If there’s one thing that Manchester has no shortage of it’s bars for students. In fact, Manchester has over 650 bars in the city centre alone, plus there’s tons of bars in Greater Manchester – especially in neighbourhoods like Fallowfield, Withington, West and East Didsbury and Salford. It’s a good opportunity to have an excuse to go to an area you may not have been to before and drink prices can be way cheaper than what you would pay in the city centre, which is a lovely bonus. Whether you’re looking for somewhere bougie to drink for brunch on a Saturday, a cool venue to listen to live music or just somewhere for a cheeky drink with your coursemates after an intense day of uni, there’s somewhere in the city that has exactly what you’re looking for. So here’s my pick of 10 of the best student bars in Manchester.
Top student bars in Manchester
1. Courtyard
Conveniently located round the corner from Oxford Road Station, Courtyard is a beloved bar of Manchester students. The drinks are dirt cheap- as low as £2.50 for a cocktail to be exact- and the vibes are unmatched. The perfect place for pre-drinks before a boozy night out. Or if you want a longer stay there are often quizzes or karaoke nights if that’s your thing. Or you can just go to watch the game with your mates.
Address: 2 Chester St, Manchester M1 5SH
2. YES
Always say yes to a drink here…get it? But jokes aside YES is a very popular bar (also a popular Manchester nightclub) with students but with 4 floors it is also a venue for music gigs, club nights and serves food too. The playlist here is always on point and on weekends it’s always buzzing with music enthusiasts. The rooms for gigs at YES are quite cosy which gives a more intimate concert experience which is always a pleasant way to listen to your desired artist. Also the infamous pizza slices sold here match perfectly with an ice-cold beer if you’re feeling peckish.
Address: 38 Charles St, Manchester M1 7DB
3. 256
In the heart of Fallowfield, near big Sainsbury’s (obviously) is the student bar 256. Every day of the week there’s a different theme for the night like ‘house party Tuesday’ or ‘We Love the 00’s Fridays.’ The price of food and drink here won’t break the bank which is always a plus. Also, on Wednesdays 256 specifically caters the night for university societies so if you are part of a society you can contact them to host socials there!
Address: 256 Wilmslow Rd, Fallowfield, Manchester M14 6LB
4. The Font
The Font is a bar in Chorlton. that’s perfect for students with very reasonable prices. They have happy hour every day from 4pm – 7pm where selected cocktails are 2 for £7 and you can get a pint for £4- what’s not to love about that? And being in Chorlton in there is more of a chill vibe than being in the city which makes for a nice change of pace from hectic student life.
Address: 115-117 Manchester Rd, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester M21 9PG
5. Crazy Pedro’s
View this post on Instagram
Manchester is lucky enough to have not one but 2 branches of Crazy Pedro’s (on Bridge Street and the Northern Quarter to be precise). If you like the sound of pizza, beer and tequila then this is the place for you. This place always has a cracking playlist and is always buzzing at night but if you want an afternoon pick-me-up Pedro’s has a pretty good lunch deal: 2 slices of pizza and a soft drink for £6!
Address: 55-57 Bridge St, Manchester M3 3BQ and Short St, Manchester M4 1AA
6. Southside Tequila Joint
Sticking with the tequila theme Southside is a student bar that specialises in tequila, cocktails made with tequila and Mexican beers. For the best bang for your buck nip in between 9pm – 11pm when you get 2 for 1 on drinks. And if you get peckish treat yourself to a tasty taco amigo. This bar is located in Withington, an area that’s home to a lot of students, right on Wilmslow Road. This makes it the place if you fancy going out but don’t necessarily want to trek all the way into town or a good place to start the night before going out out!
Address: 447-449 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, United Kingdom
7. NQ64
Old school video games and concept cocktails? Yes please. NQ64 is a video game bar where you can play classic games like Street Fighter, Pac-man, Space Invaders and more. A perfect spot to get competitive with your mates or for an activity date. Manchester is lucky enough to have 2 NQ64 locations with one being in the Northern Quarter and the other in Peter Street so you can choose which is more convenient to get to. All the cocktails are inspired by various video games like Lara’s Lost or the classic Kong Island Iced Tea so you can try drinks that you don’t find in every bar. Just remember to drink and game responsibly!
Address: 12 Tib St, Manchester M4 1SH and 23 Peter St, Manchester M2 5QR
8. Brickhouse Social
You’d be forgiven for thinking you’d briefly teleported to New York City when entering Brickhouse. Purposely styled to look like an NYC bar mixed with a diner, Brickhouse is a good spot for a drink (make sure to show your student ID for a discount on selected items). Play a game of pool or just simply enjoy a beverage with friends. It’s just around the corner from Oxford Road Station so very easy to locate. Notably, Brickhouse happens to be open late on a Sunday so if you’re looking for somewhere to have drinks after a roast dinner then this place would be the perfect spot.
Address: 11-13 New Wakefield St, Manchester M1 5NP
9. Turtle Bay
Infamous for its tropical 2-4-1 cocktails during happy hour, Turtle Bay is a Caribbean-themed restaurant and bar that students love. Mix and match cocktails with your friends to get a taste of island life. The playlist will get you in the mood for a boogie or warm up for an adventurous night ahead. Rum is actually the national drink of Jamaica so the majority of the cocktails on offer here are made with the spirit. And if you’re feeling particularly adventurous try a cocktail with Wray & Nephew which is a rum native to Jamaica that you’ll never forget!
There are multiple locations in Manchester, but my favourites are Oxford Road and the Northern Quarter. They’re both right in the centre and the Oxford Road one is right by uni (apologies Salford uni students).
Address: 33-35 Oxford St, Manchester M1 4WB and 46-50 Oldham St, Manchester M4 1LE
Each of these student bars in Manchester have a different vibe and are popular with young people in the city. Plus they tend to offer lots of student discounts or great drink deals! Going to bars are a classic pass time for students, and the bars on this list don’t put too much of a dent in your bank account which is always a bonus.
