walrus, Manchester

When i went in with friends they weren’t serving food as they were mid-refurbishing the kitchen. We decided to stay for a few cocktails instead.
They don’t have draft beers or ciders, but they do have bottles.
Smallish cocktail list but a lot of variety in there. I think when we went in they had hired several new staff as none of them knew how to make 2 of the cocktails we ordered but they said they would bring them over. When they arrived they were lovely, not sure if they were worth £7 each but almost.

I went here for lunch yesterday, and I have to say, I really liked it. It does looks very trendy from the outside, but the staff are super friendly and down to earth, and the vibe is great. So it has a nice feeling in here.

It's modern and colourful decor is all bright colours and swirls, and yet it some how feels a very relaxing place to sit in. The entrance has a large fish tank built in to the right of it, and the baroque seating with extra stools around the edges of the windows is comfortable and provides the right amount of intimacy.

The £6 bento lunch boxes are what this place is all about at lunchtime. I went for the fish box, and mmmm it was delicious. The box contained pan asian style white fish, salmon and prawns in breadcrumbs with a portion of steamed rice. Everything tasted fresh and delicious and I felt satisfied not stuffed after eating it. I didnt have to reach for a single snack all afternoon either!

The only thing was, I spotted a few men in here wearing espadrills. I am still not convinced this is appropriate footware for men. Most of the men in here were dressed in a very 'metro' style come to think of it.

The cocktail menu looks amazing. But at lunchtime we thought we better stick to the soft drinks. However, it's 2 for 1 between 5pm and 7pm on week nights, so i'll def be propping up the bar in here come pay day!

Imagine, if you will, Nathan Barley moving to Manchester and scouring the Northern Quarter for a new place to hang out with people in horrible skin-tight vests and veiny arms.

The Walrus Bar is the first place he'd settle down for a night of inane yappery.

Yep - this is one KOOKY place and doesn't it know it? Cod psychedelic decor clashes with the ubiquitous city DJ playing electronic dining-pap.

However, all is not lost. This may well be a place to avoid in the evening (frankly, there's a myriad of places to get a cocktail down you in Manchester if you're really keen on having one, quite a few a stone's throw away from this very venue) but in the day, if the surroundings don't melt your eyeballs until they trickle listlessly down your puffy little face, there's some decent grub on offer.

So yeah.

A real mixed bag this place that feels a bit flash in the pan... but I could be, and most likely to be, wrong.

At lunch they do a £5 bento box. I had the meat version whilst my wife had the seafood. Both were excellent - nice and spicy, and generous portions. Great value!

Decor is looking a little tired but I guess this is more an after-dark type place anyway, so it's less noticeble then. Service was quick and friendly.

If you want a night out in Manchester's Northern Quarter, you really don't need to walk much farther than the crossroad of High St and Thomas St. There are so many bars and clubs that you can safely party the whole night long, popping in and out of different places within a very small urban ground.

Walrus oozes freshness and space, and their lower ground dance pool is always cool, no matter how many people there are. Upstairs they served a very tasty Chinese lunch, complete with stylish black dishes. It is hardly a place for a business meeting (unless your partners have a good sense of humour), but for a friendly crowd Walrus is a great choice for lunch.

Went here one Monday lunch for the bento box deal - £5!! Was really good. Apparently not authentically Japanese, but still very tasty and cheap for what you get. Was super quiet though, which is why I guess they’ve brought this offer in.

The decor is a bit Ikea, but ok.

After having read cherylS’s review I really want to try their 'Fifth Sense’ sounds good!

Would definitely go again.

My first experience of Walrus was on a Saturday night, and I came away thinking that it was very loud, rather brash, and quite pricey, although served a pretty decent cocktail. On that night it was almost entirely populated by idiot fashion boys in waistcoats who insisted on picking up the furniture, so I came away rather nonplussed.
However more recently I have been lucky enough to go to one of their 'Fifth Sense’ tasting evenings, held mid-week in a little roped-off area round the corner from the bar. This was a much more civilised affair, serving a six course tasting menu with matched wines for the bargain price of £35 per person. The food was fantastic with lovely Japanese and Thai flavours (the salmon sashimi, mackrel teryaki and beef mussaman were particular standouts), the menu well designed and startlingly matched wines to go with. I’d highly recommend it.

The first aspect of Walrus which I feel obliged to highlight, are the plate glass doors as you enter. I mention these so that you don’t suffer a similar fate as me, and confidently stride straight in to them.

Luckily I suffered no serious injury and was able to enjoy, what I would consider to be, one of the best bars that Manchester’s Northern Quarter has to offer. The live DJ energizes the place but doesn’t dominate, the drinks selection is creative and the décor is flamboyant but falls short of garish.

Food wise, Walrus has created what it calls a ‘canteen lounge environment’. What they actually mean by that is not clear, but the menu did look quite adventurous and alternative with an Asian theme running through it.

Like stepping into a Dali wet dream, this place offers a vibrant, funky hangout for the populace at large.
Designed by Bernard Carroll, the visionary architect behind some of the city’s other innovative establishments (Reform, Panacea, Sugar Lounge, Piccolino, Ampersand being his other notable projects), this place is certainly ambitious in composition and not afraid to experiment with the layout.
Some sections certainly feel like you’re drinking in IKEA but the laid-back aesthetics provide a calming stop-off before jumping back out into the Northern Quarter and out to a club.

Spread out over a couple of floors, it’s theme is colourful and individualistic - akin to an art gallery. It is no coincidence that this place is dense with students and bohemian types.
The decor alone stimulates conversation and I can guarantee a trip to the aforementioned IKEA the following morning, as your girlfriend/wife/mistress uses this place for idea-gathering.
Walrus also serves food and signature dishes include; Black Pepper Ribs, Oyako (chicken and egg) Donburi, a three day cooked beef curry and a selection of traditional Bento boxes containing an array of Asian delicacies.

A modern, unpretentious, “trendy” place with a positive vibe. Decent selection of bottled beers from around the world and a colourful, eclectic cocktail menu.
Not overly priced but certainly not cheap either.

Overall, other than the decor there is not much else to talk about in here. A nice place to chill and have a drink, but not as impressive and less fulfilling than other venues in Manchester -despite the designers intentions for the place.

Walrus is a fairly new addition to the every expanding Northern Quarter of Manchester. I have been here on a Saturday night but have been told that mid week is just as good, I keep meaning to try it but just not got round to it recently. Personally I have heard mixed views about this place but I think it’s fantastic. As soon as you walk it you can’t help but notice the amazing lights hanging from the ceiling and the spacious room. They offered what I though was a wide variety of drinks and a really friend atmosphere. We got to talking to the lads on the bar and they were really polite and done the place justice. They recommended cocktails which I assume must be Walrus’s speciality as they were amazing. Walrus is located in the extremely popular Northern Quarter to they need to pull out all the stops to stay popular. If you like the Northern Quarter I would definitely give this place a go and judge it for you. I’m heard great things about the food so I’m going to try and go back mid week at some point