One of Castlefield's old mainstays has got a new look but its garish decor won’t be to everyone’s taste.

The Venue
By the time it closed down at the end of last year, Barca had become quite a bleak and unwelcoming shell of a place, and considering its near-perfect location next to the Castlefield canal basin and its readymade audience consisting of local residents, it's no surprise that someone’s decided to give it a second chance and a much-needed make-over. The people charged with bringing the glory days back to the venue are the same people who have made a huge success of Lammars in the back streets of Piccadilly and, with their track record, Barca has got more than a fighting chance of being a success again.

The new Barca has rather lurid purple pillars that sit either side of the main entrance. This hints towards what’s to come in the interior and, once inside, you're hit with the full extravagance of it all. The numerous bar areas are decked out with chandeliers, mismatched wallpaper, stuffed white tigers, two mirrored pianos and, worst of all, a floor-to-ceiling graphic print of the bar's erstwhile owner, Mick Hucknall.

It's a shame that the new owners have opted to be so ostentatious with the decor, because the venue itself is great. It has a huge sun terrace out the front overlooking the canal, which has been the scene of many legendary sunny D: Percussion afternoons, and is a space that’s perfect for al fresco drinking and dining. The building itself, hewn into the railway arches, has bags of industrial character, but this has largely been glossed over by all the glitz.

The People
Considering its fairly residential surroundings, Barca's clientele is likely to consist of the local 20-30-something professionals during the week. That said its outlandish appearance isn't exactly conducive to a relaxing post-work pint, for which the neighbouring Duke's 92 seems a much more appealing proposition. One thing the venue has always thrived on is private bookings and requests are already flying in. Barca, particularly the rooms upstairs, have always been a magnificent place to have a birthday bash, or even a wedding reception, and this seems to be continuing.

Entertainment is in place across the week: jazz and soul music is played by a band on Wednesdays; Thursdays are comedy nights with a door charge of around £5; weekends see DJs take over to play a mixture of disco and Motown from bygone eras.

The Drinks
One of the plus sides of the new Barca is that they've done away with the rather student union-esque selection of its previous incarnation (two-for-one VKs, anyone?) and brought in a wider variety of drinks which should appeal to the majority of visitors. The wine list is extensive enough to satisfy most palates and prices range from £13 to £37.50. For those looking for a more expensive tipple there are seven champagnes to choose from, ranging from £35 to a £100-plus for a bottle of Dom Perignon.

In terms of beers, Barca has a fairly varied selection of bottles, including Peroni (£3.50), the always refreshing Modelo Especial (also £3.50) and the frankly bizarre Kasteel Cru Champagne lager (£3.85). The choice on draught is a mixed affair, from the bog-standard Carling (£3.20 a pint) and the increasingly ubiquitous Coors) to the slightly classier (Peroni (£3.80 a pint) and the acquired taste of beers like Grolsch Blonde and Weizen (both £3.60 a pint) – only try the latter if you like your beer to have a faint taste of brie about it.

The Food
Tapas-style bar food is available and there’s a restaurant menu to come.

The Last Word
Barca's gaudy interior seems like a case of overkill. However, while it faces a battle to challenge Duke's 92's dominance, the owner’s have reinvented a seminal Manchester venue and with some improvements it may yet still become a roaring success. At the very least it adds a little more choice to this part of town.

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