Gorilla in Manchester

This is a small venue. Dank & and poorly ventilated, especially when people decide to light up or vape inside! Two bag searches, overkill? Yet no one notices the smell of different substances being smoked? Or did the broken smoke machine mask the smell?! Odeal concert... was told to contact the venue for a refund since the artist showed up more than 2 hours late (then technical difficulties), and I'd miss the last train back if I stayed any longer. 7pm start, artist arrives 9:45pm... really?! I want my money back! Between ticket master and venue, passing the buck, I'm out of pocket, got 2 tickets, and train fare!! I'm never going to a concert at this venue again. It's not fit for purpose.

Had a minor issue with one specific security guard, when it was brought to the attention of their head of security, he immediately handled it with the upmost respect - immediately making our group feel a lot safer, thank you

Great venue. You're never far from the stage.

First time at the venue to watch a band & travelled up from the Midlands for this. So the venue was decent & sound was great but we couldn't find any information on stage times before the gig as none were posted on the socials. The main band came on just 1hr 20mins after doors opening so why can't the venue post the timings online as it also turned out there was a very strict curfew after. Not everyone is local & aware of this!!!

A thoroughly disappointing night, had big expectations for the “heart of Manchester”, but had less atmosphere than a funeral. I will not be visiting again.

Went for a gig , which was excellent. Couldn’t book in for food 🤔 but ok . Beer was average

Gorilla is both a restaurant and music venue. We stayed for food, which was excellent, as was the service - thanks Ros. I'd have given it a 5⭐ review except we needed to use the accessible toilet, but it was broken. Other than that it's well worth the visit & I'd love to go again to try the Tacos. The gig venue is fantastic, well lit with an exciting animated backdrop for all the bands. Mainly standing, but there's a raised area at the back with seating for 12. If you need to sit, which we did, this was perfect. The most comfy gig I've ever been to and the only sitting gig I've not been annoyed by those around me. Amazing to see Dekaytah, Black Gold and the legendary Pitchshifter in such a cool venue.

Only thing wrong with the gig Far too many people crammed into the venue seriously overcrowded!!

Went to a gig, only bad thing was the ridiculous 2200 (10pm) curfew, which meant that it felt the band (from the states) had to rush through the set with no time to get the energy going.

Ive always enjoyed the food at Gorilla but on Saturday morning I went for brunch with my daughter and it was a lesser experience to the past ones I have had. After ordering it took at least half an hour for the food to come, with the restaurant not being that busy at all and when it did come some of my meal wasn’t that warm let alone hot. I hope this was a blip rather than the norm but it wasn’t a great experience this time.

Kadey that drink was well good, thanks 4 for that, imma get krunk 2 2that drunk, cheers gurl, AV a gud 1

Great small venue for a concert

Great little venue , first time for me , but really enjoyed the sound quality and both the bands were great .

Great venue, and great sound - kudos to the Penetration or house sound guys.....

Good gig venue nice size haven't been apart from a gig but looks nice and friendly

Great music venue, small and great stage view

Gracias a su equipo de gestión de conciertos. Asistí al Dr. Feelgood y estoy registrado como discapacitado. Cuando llegué para este fantástico concierto todo fue perfecto y el apoyo fue genial. Todo lo que puedo decir para mejorar para personas como yo un enlace en el sitio web para el acceso y la retroalimentación de que todo es bueno ayudaría. Sigue así.

Grossly oversold music venue. Could barely get in the doors. Battle your way to the bar and the card machines don't even work. Won't bother seeing anybody else here.

El mejor desayuno completo que he tenido! Fue un gran servicio, hecho a pedido, ambiente acogedor, en general simplemente perfecto. ¡Triste que no soy un lugareño!

