CityLife Rating
Cloud 23
FOR the three people living inside the M60 who may not be aware, Cloud 23 is the house bar of the city centre Hilton hotel.
It is situated on the 23rd (get it?) floor of the skyscraping Beetham Tower, that giant glass monolith at the south end of Deansgate that since 2006 has dominated the Manchester skyline and polarised local opinion.
As the highest bar in town, Cloud was always going to benefit from a high profile, its location the main reason for its notoriety, which makes it an obvious target for guidebook bar reviewers from out of town.
So who uses the bar? Thanks to the landmark location, the former hype, the views and the fact it shares a footprint with 50 floors of Hilton hotel rooms below, it gets its fair share of tourists.
High-speed lift
They are drawn by the stretching panoramic views (floor to ceiling glass windows have all but the most blasé staring towards the horizon – the single reason why everyone should make at least one visit).
Plus the sense of occasion you get being propelled into your night out via a high-speed lift.
Because of the dress code and Manchester’s love affair with trainers, this is not a place popular with locals. Instead it’s dressed up weekenders in search of stylish Saturdays that tend to form the orderly queue behind the velvet rope in the plush lobby below.
Inside the bar, the corporate Hilton influence is evident in both service and surroundings.
Glam but soulless
It’s glam but a bit soulless; what you can see from inside the bar is the highlight, not the bar itself.
Drinks consultants the Gorgeous Group have pioneered some personality in the cocktail list, with signature drinks like the Alexandra Park (a Ketel One martini made with strawberry, basil and balsamic vinegar), Step On (a passion fruit and cherry liqueur caipirihna) and the Cottonopolis (Tanqueray with pear, elderflower and soda), reassuring us that Cloud is part of this city, not just a big bucks-funded voyeur.
They’re fun to pick from and competently delivered, though the (table) service can be frustratingly slow.
Not that this puts people off. If you’re going on a Saturday night – even now, two years post-launch – you’ll need to book.
Reviewed: Wed, 20 May, 2009
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Elizabeth
24/09/08 22:54
Great cocktail menu and great view, bit of a pain when you have to queue for the lift so book a table first. Mojitos are great
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