The Liars Club, one of Manchester’s best late-night watering holes, has announced its closure after 12 years.
The popular underground tiki bar has been serving flaming Zombie cocktails and all sort of other rum-based drinks into the small hours for more than a decade.
It’s part of the Crazy Pedro’s group and is tucked into a basement beneath the pizza joint’s Bridge Street location.
But now after so many years of keeping Manchester’s late-night crowd dancing, The Liars Club will be closing its doors for good.
After one final hurrah on New Year’s Eve, the space will be used by Crazy Pedro’s as a private hire space.
The site may then be developed into a new concept for The Liars Group.
Posting on Instagram today, The Liars Club wrote: “And so, we come with news that The Liars Club will be closing after twelve years of Tiki, as of the 31st December
“She’s had one hell of an innings – hundreds of thousands of zombies, tonnes and tonnes of cinnamon and many a hangover inflicted.
“The team will be relocating to some of our favourite sister venues and the venue will still be available to hire for private occasions as the best party spot in the land.
“Come and join us for a zombie, or two, over the next couple of weeks and one hell of a NYE party at the end of it to send her off in style.
One person commented on their post: “Honestly heartbroken – I spent my 18th here and then 9 years later, my hen do (obviously with visits in between) but some of the biggest moments of my life were celebrated here! Favourite place in Manchester and I can’t believe I won’t be able to get back to town in time to visit again before you close. Have a great New Year’s Eve. You guys are the best.”
Another said: “Gutted, always made time for a drink here when in the city. It’s been a fine innings.”
Someone else wrote: “Oh my god this day just gets WORSE.”
Lively Irish pub Nancy Spains set to open in Manchester for the first time
Daisy Jackson
An Irish bar famed for its live music is heading up to Manchester for the first time, and is promising £2.50 pints to lure us in.
Nancy Spains will be venturing out of London for the first time promising to bring the ‘ultimate traditional Irish pub experience’ to the Northern Quarter.
If you were to ask what the hottest trend in hospitality is right now the answer would, apparently, be Guinness. We’re drowning in the stuff.
This latest opening is more about Murphy’s, another Irish stout, than Guinness (they actually won’t serve Guinness at all) but the craic will be much the same.
Nancy Spains is actually set to open almost directly opposite the aforementioned Salmon of Knowledge, taking over the former Corner Boy unit on Stevenson Square in the heart of Manchester.
To celebrate its opening, the pub will be serving its first 5000 pints of Murphy’s for just £2.50, so that it can show off the atmosphere that’s established it as ‘one of London’s favourite pubs’.
They’re promising an array of Irish whiskeys behind the bar, live music performances, and a lively late-night setting.
Nancy Spains was set up by three brothers who travelled all over their home county of rural Kerry researching Irish pubs, before launching two venues down in London.
They want it to balance a traditional pub with the vibrancy of the city.
Peter O’Halloran, co-founder of Nancy Spains commented, “We’re so excited to be launching in Manchester, bringing Nancy Spains to the heart of the Northern Quarter.
“After the success of our two venues in London, it was only right to bring Nancy Spains’ infectious spirit and Irish pride to Manchester. Slainte!”
Nancy Spains will open its first Manchester pub on Saturday 15 March at 21 Hilton Street.
Lucky Mama’s – The Italian restaurant serving pasta in a dough bowl and ‘pregnant’ pizzas
Daisy Jackson
Lucky Mama’s is a local sensation, thanks to its slightly whacky but delicious Italian creations like pasta served in a bowl made of pizza dough and its latest offering, a ‘pregnant’ pizza.
What on Earth is a pregnant pizza, you ask? Firstly we should stress this is a nickname we’ve bestowed upon the dish, rather than Lucky Mama’s chosen branding.
But essentially it’s a helping of fresh pasta that’s folded into the bubble crust of the pizza, like a half-calzone.
Lucky Mama’s started life when founders Mamadou Dhiam and Gaby Santos set up a trailer in their backyard in Eccles in the depths of lockdown.
But thanks to a formidably loyal following that’s spread the word of Lucky Mama’s far and wide, it now has two pretty pink restaurants in Greater Manchester.
Back in 2022, they threw open the doors to their Chorlton restaurant, before returning back to home turf for spot number two in Monton in 2024.
The recipes are fresh and pretty authentically Italian up until the last step, when they throw a curveball by loading their pasta into unconventional vessels.
‘Pregnant’ pizzas at Lucky Mama’sTraditional Roman pizzasLucky Mama’s pink restaurant in Chorlton
Their pasta pizza bowls are what they’re best known for and they fly out of the kitchen – this is where pizza dough is placed around a metal bowl before being baked in an oven.
Then it’s piled high with freshly made pasta, with popular flavours like cacio e pepe, mushroom alfredo, and rasta pasta.
Pasta is available in a regular ceramic bowl too.
You’ll find Lucky Mama’s at 565 Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton; and 217 Monton Road in Eccles.
Daisy Jackson -
14th December 2023 
