CityLife

Atlas Bar

Atlas - still cool interior

SOME bars are so much part of the fabric of Manchester it seems they’ve been around forever.

Like Atlas, whose new owner informs CityLife it’s actually been trading eight years, but we believe its double that.

 Atlas is at the place where Castlefield meets Deansgate Locks: the apex of two of the city’s former favourite drinking circuits, in what feels like a landmark site under the rail arches at the bottom of Deansgate.  

Along with neighbouring Knott Bar across the road, it marks the southern gateway to Manchester city centre and the beginning of the action.  

Sprawling beer patio  

While Castlefield is seasonal and the Locks a bit passé, Atlas has somehow emerged a cut above the vagaries of trendiness and weather and, though summer is a great time to enjoy it thanks to the sprawling beer patio out the back, it’s resolutely evergreen.  

That’s in part due to its relaxed attitude; in part to its standards, in part to its location.  

It’s a happy mainstream option, attracting pleasant people, offering nice food and drink: equally suited for Sunday morning coffees and Saturday night socials, casual lunches or after work drinks.  

Paul Crompton, the new owner we mentioned, has no plans to instigate a big overhaul.  

Baby grand  

Since arriving in September he’s made subtle changes – introducing a cocktail list, tweaking the food menus and bolstering the entertainment.  

This develops further with the addition of a baby grand piano later in February and more live music nights .  

Paul is an professional pianist and will be adding his own talents to the existing live sax on the line up (Tom da Lips has a popular weekend residency playing over the top of funky house DJ sets), as well as bringing in acoustic and open mic nights.    

Atlas, 376 Deansgate  M3 4LY (0161 834 2124).