Behind Closed Doors in Manchester

Thought this would be a more fun place. Cheeky horny energy sounds like a good time. But it doesn't lean into the peep Show vibe enough, it feels like it wants the crowd of a seedy dive bar but is too scared to commit so you have an overly curated generic hipster place with no character and a smattering of photos only your nan would find Racey. The cocktails were okay but pricey. I have bartending experience and the drinks are very generic and use mediocre ingredients. The staff were kind of stand offish and it was hard to tell if you order at the bar or the table. I think this place might only exist for the owner to suck money out of hen doos and I think the hens could have more fun somewhere else.

An amazing looking venue with the best decor I have ever seen in a bar. We both loved the place and will be back next time in Manchester.

Bouncers denied my girlfriend empty on the grounds that her disability made her look drunk. Then tried to lay hands on us and splashed red bull all over me. Have been in before and was ok but this one experience ruined it for me.

Retro, funky, debauchery. Just what the doctor ordered. We'll be back

Very interesting place! Felt like we stepped into Amsterdam. Staff were really helpful but the cocktails that we had weren’t the best but nevertheless loved the place

The bar is great but the doormen are even better!!! Big ups Benjamin and Turk xx

awful bar, bouncer manhandled my friend and gave a false reason, she is absolutely traumatised and the manager had no argument for why she was treated that way, 100% would avoid. (would put no stars if i could)

Had an amazing night with great cocktails! Also wanna give a special praise to the doormen who gave me and my friends great service with some wit whilst also making everyone feel safe with their presence! … till next time BCD!! ;)

Meh I was expecting more. Needs more pictures of men.

Absolutely horrible place, the hospitality is rubbish. The bouncer smelled like he had no shower for 1 year

Awful...there is a smell coming from the bar. The staff are rude

As a first-timer in the city, I strolled past this spot and remembered my friend talking about it. Eager to check it out solo before bringing the crew, I casually mentioned I just wanted a quick peek. The bouncer, apparently not well-versed in the concept of a speakeasy, shut me down faster than a speed bump. When I threw out the word “speakeasy,” he looked at me like I had no idea what I was talking about… 😮‍💨 I told him I wasn’t staying, just wanted to have a look for 30 seconds, but that seemed to fry his circuits. No biggie, though—I ended up at Sexy Fish, where the vibe was less plebeian 😅

The best doorman I’ve ever met. Turk is a compliment to the business.

Such a vibe! I love the ginger barmaid 🥰

Bartenders take it upon them selves to add 20% service charge because they presume you're drunk, This is after offering to buy them a drink, if you query why they added it you get a smirky response and told to leave. No mention of this charge unless you're watching what they till in

Billed to me as "my favourite bar in Manchester" by a colleague, I had high hopes, but was left a little disappointed. Music was too loud to have a conversation without yelling, I felt at least a generation older than anyone else in the room and the beer was "meh" at best - it's hard to make lager "meh" generally, as long as it's cold and fizzy, it should just work? Decor was weird, it tried to be controversial and "soft-porny" but was just some mannequins in lingerie, and some penthouse mag covers from the 70's ..... A bit tacky, rather than risque was how it felt..….

Had the best time at BCD, great bar, lovely staff and the best bouncers in manchester, especially Turk and Will.

I wasn’t expecting it to be so scandalous, but that’s because I didn’t read about it ahead and just followed my friends. It was definitely a great time. The music was great. The drinks were well-made. The theme is consistent throughout everything. The drink names and decor and the DJ all fit. It was fun. The music was a bit loud, so not the best place to try to communicate with words.

Never disappointed me such a great bar! Bouncer does incredible work

Lovely bouncer (turk), had a great time! would definitely recommend

Turk the bouncer is the bes. And the bar is authentic for drinks

Great cocktails, hilarious atmosphere (lots of porn everywhere) - go with your mates for a great time!

Niche bar definitely recommend for the atmosphere

While it is a nice novelty, I find the decore in this bar to be a bit too on-the-nose. It was very intense, with literal pornos playing on screens around the venue, and on the menus. On its own it is fine, however I find that it's definitely down to personal taste. My friends and I didn't quite vibe with it, but I won't mark it down just because of our own personal dislike.

One of the best vinyl DJs I've seen in any club, smashing it with mixing old school funk and soul with up to date hip hop. The surroundings were super interesting and the staff friendly.

Really enjoyed my time at behind closed doors! The doormen were really friendly, they always make sure I feel safe. I really appreciate them!

Had the best time at BCD, the doorman are always so lovely and kind! They are super helpful and very funny. Would recommend this place to anyone looking to have fun in Manchester.

