CityLife

Kro Spinningfields

SPINNINGFIELDS is a tale of two developments. By day, a bustling hive of modern industry: all suited office workers, frappuccinos and high speed networking.

By night however the place can become a bit of a ghost town, reminiscent of the opening scenes of 28 Weeks Later: uninhabited glass and steel monoliths towering over empty pavements, weirdly isolated from the perma hubbub of Deansgate, just a stone’s throw away.

 Oddly, though the evening streets are often quiet, the restaurants always have their fair share of customers, which given the vast amounts of money that have clearly been poured into the district will be a source of considerable relief to its investors.

And God love them they’re doing their best to spread the buzz to the outdoor spaces – film screenings, deckchairs and assorted regular events complement the wide array of branded eaterie options for the hungry wanderer.

Cycle-taxis patrol

To encourage folk who might not fancy the walk to somewhere new, Spinningfields cycle-taxis patrol the rest of the city, optimistically offering to scoop you up and take you there. What does a developer have to do to draw a crowd around here?

Cue summer, and in steps Kro Bar – adding a destination watering hole to the food-led local fraternity.

One of the handful of homegrown evergreen bar chains (which also includes Trof and Odd/er/est), the four other Manchester Kros are much loved and often packed to the rafters.

Could it be the nectar that attracts more than just the office worker bees?

Happy hour specials

Located in a temporary structure till September, there’s much to suggest it will. Plenty of space inside the marquee is mirrored by ample seating on a decking area outside.

It features table tennis tables, bar food, real ales, cocktails, wines, happy hour specials, lawn games, free live music (Wednesday and Friday nights from 6pm) and the usual Kro laid back vibe.

Forthcoming gigs include Badly Drawn Boy on August 21, and Liam Frost on August 28. Catch it while you can – Kro closes on September 12.

 

 

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