Canal Street restaurants, eating out, dining, pubs, bars in Canal Street Manchester.

Canal Street

Canal Street - as immortalised in TV series like Queer As Folk - is the hub of Manchester's gay village. Or, "the village" as it's usually called these days. At one time, it was trendier than trendy. But that's changed a bit. Largely because noisy coach parties tend to turn up at weekends and these days many "straight" folk come to gawp and take a look round out of not particularly welcomed curiosity. The consequence is that gay-oriented bars and restaurants are springing up elsewhere and other places within the village are getting a bit stricter about who they allow in. That said, Canal Street is still chock-full of lively places to eat and drink and positively hums with atmosphere. You won't find fine wining and dining here but you will definitely have a good time.

Prague Five - Beer monsters' paradise with good snacks

A bit barn-like and Eastern European in style with lots of wooden seating, it's on two floors and now has comfy sofas alongside the sparser aspects. Prague Five, as you'd expect, is most renowned for its draught Czech beers. The clientele is mixed and there's no "door " policy, which means you're likely to get a warm welcome. Food is served in the upstairs bit and is of the salad-soup-sandwich variety.

Churchills - Pub food

Another golden oldie which likes the "Union" has been refurbished and extended and offers pub fare of the steak/sausages/chips variety as well as soup and sandwiches. Not exactly one of the most voguish places in the village but drinks are cheaper and the welcome is as good as anywhere else. Karaoke is often on offer but you won't find the beautiful people here.

Eden - All-day eating

Eden Bar and grill is located in what used to be the much-missed Metz Caf� Bar. Access is via a cute footbridge across the Rochdale Canal. You can get everything here from breakfast to brunch and dinner from an a la carte menu offering Mediterranean-style faves. Carrying on the Metz tradition, the bar even has its own barge moored alongside, ideal for a relaxing summer's day or even a private party.

Velvet - French/European

Kitsch and eastern European in style, this basement eaterie offers a cosy refuge from the street above. It's pretty plush inside and has an eclectic sort of menu offering everything from pates, salads and pasta to nice fish dishes and chicken kebabs. Puds too of the chocolate mousse and cr�me brulee variety and cheeses are local and organic. Very reasonably priced.

Spirit - Char-Grill favourites

One of the largest and most luxurious bars on Canal Street, it's on three levels and has a balcony from where you can observe all that's going on below. Open late from lunch through to cocktail hour and the early hours. Food focuses on the fast but tasty with lots of steaks and grills. Lighter meals, too, for those watching their waistlines.

New Union - Pub food

One of the originals. This used to be a grotty, strictly transvestite sort of place with disco dancing for saddoes but now it's a bit more mainstream, although it will never win prizes for the d�cor. The old pub has been refurbished and extended and at lunchtimes offers basic food such as pie, chips, and chilli along with beer and butties.

Taurus - Pan European

Taurus, Number 1 Canal Street, is nothing if not eclectic. The vast menu here offers everything from "platters" of various international hue - Indian, Mexican and Chinese -- to simpler soups, salads and sandwiches. But you can also pig out on everything from pork hocks to steak Rossini and buckets of Mussels. They do three-course lunches on Sundays.

Via Fossa - Classy pub grub

This bar/eaterie is so big it's almost cathedral-like and furnished with nicely gothic style decor, heavy wooden furniture and countless stairways leading to various nooks and crannies. The menu offers everything from soups, dips and Caesar salads, to more substantial steak and chicken dishes as well as pasta -- all for about �6 to �10 a head.

AXM - Strictly gay grills

This one opened in September and is aimed exclusively at the gay community - fair enough as they must be sick of lager louts treating the area as a freak show. Foodwise, there's everything from dim sum to chicken satay, mussels, soups, and sandwiches. You can also order from a "bespoke" menu in which you match various grills from steak to seafood with a huge range of sauces - red wine, Cajun, and chilli. A nice idea which means you also get a say in how the food is cooked.

Queer - Pub food to share

This used to be The Slug And Lettuce but now it is back to a more overtly gay identity and open late every night until 2am. The food is Canal Street staple - Tex-mex, wraps, steak and chips , tuna steak and chips etc. The emphasis here is on food "to share" so there are queer combos, queer veggie combos and generally calorie-cramed goodies to wash down your cut-price wine and beer with.

Fact File

Parking:
None on Canal Street. Multi-storeys nearby on Chorlton Street and Aytoun Street.

Cash:
On Whitworth Street, a three-minute walk away, or head for Portland Street.

Pub:
Most of the old pubs on Canal Street have been too tarted up to still qualify as bona fide hostelries but just round the corner opposite the bus station is Paddy's Goose, a mainly lesbian pub which welcomes all and has decent, old-fashioned pub food at lunchtimes..

Bar:
Now celebrating over 10 years in business, glass-fronted Manto is almost as cool as it was when it first opened in the early nineties as one of the first openly gay bars in town. Loud music, good wines and beers, with a room upstairs, which can be used for private parties.

Nightclub:
Where do you start? Most of the places listed (apart from the pubs) are open until 2am. Via Fossa and Spirit are the most popular late-night places but Manto is probably still the coolest. If you want a taste of how the village used to be try Napoleon's, but only if you're committed to the scene.