Fab venue, pretty unique in Manchester, smooth talking bearded bouncer does a good job keeping the drunks out and the smartly dressed in.

Lovely bar always enjoy it here, the bearded bouncer with the beard don’t know his name but he’s lovely and welcoming

An original and fun concept for a bar, I’ve never been anywhere like it. However, this is utterly ruined by a rude, arrogant, and aggressive bouncer. Not sure if there is much need to specify who I am referring to, as he has worked there for several years now. However, for the sake of clarity, I am referring to the white, middle-aged, presumably balding, man with facial hair and light eyes. On multiple occasions, he has refused entry to me and my friend for no reason. He has falsely accused us of being too drunk to enter, which was so ridiculous that other people who were outside having cigarettes stepped in and said to the bouncer that we appeared sober and able to enter. The bouncer in question is clearly power-hungry and dissatisfied with his own life (understandable as he hasn’t progressed career-wise in many years), and thus feels the need to try and make other people as upset as he is. He is literally awful and so off-putting. As long as he works at BCD, I’ll never return, and I wouldn’t recommend that anybody else does either. He needs to be spoken to and reprimanded for his hostile behaviour.

I lost my phone here over two weeks ago and the staff were kind enough to keep hold of it for me and keep it charged until I was able to go and retrieve it! Thank you so much to Cliff specifically for keeping hold of it for me, I’m very grateful!

The gimmick doesn’t really stick the landing, and the music is almost deafening. Nice enough, but expected more.

Amazing space but servers with a terrible attitude and horrible drinks. I’d pass.

Last time I went in here I hated it, not because of the place itself but the people within. This time it was a lot quieter and the people were less aggressive, I really appreciated that. I'm not sure if the theme just attracts rogue characters or if I was just unlucky last time.

highkey this is not a speakeasy and I don't know why they market themselves as such, calling themselves an artisanal bar would be a lot more accurate. Drinks are nice but frankly not worth how expensive they are. My main issue was our server just seemed uninterested and frankly bothered by our presence and made me and my friends feel unwelcome. After our reservation we thanked them for how good a host they were and how good our experience was (even though that wasn't really true) and they genuinely said "okay, thanks" and walked off. Would probably come here again if the staff didn't treat us like we were a nuisance for quietly sitting there enjoying our time.

A fun bar, probably not for the faint hearted. Excellent cocktails, and great fun.

Quirky bar. Vintage theme. Lovely cocktails. We had dressed my friend up for hen do. The bouncer just asked her to remove the dunny costume before we could go in which was to be expected. Will definitely give it another visit next time

Great drinks and 'unique' & comfortable atmosphere. Love bringing my friends here for a treat when they visit from out of town Always a winner!

This is my favourite bar in Manchester, the atmosphere is amazing, drinks so good! All the bartenders are lovely and the bouncer was super nice and accommodating. I think his name is Turk, give him a raise!! Best place in Northern Quarter <33

Picked me out of the crowd tbh, with No rhyme or reason. Just picked me out

The bouncer was racist to me literally 3 minutes ago. They discriminate against black people -I was linking arms with white friend and they preceded to say I was too un functional to walk. Then proceeded to make me ‘walk’ in front of them and permitted my 3 white friends entry, and told me this was not the place for me. This is unequivocally racism. Would not recommend to anybody looking for a good night out since these bouncers clearly have other things on their mind.

If you are alone dont bother coming here cause they wont let you in, they say its for “safety reasons”. Really lame.

Such a fun bar! 70s peep show vibes with a themed menu and decor

I love this bar. This place is always top of our list whenever we come to Manchester. It's a one of a kind experience, and the cocktails are amazing.

Not your regular night club and maybe not for everyone but we loved it. Great decor, sounds and staff. Everyone is super friendly.

Visited with friends and bought a drink myself at the bar. Obviously you're handed the card machine so you just pay, assuming that's the price. When my friend paid, I could see on the till there was too lines, so I squinted to read what the 2nd line was and the bartender had TIPPED HERSELF with our money, without asking. There's no receipt or cheque, as you'd expect with a bar, but I also wouldn't expect to go and get a drink myself from a bar and have a service charge. OBSCENE and DISHONEST.

the vibes are so much fun, very adult atmosphere. great cocktails. i go there regularly after a dinner or to start a night out.

Preface: I am a guy that wears colourful leggings because I prefer them over jeans. Sober with my girlfriend and fancied a quick drink before heading home, but got denied entry on the door for wearing "sports clothing", despite having been allowed entry a few times before now and wearing boots not trainers. Won't be coming back.

Great little Speakeasy. Dark and sexy. Fab selection of cocktails. It can get very busy so may take time to be served.

