Hold Fast

This is a bar on the basement of a hostel in northern quarter. The drinks are not that cheap but rather similar prices as other bars in northern quarter. A pint of larger was 4.3 & cocktail at 6 pounds. I came on a Saturday night & it was quite crowded first when People were already dancing at half 11. The music was loud so it was hard to have a conversation. After midnight a lot of people left. This bar is rather small & down to earth. The music was funk. It is not a trendy kind of bar that I would prefer to go on Saturday night. But if you like the music & want to dance from early night, it might be a good place to go as a start of the night for a group of friends.

I feel like I should admit that I was a tad tipsy when I visited Hold Fast so my memory of the whole place is somewhat fuzzy. I do remember, however, that I had an awesome time!
I went on a Saturday evening so it was extremely busy, there was a long wait at the bar and you had to squish past people to get anywhere but surprisingly the games at the back were pretty quiet. I played old school Mario Kart and James Bond on PS1, I felt like my inner child was coming out. It was a hoot and a nice alternative to standard Saturday night activities.

Popped in here on a bit of a local ‘let’s find some hidden gems no more than 10 mins away from the flat’ bar crawl; I was surprised to find it as always just assumed that entrance was part of Hatters! Down the stairs you find a fab bar; quirky décor and a very long bar. It was absolutely packed so clearly everyone else in the NQ is in the know! Excellent choice behind the bar and we managed to find some space around the tables — actually noticed one table playing Cards Against Humanity that you can get from the staff! Will absolutely go back but perhaps not at 10 on a Saturday night so I have a chance at getting a seat ;)

I adore the style of this place, tucked neatly underground in the heart of the best part of the NQ.
This place manages not to smell like a dive and feel fresh inside. The furnishings a mix of retro and western looking very different with free classic board games all over the place to pick up and play as you please. (I played buckaroo while drinking a glass of whiskey, a meeting of adult Baz n Kid Baz that was stark in contrast and made me giggle just a little)
The staff are friendly and really try and get around the bar properly so you never wait too long for a drink.
My new favourite place for a drink… And they do Brooklyn beer ;)

This feels like a secret bar, as its hidden in a basement, but its a treasure to be found. I love the nautical décor and the industrial feel. Some great drinks on the cocktail menu too. A great place to relax and party, and somewhere I always take friends when they visit.

Interesting subterranean bar which would be easy to miss if you didn’t know it was there. I decided to head down there with some work colleagues after we’d had a meal on Mad Friday (last Friday before Christmas) and we had a pleasant few drinks there. Although it was relatively busy, it wasn’t completely ‘mad’ and we were able to get served quickly and find somewhere to sit down. We sat in the ‘kino’ as there was a table free there. The screen was showing ‘Home Alone ’ though nobody was really watching it.
I like the look of surprise on people’s faces on their first visit to Hold Fast. From the inconspicuous entrance and stairs, everyone is always amazed at the large bar that’s laid before them.
Retro games consoles and board games add to the appeal. For me, this is the perfect place to hide away from grim weather on a cold, dark winter evening. There’s even an outdoor smoking terrace, despite being at basement level!

I must be in a good mood today as I’m giving out another 5 star review for one of my favourite places in our fine city
Hold fast has quickly become a staple choice for me when I go out in the Nq and I usually try and direct the group I’m with there.
I like it because it plays good music, starting with a live acoustic set on a Friday night leading into a dj set afterwards, the dance floor is small but functional and there are plenty of places to sit down if you’d rather just chat or play in retro games.
The bar is well stocked with craft beers and they make some awesome cocktails too, definitely try the one with thyme in it.
The crowd that go there is usually pretty mixed but generally full of happy people :-)
The bar maids are hot too…

A really well thought-​out bar in the Northern Quarter. Nautical theme, the right level of ‘busy’ on a Saturday night and OK prices for Manchester.

When I heard about Hold Fast opening I wasn’t very excited about it to be honest. It was in a hostel, it was supposedly nautical themed — I just wasn’t feeling it. Until I went there.
And it’s possibly one of my favourite bars in the Northern Quarter! Nice décor, great cocktails, awesome atmosphere. If you go during Happy Hour then you can get two «deckhand drinks» for £9 which is an amazing deal for the quality of the cocktails. I would recommend most highly the Salt & Shake, which includes salted caramel vodka and pineapple juice among other delicious things, and they throw some popcorn on top. As well as deckhand drinks you can also get some classic cocktails in the same deal, which leads me to my next point
I asked if a Negroni was available in the happy hour deal and was told yes by one member of staff. When that member of staff went to get one of the ingredients, someone who I presume was the manager told her that it wasn’t part of the deal. I overheard this and was bracing myself for them to be total dicks about it (as is traditional at many other bars round those parts), but instead the manager came over and apologised, explained why they didn’t sell it as part of the deal, admitted that the deal was quite disorganised, and promised to get some new menus printed out soon that are more clear on the happy hour deals. A+ for customer service! It’s maybe quite sad that I was so impressed at bar staff actually speaking to me like a human being but I have been on the receiving end of some appalling treatment in similarly ‘trendy’ bars.
They do toasties, which I haven’t really tried, but they look very interesting and include combinations such as parma ham/​mozzarella/​peach which I’m totally into. They also told me that they would do these to take away so if you’re an office worker in the area (like myself) put it on your #desklunch list.
Oh, and I couldn’t finish this review without making reference to the many games available. I love bars with games, and they’ve gone better and have video games in the corner that you can play. Each table has some Trivial Pursuit cards on it so you can test your general knowledge while enjoying a cocktail. I also spotted Cards Against Humanity behind the bar, so maybe if you ask nicely they’ll let you play with it.
Overall I’m so impressed with this place and really glad that they’re gaining popularity. Let’s hope they don’t become a victim of their own success and that they stay down to earth!

