FURTHER sparkle has gone out of out lives with the closure of Epernay Champagne Bar in the Great Northern Tower. Just four years ago the place had been revitalised under young new owners Chris Payne and Carla McMaster.
But in recent times they had been forced to shut their craft beer bar, No.1 Watson Street on the ground floor below (it’s now, yawn, an Irish theme bar). And while Chris has recently taken on The Parlour bar in Chorlton it seems that Epernay was a victim of fierce competition for trade along nearby Peter Street. Which is a shame because its cocktail offering was exceptional and its wide-ranging Champagne list went far beyond the usual suspects and specialised in some rare vintages. A sad loss.