo, Sam Smith's organic cherry beer and Sierra Nevada pale ale. An exotic choice that ties in nicely with the decor and the liberal drinkers and thinkers that the bar attracts.

The Last Word
The Dulcimer is a cool, laidback bar offering good food and great drink alongside some of the best live music you're likely to hear for many miles.

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