Super racist and biased on Asian people we were 3 people , requesting them to let us in club for the first time and they said you guys are drunk ( totally not acceptable compared to any random drunk people ) Second time he said you guys can let in after 30 mins- as said we reached after 30 mins and then he said come after 2 hours but he did allowed other people infront of us (just to humiliate us ) Next day we came just to check - he said he will not allow us again because he don’t trust us. BCD is a very excellent pub as far as we heared but not exactly

If you're into great music and drinks with a different atmosphere, this is the place to be! Can't wait to return.

Love this place! An authentic gem in the middle of Manchester. Nice ambiance and polite staff.

Excellent food and service Wowzers

What polite and well manner door staff 😊 it’s refreshing too see 😊

Amazing bar, great drinks and doorman Turk was charming and friendly

I was visiting Manchester on my own, and the bouncers wouldn’t let me in on the basis that if I had a drink there wouldn’t be anyone to look after me. The bouncer then recommended I “get some friends” which I thought was rude and condescending.

Best bouncers and bar in town, especially Turk on the door, really welcoming and an asset to the place. Cool bar, goo!x

Bouncers on a power trip as per usual.

My favourite bar to go in Manchester. Bouncher who’s on the door all the time is a great guy. Best on the street.

Best bar in manchester by far.. good vibes only.. bouncers are great cos they don’t let knob heads in

Really nice bouncers that are communicative so helpful and I and made me feel so welcome drinks amazing too just can’t go wrong with this place

Bouncer was so rude - accused a member of our party on our works night out of being too intoxicated to come in, he wasn’t he was fine….said there was too many of us and then decided one of us was too drunk….then said it was very quiet inside…very confusing

Went on a double date and didn’t really know where I was going, just following the crowd, and ended up here. Inside had plenty of seats available and the ladies that were working on Saturday were super friendly and helpful. From other reviews I can tell the bouncers we’re unfriendly just from one of them asking my friend who she was entering the bar with to then rudely glare at her bf. Understand if you want to be protective of the people that work there but there’s other ways to go about it.

First time going here and I will abso bloody lootly will be visiting this place again. Nice and friendly door staff and also nice and friendly bar staff. We both had such a great time and the cocktail was bang on.

they didnt let me in because i was solo, and apparently you need to have friends for going out. you cant go out alone

Can't review the food but the drinks are perfect! Various visitors who make the place even more interesting

Great bar loved it. Great drinks great bouncers.

Great place this very different to other bars quirky but definitely worth visiting

Great place and great music. So different from everywhere else in tge northern Quarter.

Great hidden bar in Manchester. Highly recommend a visit. It’s decor is kinky and fun! There cocktails are good but really pricey. They also add a huge tip on every drink order. Staff are friendly. Clean toilets. Plenty of space to sit and drink.

Bouncer didn’t let us in because we were 5 Indian lads. Very disappointed as I have been been here on many occasions when at uni. Pure racism at its finest. Missed out on alot of money between us. Don’t recommend.

Fantastic bar, all the staff were beyond brilliant. Bouncers were lovely 💖 highly recommend !!!

Turkish & will are the best door staff in the NQ. Lovely cocktails and great bar staff

I didn't try any food so I can't vouch for it, but really enjoyed the experience, it was easy to sit and chat as the music wasn't extremely loud. Will definitely come back!

The bouncers here are absolutely terrible.. at 30+ years old having a casual drink with my partner we went in once and all was ok.. went somewhere else for a second drink and when we came back the bouncer was a complete joker.. let people ahead of us in the line.. held us back for an extended period of time.. then turned to me and said “you need to take him somewhere else for food” I thought he was joking as my partner was sober due to driving this night.. I explained he was sober.. the bouncer left us there for a further period of time.. again letting people ahead of us.. when I finally had enough and said “ok are we going in” he laughed and said “no take him for food, seriously” .. the mans on a power trip and it’s embarrassing for this kind of establishment

By far the best bar in Manchester. They understand what a night out is. Vinyl only DJs of a high class, friendly staff and great drinks. Also the only bar with bouncers who know a good person when they see one. Keep it up

Bouncers are the boys, top place

Amazing place great bouncers and great music

Bouncers are very rude. Discriminate against different accents. The bouncer with dark curly hair with a beard is very nasty towards customers (Saturday 9th September 2023)

