The Liars Club

The Liars Club hides in a basement at 19A Back Bridge Street, a short walk off Deansgate. It is a tiki dive bar built on rum, with the venue's own site billing it as a tropical hideaway packed with rum, fun, cocktails and tiki craziness.

It rewards a late arrival and a group who want sharing drinks rather than a quiet nightcap. Skip it if you want a polished cocktail lounge with table service and an early night. This is a dark, loud, low ceilinged room that runs until the small hours. It features in our best bars in Manchester guide and the Manchester hidden gems roundup.

The room is a snug basement decked out in full tiki kit, with bamboo, carved masks and dim red light. The Skinny files it under tiki dive bar, and that captures the mood better than any glossy lounge label.

The soundtrack runs to reggae, afrobeat and everything in between, which keeps the energy loose rather than clubby. For more rooms like this, see our cocktail bars near me hub and the hidden gem bars index.

The crowd skews to groups and industry stragglers looking for somewhere to land after midnight. The basement fills out late and stays busy toward closing rather than early on.

The mood is relaxed and a touch ramshackle by design, with the reggae and afrobeat soundtrack setting a loose tone. Creative Tourist frames it as a long running Manchester favourite for rum and tiki rather than a see and be seen spot.

• The bar holds more than 100 rums, billed as one of the North West's most extensive collections, per Social and Cocktail.
• Sharing cocktails arrive in elaborate tiki volcanoes, pineapples and coconut shells.
• It runs late, to 4am most nights and 3am on Sundays, per local listings.
• The drinks programme is tied to bar figure Lyndon Higginson.

• A late night group session over sharing tiki cocktails.
• A rum lover working through a deep back bar.
• Avoid if you want a quiet, bright room with table service and an early finish.

• Find it at 19A Back Bridge Street, Manchester M3 2PB.
• Closest transit: a short walk off Deansgate, near St Ann's Square and the Deansgate Metrolink stop.
• Hours: Mon to Sat 5pm to 4am, Sun 5pm to 3am.
• Expect $$ pricing, with sharing cocktails the bigger ticket and single rums more modest.
• Go late and in a group; book ahead if you want a guaranteed table for sharing drinks.