The Rooftop Lounge at the Great St John Street Hotel in Manchester is cool, calm and collected and extends the character of this unique venue one step further.
What was once an inner-city Victorian school has been tastefully and artfully converted into a boutique-style hotel. The place has a real chic style that makes you feel welcome, warm and comfy all at once.
The Rooftop Lounge is at the top of the building as you would expect. The bar is comfortable, with sofas, armchairs, small tables, log burning stoves, shelves and a living room feeling about it, in a good way.
It’s completely modern in decoration and style. There are fairy lights everywhere, bold colours in soft furnishings and even a hot tub.
The highlight of the lounge is that it opens out onto what was the rooftop playground. The function remains the same, but the clientele are completely different. The roof now has a roof terrace which offers excellent views over the city. When the weather is right, it’s the place to be.
We visited one evening and enjoyed drinks and a light meal while we were there and it was thoroughly enjoyable. We had a mezze platter, beef burgers and a cheese board to eat and cocktails to drink. No better way to spend an evening!
“The Rooftop Lounge makes you feel welcome, warm and comfy all at once.”
The mezze included hummus, green olives, artichokes, roasted vegetables and halumi. It was well presented and well executed. Every element tasted fresh and offered a little something different to the palate.
The beef burgers were sumptuous. They were home-made, fresh and came in a focaccia bun with pancetta, chips and a side salad. The burger was delicious, juicy and well-seasoned. The chips were real chips and the salad was fresh and added to the whole, rather than just being a garnish.
The cheese plate included Brie, Lancashire cheddar and goats cheese. It came with crackers and a lovely onion chutney. A great way to finish a meal.
To drink we had cocktails. Kir Martini, made from Bombay Sapphire, Noilly Prat, Crème de Cassis and blackcurrant. Jules Delight, made with strawberries, vodka, apple juice and lemon juice. Tod’s Cooler, made from Bombay Sapphire, Crème de Cassis, lemon juice and soda. GJS, made from Grey Goose, pink grapefruit and some secret ingredients.
Each drink was well balanced, well mixed and tasted great. Along with the good food, everything was as it should be at The Rooftop Lounge. It is somewhere we would definitely visit again.
The Bill: £56 per head
