Walking through the Northern Quarter last night, Taste stumbled across a new venue, marked only by a yellow 'GBA' sprayed onto the wall outside.
It's not everyday you stumble across an almost unmarked bar in your usual stomping ground, but it seems to be a bit of a thing in the NQ right now. With each new bar offering less identifying marks than the last, the fashionable part of town seems to be taking a leaf out of Berlin's book, particularly hip districts like Neukolln, which are full of mystery boozers too. The Fitzgerald, Almost Famous and Kraak - we're thinking of you.
All together
Having said that, this new bar is more together than the lack of signage would have you believe. The team behind GBA including the founders of Liquorice and Damson's Steve Pilling, formerly of the Chop House group. So it's no pop-up with a large space, decked in grey and woody tones, with a full bar running down one side of the room and a smattering of diverse seating options to choose from.
The menu offers choice cocktails, wines and beers - not always a given in this part of town. We tried the Sassy Bitch (£6.50) margarita fling, with raspberries, El Dorado rum passionfruit, raspberry liqueur and apple juice, which was a little sweet, but there are plenty of other options, including a Mex Mule (tequila, cointreau, lime) and Manc faves like the Pornstar Martini. Many include home-made syrups like cardamom or green tea.
Wines are a particular strength (has grape guru Pilling has had a hand in here, we wonder?) - with Malbec, Pinot and Cabernet all for under £4 a glass. Beers on draught, such as Warsteiner - very Berlin - Amstel and 13 Guns American IPA, showcase more good taste. Choose from booths, perchy tables, vintage car seats (which, incidentally recline very comfortably ) and even table football - and relax in the knowledge that the small things are taken care of.
Guilty by Association, 26a Lever Street, Off Stevenson Square, Northern Quarter, Manchester, M1 1DW. www.twitter.com