What would you get if you cross the old crystal maze set with a bar… This place !
With its vaguely hinted nautical theme I enjoyed the idea of it but just thought rather than it actually being a nautical bar it’s a bar with nautical items within!
Drinks seemed at a flat NQ Rate for Manchester and they had a decent selection of beers (Delirium Tremens)
Food at the venue is not what I expected for the price you would pay ! It is essentially a cheese toastie with a few extra toppings put in ! No matter how many different names you give it if you have two slices of toast and cheese within that’s melted it’s a cheese toastie ! But for £6.50 upwards :-/​
All in all it would be somewhere I possibly come back to but only at night as during the day (when we all know how sunny it is in beautiful Manchester) it’s a bit dark !
The in house cinema room is far too small to seat more than 15 people comfortably but a nice room
And all the staff seemed quite friendly
Toilets are clean and at the back of the bar
Be aware the stairs down can be a bit slippy !

I’ve walked past Hold Fast many times, but never bothered going in as i assumed it would be a horrible hostel bar. but i was wrong.
Downstairs into a cavernous basement of the hatters hostel you’ll find a well stocked bar, a welcoming atmosphere and plenty of seating. There are a number of nooks to hideaway in or stay in the main room where there is a bustling atmosphere.
I didn’t stay long on this occasion, but i’d be keen to go back to try their impressive cocktail menu and board games.

This relatively new place opened last year, in the basement of the Newton Street Hatters hostel. I was a bit skeptical at first: another NQ basement bar… Show me what you got! First of all: don’t expect cheap drinks, the cheapest draught beer (Amstel) is £3.90, but they also have a few nice «fancier» options (I am only talking about beer here, I don’t drink anything else!) which are fairly standard NQ-£4.20 a pint of Camden Pale Ale kind of prices. They seem to do film nights, free popcorn and they have board games (including Cards Against Humanity). All in all, I really like this place but I would usually only go after payday!

I have decided… I really like this place.
Its like a family get together place. with alcohol
And without the family.
What I mean to say is that as a kid we used to have family game night, where we’d crack open a board game or take it in turns on the Sega. this place gives it that same vibe.
Stepping inside this sneaky den will lead you to a funky place from mounted deer heads to hanging caged action men. the outdoors area is cleverly built as it doesn’t make you feel like a penned in dog in its kennel in the rain. it feels/​looks like you are inside. which gives you a glimpse through the large glass pane window into the cinema room where birthdays and events are held.
Anyway when I walked in on Sunday it was dead and the waitress behind the bar. Well she could have cracked a smile. ordering two pints which cost £10 we had a gander at the console room.
I was a little let down here because they werent real Sega megadrives but those plug and play thingys and the controllers had been button mashed to death .
However this other nice bar lady brought us some new controllers without us even asking. It was quite nice to have two couples in the room playing Streets Of Rage.
Returning to the main room it was now a lot busier, but it was so nice to see lots of groups getting out a board game to play… buckaroo, jenga, kerplunk, connect 4„ battle ship and cards against humanity amongst the choices. here we were given free popcorn to munch on. as for food in this place they just offer snacky things such as various toasties. some containing chorizo and their own crazy bastard chilli sauce. I also decided to try another cocktail here, again not so good.
To summarize this place is like being inside a pirate ship which offers quite a nice bar,.Just don’t go for the cocktails.
I would highly recommend here with a group of friends and work mates to drink and have a laugh with a board game. this place is a tad pricey though.