Homophobic bouncer who wouldn’t give us his name or badge number. Kicked off at us and accused my partner of taking substances (they have adhd). We were let in by another bouncer who said we were all clearly fine. Went to the bar to ask for management and moments after the staff said it on the walkie talkies he came up and made us all leave the club. A few of us in the group attempted to contact gorilla for help following the night and never had a response

Fui a Gorila antes de ir a un concierto en el O 2 Ritz, ya que es un lugar perfecto al otro lado de la carretera del lugar. Dondequiera que vayamos siempre comprobamos antes de que tenga un menú sin gluten, ya que soy celíaco y tuve una buena elección de comida, que era genial. El personal era muy agradable y la comida (eventualmente) era sabrosa. Tenía lager sin gluten también, pero solo una botella. Mi marido pidió una hamburguesa y yo elijo filete con salsa Diane. Cuando las comidas llegaron a la mesa en primer lugar mi filete vino con una cacerola pequeña, pero no había salsa en ella, así que se fueron a la cocina, regresaron y lo vertí debidamente sobre mi filete para ver granos de pimienta. Llamé a un miembro del personal y le dije que era una salsa de pimienta en grano, a lo que ella dijo que sí, le informé que había pedido salsa Diane, así que se la llevó. Luego hice que un miembro del personal de la cocina saliera y me dijera que era una salsa Diane pero que tenía una base de pimienta en grano. Les informé que la salsa diane no tiene una base de grano de pimienta y es crema, brandy, hongos definitivamente no granos de pimienta. ¡No estoy seguro de a qué escuela de cocina fue el chef! Como no me gustan los granos de pimienta, me cocinaron un filete completamente nuevo (sin salsa), pero significaba que mi esposo había terminado su comida antes de que yo tuviera la mía. Nos dieron un descuento para la comida me up, trató de cobrar por una lager sin gluten que no tenía (ya que se habían agotado) así que no estoy seguro de que me apresuraría a volver.

Great venue for bar and gig, great service and great location.

Went here before a recent gig to pass some time, staff were friendly and helpful showing me where the venue was. Would definitely return here for gigs again in the future.

Fab venue, first time there to see Stephen Wilson Jr. Sound was great and bar staff were great. Absolute helmit of a security guy on that night who was such a miserable rude nobhead for no reason at all. Other than that absolutely top notch night!

Nuestra mesa para dos estaba en un espacio bastante estrecho con un montón de gente caminando por delante con frecuencia, lo que era un poco molesto. El bien era muy bueno y a un precio justo. Sin embargo, nos sentimos apresurados en comer nuestra comida, tan pronto como se hizo un plato, el siguiente estaba allí. Nunca nos preguntaron si queríamos una bebida todo el tiempo que estuvimos allí, solo una botella de agua se puso en nuestra mesa. Normalmente diría que me la comería de nuevo, pero no lo haré y esto es simplemente por el £ 5 oculto “cargo por servicio”. Mi correo electrónico de confirmación no decía nada de esto y no lo esperábamos. Realmente me preocupa por qué más restaurantes están haciendo esto. Así que no volveré a comer allí lo siento.

Went to a gig at that music venue rather than the restraunt. Great venue! Had a fantastic night

We went clubbing at Gorilla last night. It was one of the best experiences we’ve had because we felt so safe the whole time. My friend felt sick and rather than kicking her out onto the streets, Stacey, (one of the bouncers), was so kind and helpful and got us a seat, some water and told us we would be able to go back inside once we felt okay. Big thanks to Stacey! She deserves a pay rise for her kind actions! We will absolutely be returning after this amazing experience.

We saw SkinnyLiving in the music venue next door to the bar/restaurant. Loved the venue under the train arches. Staff were very helpful organising a seat for me as I'm struggling with arthritis and can't stand for long. Skinny Living were absolutely awesome.... the 500 or so audience gave them an amazing reception. I feel privileged to have been there tonight ❤

Cold food, overcooked, slow service

Not really viable as a music venue because they don’t advertise what time the music will start. If you ring them up to ask they don’t answer. If you email them they don’t reply. If you use their online contact form they don’t reply to that either. There’s literally no way of finding out.

Great sound system, good little venue

Nice place, friendly staff. Lust of Afro music? Go there Thursday evening until very late

55 años de concierto, este debe ser el peor lugar al que he tenido el privilegio de ir también. Estoy convencido de que la multitud sobrepasó ampliamente el aforo permitido, la pobre audiencia Cardenal Negro fue la banda que estuvo en. Pero la noche fue un poco malcriada por el lugar. Además, el comportamiento de algunos de los asistentes me aseguró que nunca volvería a ir allí.

Amazing place staff are friendly and really helpful. Food was delicious and drinks very enjoyable. Will definitely be returning

Good Venue, shame there was no draught beer on and the can selection was not great and was a bit warm...on the whole worth a visit for live music!

One of my favourite places ever! I miss this place.

