Lammars, Manchester

I went with six of my friends to Lammars last night for dinner. It was appalling. Although admittedly Saturday night perhaps isn't the most sensible night to go to a bar for dinner, if the service is offered, the experience should not be any less enjoyable than any other night of the week. The multiple staff who had nothing to do were more interested in hanging around the bar chatting than helping us with drinks and food orders. (We had to ask three times for Diet Cokes and Water, which when it did arrive, came accompanied with lipstick stained glasses.)

The food when it did arrive was terrible, I really cannot state this enough. The burgers were awful; the buns were obviously from a packet as were the chips and the burger was gristly and fatty. My friends who ordered the tapas were also equally unimpressed by the taste, presentation and imagination in the food.

To make matters worse, drunk people were allowed to dance in the dining area, bashing into our table and generally making the environment uncomfortable.

I would not recommend Lammars to anyone and my friend who chose the bar is extremely embarrassed by the awful experience we had.

My friend introduced me to Lammars in 2009, and since then I've been there many times. It is no wonder the place is trendy: the interior dazzles you with its uncanny fusion of different styles and pieces of decor. You will be sitting there, overlooking the bar with unusual if not kitschy candelabra, and from the ceiling the figures from reproductions by the Italian Masters will be looking down upon you. As we would all agree, there is something about sipping on your cocktail or chatting over a pint, while Jesus is watching you - quite literally so.

The whole space is divided into small areas, every one of them in a different style. My favourite comes next after the one that faces the bar. It has rounded seats, mirrors, and a white piano that always brings Elton John to my mind.

They play live music at Lammars and have comedy nights, so the interior ends up being a great backdrop for either form of entertainment. I've only ever been there for a friendly drink, but I was never disappointed. Even on a quite night it is a great place to be at, but when it's busy and buzzing I like it even more. This is when its syncretic design is enlivened by the merry crowd, and Lammars emerges at its most opulent.

Lammars is one of my favourite Manchester haunts and is nicely tucked away at the very top end of the Northern Quarter.

It's external appearance belies how huge it is inside but it still gets extremely busy at weekends. The decor is eclectic and unusual, with huge artefacts and wall decorations everywhere you look. It's a little like being in a drag queen's boudoir and that's why I love it. There are about 20 different types of chair, in varying degrees of comfort, but I tend to plump for the really comfy ones at the front of the bar, if I can find a space. I've happily wiled away many an hour here and the people watching is always good too.

Drinks are averagely priced and queues at the bar can be very lengthy. There is a good selection of beers and spirits and the bar staff are generally very nice.

Perfect place to let your hair down and have a boogie, music typically 70's and 80's classics, and perhaps surprisingly, a fairly trendy crowd! But pretencious this 'aint.

Lammars on a Saturday night is absolutely heaving- and quite rightly so, this can be a bit of a down side though. as there seemed to be a lot of pushing and shoving going on late doors.

Aside from that, great fun!

I simply love 'Tapas' - Great food, great atmosphere and shame about the company I was in...Only kidding.
WW

Remember the drag-queen FuFu Lammar? This is her/his place complete with chandeliers, ornate candlesticks, fabric wallpaper and huge sofas you can just sink straight into...A favourite haunt for those 'in the know', it's potluck whether it'll be crammed with drinkers or just be a space to chill.
There's live music on certain days of the week- the jazz on a Weds if particularly good.
The food is a fine selection of tapas with an option for a huge Sunday lunch if you want to make a day of it.