Having missed the March Unilocal Elite event here, I was keen to try out Hold fast on my return from a mini break. I’m glad I did. The chilled out nature of the place is as appealing as the quirky/​homely feel it accomplishes immediately upon your arrival. Board games, retro video games and trivial pursuit cards on each table/​booth means they’re trying to redefine the going out vibe. Which lets face it, needs a bit of a revamp. Standing ovation from me on that front. Alcohol and music telling you you’re having a great time when in reality the opposite is true, is slowly beginning to fool less and less punters. As a result bars like this are gaining popularity. The music isn’t too loud here, meaning an intelligible conversation is possible. There aren’t any groups of «lads» spilling drinks and trying desperately to be the center of attention at the expense of everyone else. What you find here instead is what appears to be, (Brace yourself) groups of friends who genuinely enjoy each others company and are having a great time without the kind of overuse of the ethanol on offer that ruins nights.
I was lucky enough to spend a few hours in here on two separate occasions over the weekend with some great friends. We will be coming back! Perhaps it’s because it’s fairly new and not many people know about it. But both those times the joint wasn’t packed, which suited us fine. There wasn’t a huge wait for service and the atmosphere was electric (quality not quantity of people perhaps) The Megadrives in the little Games Master-​esque room at the back were a genius stroke (Although I’d kindly ask the management to replace some of the controllers. Only one works!) What at first seemed like an anti-​social exercise soon turned out to be something that brought people together. (There’s a nostalgic gamer in all of us is something we discovered) How one of us remembered a cheat for Sonic which allows you access to a level of your choice is beyond staggering. As was the skill level of a mate who breezed through 5 levels of Streets of Rage 3 in no time.
Once we’d left the Sega room having quenched our 90’s gaming thirst, the group spent the next few hours in each others company with nothing more than a pack of trivial pursuit cards for company. Fair to say it’d be difficult to recreate the amount of fun we then had anytime soon. At one point I’m pretty sure the sheer volume of 6 people bursting out with laughter in sync sent the kind of vibrations which’ll contribute to Hold Fast’s success in the near future.
I’d highly recommend you check this place out before it becomes too popular and starts attracting the weekend zombies.

I really like Hold Fast.
I first heard about this place from Jonny Q. and I’ve been back since. What more could I want from a quirky NQ bar? They have Guess Who for crying out loud!
The bar is underground, dark, kinda dingy and great. There’s plenty of room to sit or stand depending on your preference and it’s always lively and gives off good friendly vibes.
There’s a cinema room that has films showing pretty much all the time, there’s even free popcorn.
A smoking deck accommodates the smokers too.
There are some classic video game consoles in the back part of the bar — so much fun — and board games that you can play whenever you like.
After thrashing Neil C. at Guess Who I’m sure we’ll be back for more.

2 words guys: DOING THYME.
If its cocktail time, those are only words you’ll need to remember.
Now if you’re looking to be economical about the whole affair do indulge in their «Deckhand» cocktails which are just 2 for £9 during happy hour.
Free popcorn, vintage gaming, a cinema, a smoking deck, smiling bartenders and lots of elbow room? Well, I’m doing time with DOING THYME whenever I’m in Manchester.

I was lucky enough to get taken here for a cocktail or two after a busy day of training in Manchester.
I don’t think it has been open for long, but it was fairly busy.
The bar was dimly lit (which I like) and there were old school games consoles available for people to play which is pretty cool in my book.
I had a lovely cocktail (of course) which was Rosemary infused alcohol (think it was gin?) with Lemon and garnished with a sprig of Thyme. It was so good, I ended up having two!
Sadly I didn’t get to stay for too long as I had to catch a train back down south, but I will definitely come back here on my next trip to Manchester.

Saw Jonny’s review and thought this sounded totally up my street. Given that it’s so new and quite hard to spot it was impressive to see it so busy on Saturday night. Cocktails are reasonably priced and I really liked the whiskey sour and something else that involved ginger that I didn’t catch the name of. The barman was incredibly efficient, we had great service.
I seem to remember the music being good but now couldn’t tell you a single song that was played. Too many whiskey sours perhaps…
I love the tiles… am such a sucker for old? Victorian tiling. As Jonny said, it’s a bit like Gaslamp although has a fancier vibe.

Hello new favourite NQ bar!
Popped here for a few drinks on Weds night and have to say I was really impressed — what a hidden gem and great new addition to the Northern Quarter.
Housed in the Hatters Hostel basement, you’re talking about a cavernous speakeasy style bar that’s been nautically/​fashionably revamped without trying too hard, which is refreshing. It’s similar to the Gas Lamp in décor but with a grittier edge that makes it seem pretty relaxed and a place for any time of the day.
A great selection of craft beer on tap and in bottles, classic video games on free play in the back and a very cool special cinema (the Kino room) showing classic movies each night (Fear and Loathing was on when I came in) for patrons.
Friendly staff, beer slightly cheaper than neighbouring bars and because it’s tucked away maybe a haven from some of the ‘nobbier’ elements making the NQ a shadow of it’s former self on a weekend evening.
Can’t wait to go back!
(Fast free wifi too — with no need for a password — sweet!)

I recently planned a surprised party for my boyfriend in Hold Fasts cinema room. It was the first weekend after new year which can be a bit awkward but the guys at Hold Fast were really helpful and welcoming!
We had a great night and they were super helpful with the booking process and on the day. Would recommend you give them a try and have a party!