The Alchemist New York Street — Restaurant in Manchester

Having been to The Alchemist in Berlin, I had high hopes for this visit to The Alchemist in Manchester. Arrived to find three tables full and three bartenders. Perfect. Sat down and was told we would have to order at the bar. I went up to one of the staff at the bar and placed my order, which they repeated back. Job done. Returned to my table. I then watched the bartender prepare drinks for another table, and it seemed reasonable enough (although he did get 1 of their 2 drinks wrong). I then watched him take orders for a table that arrived after me. I thought it was unusual, but no issue - maybe he would relay the orders to his colleagues behind the bar who were tending to the 2 other tables. He then started making the drinks for the other table. 30 minutes post my order, I realised he had apparently forgotten I had ordered despite me being sat directly in front of the bar and one of 5 tables with customers within the whole establishment.

My partner then decided to go up and see how our order was going. The staff then decided now was an apt time to not apologise, but instead ID us (late twenties).

The drinks were finally made but unlike the German counterpart, they did not bring the drinks down to the table to start the theatrics there but instead just told us and the other tables to just bring our drinks down ourselves from the bar really ruining any kind of effects.

Overall, I can not, in good faith, recommend this establishment that seems to get overwhelmed when 3 staff are serving 5 drink tables made of couples, one of whom was only ordering wine and not cocktails. If you want the theatrics and excitement promised by the advertising, you will be sorely disappointed as the bubble on your drink pops walking back...

12/2024: Second Christmas dinner at this place.

This time the menu was:

Starter - Panko pulled beef. It was really nice and tasty. I can recommend this as started.

Main - Ribeye steak. It was as good as previous year, and it is probably the best main in the menu and the main reason why I repeat the main again. Some 9f my colleagues went for a different main such as Turkey in a basket and they regret about their choice.

Dessert - Chocolate Brownie. Also it was as good as last year and probably the best dessert in the menu.

Cocktails were as good as always and it is probably the best thing on this place as for food there are better places in Manchester.

My suggestion for the alchemist is to change the Christmas menu from time to time and add new options, there are plenty of room for improvement in the menu. Otherwise people will start looking for other places.

Christmas Dinner (12/2023): Food was good. Feta salad as starter, really good salad. It was tasty although the avocado was not the best one, I truly recommend this starter. Ribeye steak as main. Tasty and Delicious. Brownie as dessert. Also a good option.

The atmosphere was great although the place is noisy which makes difficult to keep a conversation with your colleagues.

Cocktails and drinks are probably the best asset for this place. If you are a food lover there are better places in Manchester, but in general a...

We visited The Alchemist on New York Street in Manchester for a corporate event and were initially faced with a challenge in finding adequate seating for our large group. However, thanks to the kind and accommodating staff, we were able to secure a shared large table.

The standout of the evening was the extensive and impressive selection of cocktails. They exceeded our expectations, both in variety and quality. It's clear that the mixologists at this venue are true artists in their craft. The cocktails were among the best we've encountered, and though we didn't handle the bill ourselves, the prices seemed reasonable for the exceptional quality.

On the downside, the cocktails were quite strong in terms of alcohol content. While some might appreciate this, our group felt that it detracted from the overall experience. We were there to enjoy a good time without necessarily getting drunk, and the strong cocktails didn't align with that aim. It would have been better to have cocktails with less alcohol, but perhaps more volume.

All in all, The Alchemist on New York Street in Manchester is a great choice for those looking for a unique and memorable cocktail experience. We do hope they consider adjusting the strength of their cocktails to accommodate a wider range of...