Visited the venue for a gig. Cool place, small so good views of stage from pretty much everywhere. Expensive drinks.

First time visiting the Gorilla Venue for the Orange Goblin gig. Intimate, sound was excellent and all the staff were friendly and helpful. Expect to queue a while for the bar, however if you pick the right moment, no issues whatsoever.

Visited the music venue to see Youngr, cracking little place with good atmosphere, however could have done with more bar staff and the male toilet flooded out halfway through the gig. It was very hot as you’d expect but would visit again. Much prefer smaller venues like this and the Pink Room at Yes.

A great venue, does food and drinks and the front and live music at the back. It's situated in the railway arches, near Oxford street station. Food was nice and staff friendly and helpful. I use a wheelchair and they were so thoughtful and helped me. The only thing I will say is that there is a tight turn to get to the accessible loo. I had to have the foot rests removed from my chair to get around.

I attend gorilla regularly for concerts and after party’s etc and each time the staff are wonderful. I recall one time where i was throwing some naughty shapes at a chappell roan after party and got a bit overwhelmed with the hot to go dance, a lovely manager called gabbi took me outside for some fresh air. I was revitalised and i thanked her and gave her a £7.43 tip. scrans always leng 10/10

The venue was fantastic for an intimate gig but £10 for a single rum and coke really soured the whole thing...

Really positive vibe, and yummy food! They were really accommodating for my sister who needed some short notice accessibility support which was so lovely! Thank you Gorilla :)

Amazing venue for a gig, nice size for a cozy gig

Brilliant atmosphere. Mae helped me to see God in everything so I’d say it was a pretty good experience.

Always a good gig here, glad it’s back. Staff mae did good job making the wife feel comfortable.

Was served by a very pleasant young lady called Mae. Vey polite young lady when we visited the other day.

what an amazing experience! all the team are so lovely but maddy in particular was so helpful. lovely girl and very friendly. will definitely be returning

I came the other night and wow was I impressed with the level of service from the staff! A lovely girl named Maddie provided me and my friends drinks in a timely manner, very polite and made good conversation with us whilst waiting. I don’t go out much but I would definitely come back and ask for her again. An incredible testament to the venue and staff team :)

Great place, really nice food but particularly the service. Maddie was excellent

Came in for freshers with my new flat, was nervous at first but was quickly eased by the amazing service by a blonde girl called maddie. She cracked a couple of jokes and instantly lifted the mood of the whole group. Will be returning 100%

I’m going there for an event this week but my friend that works there told me it’s really nice

Was a bit quiet when I got in but had a lovely chat with a girl called Maddie behind the bar - had a great evening

Nice bar, plenty of drinks options, would recommend the happy hour

Went for a gig, and it's a fantastic venue. Drink prices are reasonable.

If you want expensive frozen food then this is the place to be.

A great night taking part in Pub Choir at Gorilla. We grabbed some food and drink at the venue before the event and found the service welcoming and speedy and food tasty and good value. Special thanks to Gabby who took great effort to make sure my friend with various disabilities was assisted.

Great food, laid back atmosphere and friendly staff. Good allergy awareness too

Still accepting bookings but it’s closed

Great venue! Staff are amazing.

The light here always disturbs the surrounding residential buildings during midnight.

Went as a party of 6 and took my dog as was advertised as dog friendly. Very small restaurant which is also very loud so was a struggle to have a conversation over the loud music. Staff were lovely and accommodating making up a special mocktail upon request. Food was great! Altough the tacos were advertised as gluten free and upon confirming they were gluten free when they arrived a member of my party told they were not. However the staff member apologies and chef swiftly made some gluten free tacos. Excellent service. A place for small quick dinners and not suitable for larger dogs due to it being very cramped (I have a german shepherd and struggled with room for him) would visit again but with a smaller party and no dog

I visited the music venue and not the bar. I went to watch White Lies. It was a great venue but way too crowded, uncomfortably so. People were stood in the entrance hallway as they physically couldn’t get in the venue. It was impossible to move around and get to the bar or the toilets. Security staff were getting annoyed at people being in the way although there was nowhere to move to. Other than that the sound quality was great and it’s a small enough venue that where ever you are able to squish into and stand you will have a good view.

