According to a 2024 Eat Drink Meet survey, almost 60% of Manchester residents think going to see live music is one of life’s greatest pleasures. In the same analysis, the city came out on top for local music venues per head of population, with 53 stages set on a weekly basis in the central districts alone — and far, far more if you count the immediate suburban vicinities. This, of course, is one of the reasons we love our hometown, and in terms of the list The Blues Kitchen ranks up there with the very best small-mid-sized performance spaces the entire region has to offer.
Not just a clever name, The Blues Kitchen’s primary focus is live music across multiple floors of a historic Quay Street building. More so, the interior design speaks to a lost age of sophisticated elegance, antique tile detailing, lots of stained glass, and atmospheric Tiffany lighting, alongside dive bar relics and reclaimed pieces. And that’s just the ground floor bar, where you’ll find blues, soul, and R&B performed nightly, artists ranging from homegrown talent to international stars. Upstairs, the concert hall hosts bigger touring acts between two and four times each week, with DJs and live bands visiting on Fridays and Saturdays.
Elsewhere, a club space platforms hip hop, R&B and Afrobeats on Fridays, while the entire venue switches to a soul train-style party each Saturday, celebrating all 80 years of the genre, from origin singles to contemporary Neo-soul sounds. Cocktails are a big hit here, too, and match the interior design for chic style, while whiskey fans will find an abundance of specialist malts and bourbons to boot. Finally, an American-themed grill offers a menu of burgers, smoked dishes, fish and chicken wings (ranked among the UK’s best, winning multiple awards — don’t miss the bottomless offer on Sundays). Complete with airstream caravan space for private hire in the bar, private dining in the basement, and two karaoke rooms hiding on the first floor, The Blues Kitchen is an entertainment palace in the truest sense.