Food Review
TheViolet Hour Words and images by Alaka Prodhan
Americana, pop-ups, pulled pork and elderflower… all of these things are enjoying quite a bit of popularity in the Manchester food and drink scene at the moment, but perhaps none more so than the cocktail bar.
This year’s sell-out Cocktails in the City event at Manchester Town Hall made it clear that mixology is most definitely here – and here to stay. From the flaming tiki lounges of The Liars Club and Hula, to the smooth, suave artistry and opulence of The Alchemist and Australasia, to the dark, Manhattan-esque drinking dens like The Liquor Store and Dusk til Pawn, cocktails have become a serious business.
But it would be foolish indeed to think that the city centre holds the monopoly on fantastic cocktail bars, as I soon found out when I visited The Violet Hour in south Manchester suburb, West Didsbury. This little bar occupies the site of an old butcher shop on leafy, lively Burton Road, which brims with eye- catching boutiques and independents. Intimate yet inviting, the exposed brickwork, wooden tables and Chesterfield sofas create an aura of a boutique hotel or an aesthete’s living room. Comfort is effortlessly entwined with class, and live music adds to the chilled vibe.
“Cocktails have become a serious business.”
The Violet Hour’s primary draw is its cocktails, and the menu bursts with invention. A firm favourite, which has survived each iteration of the menu, is the Brazilian-inspired Backstreet Batida, made with Velha Barreiro Cachaça, Wray & Nephew Overproof Rum, Coco Real, passion fruit and Ting, served in a tin can. But this time I opted instead for the Portobello Porn Star – a long drink consisting of Portobello Road gin, basil, strawberry and pink fizz, and a good choice to kick-start the evening. Similarly easy-drinking was the King Tut, which mixed Cariel vanilla vodka with Velvet Falernum (a sweet syrup used in Caribbean and tropical drinks), mint, pistachio and fiery ginger beer.
The recently launched food menu, meanwhile, is a simple yet enticing one-page affair, offering a selection of small plates, larger plates, burgers and sides, and a handful of desserts.
directly above Yorkshire Puds with Blue Cheese and Chilli Jam above Rosemary’s Affair left Portobello Porn Star
Of the small plates, we picked the slow cooked salt and pepper pork ribs with cider mayonnaise, the panko crab cakes with lime and yellow mustard dressing, and crispy Yorkshire puds with blue cheese and chilli jam.
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