Great gig venue. Intimate without being tiny

Lovely place, one member of staff in particular, Zac was fantastic. Would go again!

amazing food, served by lovely guy with tattoos and curly hair, absolutely recommend

Had a lovely time and was served by a lovely chap named Zachary. Thoroughly enjoyed our experience, 10/10 would drink again.

The sound is good. They don't serve coca cola though, only coke zero. Whyyy?!

Food looked and tasted like I made it myself ,

My friend and I had a late lunch here. She had the deluxe burger and I had the vegan version. Both tasted good although I would've appreciated more vegan/vegetarian options The staff were lovely and didn't mind us changing the table they'd kindly reserved for us. When we arrived it was fairly empty but the music was a bit loud for general chatter although as the afternoon turned into evening and more people came in it seemed to even out

wasnt impressed with this venue at all! i went there for a gig and the ticket said doors at 6pm only to be told they werent opening until 7pm which wasnt ideal considering i had rushed round to be able to get there. when i finally got in the card machines werent even set up on the bar so noone could get served for the first 10 mins meaning there was a massive queue by the time this happened. it was probably oversold a bit as people could hardly move in the venue and it was very sweaty due to the number of people. not ideal!

Great intimate gig experience. Easy entry easy exit

Wow what an evening the atmosphere and music was electric.

So this is a review of both the bar and the gig venue. On Wednesday 5th June 2024, the bar had a very capable bar chap on, managing alcohol wanting punters very well. It was busy but all get served in a timely manner. £4.90 for a pint of lager shandy. I was actually at Gorilla to see Deap Vally at the gig venue. Awesome sound. Great gig. But, £6.70 for a pint of lager shandy? Have a word with yourselves. Firstly, way too expensive. Secondly, why £1.80 more that in the bar? Not good. Hence, only bought one. Revenue missed out on.

The small bar was nice and the bar staff were friendly, but all tables were dirty and it just felt a bit grubby The gig venue is horrible, the toilets were disgusting

A solid venue upstairs for seeing DJs. Plenty of room, they don't oversell the events which is great. Two decent bars and a coat wrack behind the bar. One thing which could be improved is the provision of a few chairs for people to sit down. Entering the venue at 11pm, leaving at 4am means you stand constantly for 5 hours. There's an area at the back of the room which could be used for this.

It's possible we just got unlucky... service was really slow and there were constant errors... my food was quite underwhelming (the pulled pork was completely plain with no seasoning).

Both a bar and gig venue (the entrance to that is under the railway next to the bar, it's not obvious!). The bar itself looked busy and with a good atmosphere although the beer range was pretty "big name". The gig venue was, to be honest, massively better than I expected, with excellent sound, aircon (which was maybe too cold!) and free wifi to counteract the lack of mobile signal, a nice touch. Tiny bar in the gig room, seemed way too small for the venue (which itself is a nice size, maybe 400 people?) but I was there for the music and, going on this experience, I'd have no second thoughts about going back.

nice small venue, always feels intimate seeing a gig here

Great gig venue. Small enough to make it intimate, big enough to get a decent crowd in. Attracts some good bands . Convenient for the train links too.

This review is for the concert venue and not the restaurant. After booking tickets to see Petey in Manchester, I wanted to learn more about the concert’s venue, but most of the pictures of “Gorilla” were of the restaurant. I had an excellent time getting to see one of my favorite artists here and the venue was surprisingly cool in temperature! I was worried that it would be warm and the concert-goers would be sweaty and smelly, but this wasn’t the case. It was a smooth and pleasant evening of great music. Thank you!

Caught my teenager's eye walking back to Piccadilly station after a flying visit on a Wednesday afternoon. Vibes, service and food immaculate. Some of the 'cool' places in our hometown could learn a lot from the kind gracious welcome customers receive in here. Looking forward to eating here again next time we're in town. Thankyou

Smashing Sunday roast. Neil said 'it was the best he had outside of homemade,' and I'd have to agree.

Excellent Sunday roast, all served with an additional gravy boat. Highly recommend.

Do not let your children go to this venue. I watched for a while the aggressive doormen treating people entering this bar/club with total lack of respect. I watched how they did ID checks and took it upon themselves to intimidate and bully these children. After taking their ID off them the doormen decided whether they were fake or real in their opinion. The doormen then decided to snap their ID ( mainly driving licences) and refuse them entry! If they think the ID is fake then refuse entry or keep the ID for parents to collect the next day maybe. To snap and destroy the ID (which could be genuine) is not acceptable at all and this reason alone should deter anyone going to this venue.

9 cocktails in 45 mins, those bar staff are epic. Just wish I had some food.

Intimate music venue. No complaints!

Great bar but service at the bar is always very slow we feel sadly

Went to see Echobelly in concert. Great gig venue, superb atmosphere. Slightly tainted by them running out of all the draught beer in the period between the 2 bands. Only 2 staff serving during this time!

We were greeted by Abbi and she was so lovely and welcoming! We went to LFT in Gorilla afterwards and it was great, had a lovely time :)

A great venue. Intimate but large enough to have a great atmosphere

Went here to see When Rivers Meet in concert. Great band in a very atmospheric venue. Did not eat here.

Came in for a full English, it was amazing; the best we've had. Fantastic service too :)

Went to see When River’s Meet. First off I went to the bar / Restaurant and had a pre concert drink. Staff were friendly. As I was driving I was looking for a non alcoholic drink. Unfortunately the machine was broken so I was unable to be served a zero Guinness which is my go to drink when driving. There is no real ale at the bar for those who like cask ale. After the drink I was directed around the corner under the railway arch to the concert hall entrance. I was early and there are two doors looking very similar. The door nearest the bar is the entrance and the other one is the stage door which is nearer the other end of the arch. I noticed the disabled people are allowed in early and they can get their wheel chair at the front. I believe they are supposed to be let in early via the restaurant and not through the door we went in as there are some steps down. There was confusion for one disabled guy as he was told about the entrance via the restaurant. It looks like this is a coordination issue between restaurant and security staff. There is also a balcony with a few seats at the back. The access is up steps. As I was front of the queue I was able to get to the stage. The stage is fairly low and is about 2ft tall. There is no safety barrier which meant no professional photographers were moving about in your way and you can touch the monitors read the set list etc. The crowd is next to the stage. Sound was good at the front. There were two rotating lights at the rear of the stage that shone in your eyes a lot from each corner. This was annoying for the support act but these lights seemed to be less annoying during main act and were not used as full spots as much. Venue being a railway arch was clad in corrugated steel which looked cool. Venue had a bar at the rear. Toilet were at the front and to the side of the stage. The merch desk was in the auditorium on the side. Liked the venue a lot .

Food's tasty but a bit on the pricey side for what you get. Beers are good and service is solid. Heads up if you order burgers: they already come with fries, so if you pay for the loaded fries on top they'll just add them to the fries which come with the burger already and not separate which is disappointing when you pay an additional cost.

The most random place. Service average. Beer choice shockingly poor. No bar snacks. Lights in mens not working. Feels gruby and unloved. In need of tlc.

Great in everyday...goid place to congregate before going to the 02 Ritz or The Palace Theatre and right on top of Oxford Road Station.

Great venue for food and music.

Great selection of drinks, lots of seating

Not just a restaurant and bar but a dynamic cultural hub that pulsates with energy and creativity. With its industrial-chic décor, eclectic events, and innovative cuisine, Gorilla offers a unique dining and entertainment experience that captivates the senses and leaves a lasting impression. The atmosphere is electric, with exposed brick walls, graffiti art, and dimly lit spaces that create a sense of urban cool. Whether you're enjoying a meal in the bustling dining area, sipping cocktails in the stylish lounge, or dancing the night away at one of Gorilla's legendary club nights, there's a palpable sense of excitement and possibility in the air. The menu at Gorilla is a reflection of the venue's bold and adventurous spirit, with dishes that push the boundaries of traditional cuisine and embrace innovation and experimentation. From small plates and sharing platters to hearty mains and decadent desserts, each dish is a testament to the creativity and culinary prowess of the chefs. Start your culinary journey with the Korean fried chicken wings or the crispy halloumi fries with harissa mayo, before moving on to the succulent smoked brisket burger or the vibrant vegan Buddha bowl with quinoa, avocado, and pickled vegetables. The menu is constantly evolving to showcase seasonal ingredients and new culinary trends, ensuring that there's always something exciting to discover at Gorilla. In addition to its innovative cuisine, Gorilla also boasts an impressive selection of craft beers, artisanal cocktails, and fine wines, expertly curated to complement the flavors of the food and enhance the dining experience.