A new bar in the Northern Quarter has opened its doors with a cocktail menu inspired by classic video games, including Mario Kart and Pokémon.
Pixel Bar opened its doors on November 20, offering two floors of a variety of consoles and gaming PCs as well as free retro arcade games to the former site of TV21.
First founded two years ago at a venue in Leeds, due to its success the team have turned their attention to Manchester, which already has proven itself open to the concept of gaming bars after the introduction of NQ64.
The bar is split across two levels, catering for different types of customers. The first floor is home to specially designed gaming PCs that boast high specification technology for experienced gamers, or those curious about advanced gaming, to enjoy.
Heading up, customers can find the latest consoles like Xbox and PlayStation 5 in booths or at individual seats, which can be rented out by the hour, perfect for socialising with a group of friends while taking it turns to play.
These come equipped with many new games to enjoy as well as cult classics like Mortal Kombat, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and Mario Kart .
As well as playing individually, every month the bar aims to host tournaments where gamers can come together to play in groups and compete against each other, with prize money of potentially up to £1,000 up for grabs.
There is an additional club room, with local DJs slated to play sets every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, playing club classics until the early hours.
Cocktails on the menu start from £7, and have appropriately game-themed names, including ‘Yoshi’s Island Iced Tea’, ‘Jigglypuff’, ‘Witcher’s Brew’ and ‘Boba Fett’.
Their standout creation has to be ‘Who’s that Pokémon?’ which combines vodka, lemon juice, soda and a flavoured syrup to make a brightly coloured cocktail of your choosing, topped with a Pokémon card.
A food menu is still in the works in collaboration with Basic Kneads, the Bolton based team behind the huge 16” pizzas at 7 Sins, known for creating crazy flavoured pizzas topped with the likes of hot dogs, baked beans, and many other quirky additions.
The menu for Pixel is yet to be released, but it is sure to be in keeping with the retro gaming theme.
Pixel Bar’s opening hours will be 4 pm-1 am Monday to Thursday, 4 pm-3 am Friday, 12 pm- 3 am Saturday and 12pm-1 am Sunday.
The bar is located at 10 Thomas Street, M4 1DH. For more information visit their website here , and Instagram here.
