From the people who brought you the wondrous Walrus, Hula is a tiki-themed cocktail bar in Stephenson Square. For all its bars and bespoke late night venues, Manchester hadn’t properly explored the tiki-theme but now, with Hula Bar and the small, shack-like Keko Moku on Thomas Street, it has two rum-wielding good-time drinking dens.

The Venue
Hula Tiki Lounge is positioned in Stevenson Square, far enough away from the well-trodden paths along Oldham and Thomas Street to avoid the weekend melee, but close enough to serve those who know the Northern Quarter doesn’t just revolve around the aforementioned axis.

It is owned by the same people as the weird and wonderful Walrus and it has a wacky and original style - like Walrus it is designed and conceived by Bernard Carroll - but, unlike Walrus, it doesn’t quite pull it off with the same surreal elegance. However, the bamboo walls, the fish tank over looking the stairs into the bar, the mock cheetah print seats and the blow-fish lighting certainly bring an allure of their own.

The People
With half price offers available on cocktails and wine between 5pm-7pm, Monday-Friday, Hula attracts a number of work parties and social gatherings. Straight from the office, people head down to sample a Castaway or Sweet Leilani, whilst unwinding and forgetting the stresses of the week. It also attracts couples or large groups of friends who simply want to chat, have a giggle over some of the imaginative names of the cocktails and enjoy something a little different.

The Music
Saturday nights offer an easy going mix of reggae, hip hop and lounge music. Tuesday night already has a very popular quiz night and new nights are going to be introduced throughout the week, dropping a playlist of funky sounds under the vague umbrella of island music.

The Drink
Whilst vodka has become the most biggest-selling spirit in the UK, rum’s popularity is soaring and it can make a much more interesting base to mixed drinks than the clear white spirit. Hula specialize in rum cocktails and most of them are brand new concoctions created specifically for the venue. One is called Paradise Found, a tall combination of lip-smacking raspberries, shaken with the sharp tang of passion fruit and Tahitian apple. Another is named The Planet of the Apes, which is a beautifully luxurious mixture of white chocolate, banana and vanilla rum. It has a sweet and creamy flavour that makes it almost like drinking a dessert. Individual cocktails start at £6 meaning that you can sample one for £3 during the week.

They also offer drinks serving from 2-8 people, including the £16 Volcano Bowl, which mixes cognac, guava, papaya and a blend of rums into a full figured punch donning a flaming crown, and the £55 Powder Keg (a 3-litre cask filled with fruit and premium rums), a potent brew as explosive as it suggests with a number of secret ingredients.

Regular cocktails can be found too, like the Mojito. If you speak to the bar staff, they may be able to make a customised one from one of the multitude of different rums available that take up a 6 foot-long shelf. That’s a lot of rum.

In addition to this they also offer a selection of beers, such as bottles of Chang (£3.30) and pints of Warsteiner (£3.30). House wine comes from Chile, the Lamanda producer provides the Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Rose (£14.50 per bottle). These represent great value when you take advantage of the half price offer.

The Last Word
Hula offers no-nonsense fun and frivolity with none of the pretensions that can sometimes be found nearby. If you’re always on the look out for the latest place to try and some of the best cocktails in Manchester, Hula is a must-visit.

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