Complaint Regarding Incident at Behind closed doors. I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to formally raise a concern about an incident that occurred at BEHIND CLOSED DOORS on 18/08/23. My purpose in bringing this matter to your attention is to ensure a fair and respectful environment for all patrons. On the aforementioned date, I witnessed an unsettling occurrence involving an individual who, due to his physical appearance, shouldered the responsibility of overseeing the queue. Regrettably, this individual exhibited partiality by allowing a group of girls to jump ahead in the queue, which led to a clear violation of the established queueing protocol. I believe this incident displayed a disregard for the principles of fairness and equal treatment. It also highlights the inability to keep track of who is served next in a fair and consistent manner. Furthermore, my discomfort escalated when the aforementioned individual resorted to verbally abusive language directed towards me after I raised my concerns about the incident. This aggression seemed motivated by an attempt to assert dominance or intimidate, in the hope to show off in the presence of those females, which only served to create a hostile atmosphere for those present. I kindly request that this matter be addressed promptly. It would be appropriate for the establishment to review the CCTV footage to verify the events as described. Additionally, I believe it is essential for the individual in question to offer an apology and admit he was wrong and admit he was too quick on the verbal defence for his actions, as they were detrimental to the environment and the overall customer experience. In light of the incident, I also suggest that a review of the establishment's customer service policies and training be undertaken to prevent future occurrences. Finally, I believe it would be in the best interest of all parties involved if the individual considered submitting his resignation. Such actions would demonstrate a commitment to the values of fairness, respect, and professionalism that patrons rightfully expect. I also discovered on my bank statement that I was also over charged for my drink! Which obviously I want that back. But considering the above events...a full refund would be required. I appreciate your attention to this matter and your commitment to maintaining a positive atmosphere. Please let me know if you require any additional information or would like to discuss this matter further. Thank you for your time and consideration

Great place for a place to chill with friends. Bouncer was incredibly friendly and the place was definitely exciting. As it is not something you naturally see in many restaurants. Definitely for date nights or chill time

What an awesome little venue! Its seedy, dark but oh so opulent at the same time. Its a treat for the senses and the drinks are lush. Deffo worth a visit! Met some great people and the staff were awesome, expect one guy who was abit miserable!

Really cool theme, decor and vibe here! I like the atmosphere of this place. Negatives - music was far too loud it hurt! We couldn’t hear ourselves think. The aircon was on full blast and we were freezing. Having spoken to other customers they agreed that it was too cold and too loud.

Rude and intimidating door staff. Wasn't allowed to talk in solo even though my friends were inside. Was physically blocked from entering and made up feel very uncomfortable.

Having previously visited here with my partner twice, I wanted to show my friends who traveled up from Oxford the venue however we was stereotyped on the door and told our group of 4 was too large to enter so extremely disappointed (Saturday 8th July)

One of my favourite bars, staff are accomodating and lovely

Very chilled atmosphere with friendly bar staff and bouncer. Really loved the decor and lighting. The drinks were great and the overall experience was fun. As long as you don't mind the theme, it's a great place to bring friends (not family) for a nice chilled couple of drinks.

Amazing bar. The bearded bouncers are absolutely top - best in town.

Had such a good night! Cocktails were lovely but my favourite thing was the door man he was so friendly and accommodating. Thank you for letting us in on a busy bank holiday Sunday :-)

Unreal bar, immaculate vibes and bouncers are so sound especially the Turk

amazing! best bar iv ever been too! 10/10 bouncers are respectful and extremely nice, look after you well!

I love a good hidden bar, especially when they make drinks as good as the ones here!

Expensive but amazing bar with opportunities to make friends while on a night out

Nice venue however very unfriendly staff ! Went last night on my birthday after visiting a few northern qtr venues. I’m a transgender woman very friendly and open for banter. Bar man looked very unpleased to be there. Couldn’t be bothered to explain the cocktails and didn’t want to interact when talking. Same as girl behind bar. Was like they was on min wage and forced to be there. Door staff was more friendly and that’s very rare. After following this venue on TikTok and instagram and rave reviews it was very disappointing.

Fantastic ambience, friendly staff. A definite must for any1 who enjoys something different, cheeky & a little bit naughty.

Nice drinks, cool inside. Queue times can be long but usually worth it. Doesn’t get too busy. Bouncer’s a funny one sometimes

Amazing bar with great drinks. Loved the bouncers.

Enticed to check this place out by some good reviews but ultimately very disappointed. Every room smells sweaty, cocktails look and taste underwhelming for the price and security + service charge make it pretentious.

Bar is a beautiful and place to relax and have a nice drink. Bearded doormen was very kind and complimentary towards my outfit. Best in town, wld recommend.

Nice unique bar. Came with my boyfriend last night (25/2) and loved it! I ended up losing my ring in the middle of the bar and a lovely bouncer ended up finding it for me, so thank you!!