It takes a while for your eyes to adapt to the penumbral, velvety murk of the Mort Subite. A Belgian-influenced beer bar should have homages to Tintin and obscure chansons crackling throatily through the sound system. Here you then stray into surreal territory too – mannequins, mounted songbirds, a wavily carpeted ceiling. Owner Wynn Reece may sound Welsh but he is obviously the lovechild of Famous Belgians. Their beers dominate the list of this underground beer cafe, though other European countries, notably the Netherlands, jostle for attention. The local likes of Thornbridge, RedWillow and Marble also feature. Mort Subite means sudden death and is named after a Belgian beer brand and a Brussels bar. Food here is strictly to accompany the ‘main event’, so cheese platters or Cheddar, salami and pickles.

This venue is listed in our Taste of Manchester Taste Charts: