Gorilla in Manchester

What can I say about gorilla...it's an amazing place to have an amazing meal & the atmosphere & staff are all welcoming & can't do enough to accommodate you. Me & my hubby went on valentines day (which is also my birthday) & we had an excellent service and an awesome meal would definitely be returning...5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The food at gorilla was fantastic and the steak cooked perfectly to my liking, with friendly service and wasn’t waiting long for the food will be going again next time I am around

We planned a lovely Valentines night out and Alice our server made it super special. The special cocktails really made the night, the food was amazing and Alice was so lovely throughout our evening

Great place, great atmosphere & staff are all lovely! Amazing line ups on gigs too! Absolute hot spot, 10/10 !!

My favourite bar to hang out in with friends and family.

Perfect spot to grab some breakfast on a Saturday morning before the crowds hit, relaxing space and tasty food

We went to Blackbird Kitchen in Gorilla. The food was fabulous, I had the steak pie on a bed of chilli minted peas and mash with real gravy. The pie was packed full of steak. We were served by the lovely Alice. I love about this artisan restaurant the fact they use locally sourced produce and is cooked on the premises is important to me.

Same kind on menu as a lot of brunch type eateries in Manchester. The food was fine but service was pretty poor. No front of house direction, just hired in students muddling through.

Brilliant place for a gig. Acoustics are superb. Great intimate venue and good layout for toilets etc.

Love this place for a show! We saw THE MEFFS! this time. One of the best punk bands around at the moment and gorilla did them justice!

Love this small venue 😍 seen some of the best live performances here

We googled places to eat and saw they did a Sunday lunch sharer for £50! Easily feeds 3 people... Everyone was cooked lovely and the chicken was amazing! Would drfo recommend

A really lovely venue, just absolutely freezing. The coffee and food was brilliant and the service outstanding. Needs some tlc to the toilets however. Great disabled facilities, just absolutely freezing and dimmed a really good experience.

Shut the bar half way through a packed, sold out gig. Terrible security staff. Toilets behind the stage. Garb.

Great selection of cask beers mo

Great little bar/grill conveniently located opposite the RitzO2 venue- so its perfect for a pre-gig bite to eat and a cheeky cocktail. Good service and delicious food, wouldn't hesitate to visit again.

We visited for drinks on a Sunday afternoon - the cocktails were cheap but still good and it had a nice atmosphere. They also do live music and food, although only roasts were available when we visited.

Didn’t get allowed in because we were ‘too drunk’ after not drinking all night… Do not go here if you want a good night . Bouncers judge on looks.

Great for gigs but having no mobile signal is annoying

My first time here, great gig venue. Fantastic sound, bar as expected for gigs, generic beers really. No phone signal in the venue but security staff are fine with letting you outside if you need a signal.

We went to see a live music performance where my friend and I were racially violated by an audience member who said ‘your kind don’t belong here’ amongst many other racial slurs I dare not mention. When we alerted security they simply placed a member of staff between us with no other consequences. We’ve never been made to feel so uncomfortable and we were saddened to see this weak response from the venue and staff. Later in the night when we were enjoying ourselves, a member of staff grabbed my friend’s jacket out of her hand and took us into a back room accusing her of stealing the jacket she very clearly walked in with. Discriminatory language was thrown around when referring to her and she was patronisingly quizzed on the make of the jacket in order to get it back after 20 minutes of interrogation. When we mentioned all of this to security at the end of the night while in tears and clearly distressed, we were laughed at, it was clear nothing we said would be taken into account or have any kind of repercussions whatsoever. I have never been treated this way before in my entire life. Some of the staff are clearly racist and knew they could get away with it which is unbelievably disappointing and just vile. Would not recommend to any person of colour for anything. - also tried to call to complain about this but they won’t answer the phone lol

We went to see a live music performance where my friend and I were racially violated by an audience member who said ‘your kind don’t belong here’ amongst many other racial slurs I dare not mention. When we alerted security they simply placed a member of staff between us with no other consequences. We’ve never been made to feel so uncomfortable and we were saddened to see this weak response from the venue and staff. Later in the night when we were enjoying ourselves, a member of staff grabbed my friend’s jacket out of her hand and took us into a back room accusing her of stealing the jacket she very clearly walked in with. Discriminatory language was thrown around when referring to her and she was patronisingly quizzed on the make of the jacket in order to get it back after 20 minutes of interrogation. When we mentioned all of this to security at the end of the night while in tears and clearly distressed, we were laughed at, it was clear nothing we said would be taken into account or have any kind of repercussions whatsoever. I have never been treated this way before in my entire life. Some of the staff are clearly racist and knew they could get away with it which is unbelievably disappointing and just vile. Would not recommend to any person of colour for anything. - also tried to call to complain about this but they won’t answer the phone lol

great venue. visited for the clause. £12 for 2 cans of small cider though

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.

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.

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!!!

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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...

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

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 :)

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 :)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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%

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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).