WE at TOM love looking down on the rest of the world, preferably with a drink in our hand. Cloud 23 at the Hilton got us into the habit; the only drawback you are behind glass. The Lounge at Manchester House is only half as high but you can swan out onto a terrace. The same applies at Brass Club at the Gotham Hotel; the drawback here is you have to fork out £750 a year for the privilege, while to splash out in The Townhouse. infinity pool with its view of the Town Hall you have to be actually staying there.
Still, take in the elevated outdoor terraces at Great John Street and Restaurant Bar Grill, add in ground level people watching platforms such as the splendid terrace (also with a view of the Town Hall) at the revamped Piccolino Caffe Grande and Manchester is blessed.
But a better bolthole than the lot – with a retractable roof for when the city’s limitless sunny days fall short, is Black Cat, El Gato Negro’s rooftop bar; the drawback here being there’s no view. Not as such. The retractable half is hemmed in by neighbouring brick, glass and barbed wire, the only consolation being “above us only sky” (to borrow that Lennon lyric) and in the front half, if you crane your neck, you can people watch on King Street a couple of floors below.
The whole space doesn’t fit more than 50 people; there’s a no-standing policy with customers filtered upstairs via cellphone connection with the El Gato foyer. So not the easiest walk-in, but worth it.
Head barman Will Meredith worked previously with beverage manager Garry Foy at Elixir (those are Garry’s abstract canvasses over the bar) and their Black Cat cocktail list is the equal of any in town, combining a nod to liquor history with required playfulness.
The latter is evident in their take on the classic Boulevardier (£10) combining Eagle Rare Bourbon, Antica and Campari in a glass smoking pipe, while their Curandero (it’s £9.50 and means medicine man) give a tequila and absinthe twist to the iconic Sazerac.
Both of these are in the ‘Where It All Began’ section. There’s also a Sherry Oh Baby! where all cocktails are riffs on the Spanish fortified wine and Effervescent (you guessed it).
Smoothly Does It is for creamy cocktails, the pick of which is the soothing Flipping Wonderful, a mix of dark rum, Pedro Ximenez, Guinness, beetroot and egg (£9.50, below).
Most playful of all is Hanky Panky (£9), but In won’t spoil the surprise.
There’s also a tempting sherry menu and a small wine list covering the Spanish regions, though you can order from the full El Gato list. Estrella is the house beer, but there are fine local ales from Buxton and Squawk.
From the Para Picar nibbles menu go for Padron peppers wih Halen Mon sea salt (£5) and chicken and chorizo popcorn (£3). For more substantial small plates look no further than the acorn-fed jamon iberico de belota (£9.50 to serve two), gin-cured salmon with Greek yoghurt and truffled honey on coca bread. or the quite gorgeous Manchego with bittersweet green figs (£8).
With this food and drink offering, a quirky ambience and hugely welcoming staff, who needs a view?
The Black Cat at El Gato Negro Tapas, Manchester, 52 King Street, M2 4LY. 0161 694 8585.
