Speak in Code - The Unique Hidden Bar in The Heart of Manchester

It took us about twenty minutes to find the entrance - the secrecy was real!

It took us about twenty minutes to find the entrance - the secrecy was real! We circled the back streets of Deansgate Road for a while before noticing a sign pointing to the entrance on the building's wall.

With the bar being so hard to find with the limited location directions, it felt very exclusive when we eventually went through the door. I was looking for a secret bar in Manchester, as I had seen other secret bars in cities like London and Madrid.

After searching for a while, I came across a TikTok about Speak in Code. It had very little information about the secret bar - so I was intrigued and reserved a table online.

After opening the door, we were shown to our table immediately. The setting is suited by the room's eerie darkness and enigmatic vibe. The décor of the bar is smart and elegant, with a rustic yet timeless feel.

We were handed the menu where the drinks were numbered and labeled with images of vinal covers. This made the decision making so much more interesting and fun, as we could as the servers for their thoughts on what we should try.

When explaining some of the flavor concepts the server explained how they are entirely plat based across all of their products, as they try to produce as little waste as possible when producing the cocktails and food.

There was an infinite selection of intriguingly unusual and distinctively flavorful cocktails to choose from. In addition, the menu offers snacks and nibbles to go with the drinks.

My first drink had a beautifully stenciled design on top. It had a fruity and sweet taste with a berry flavored sugar dusting on top.

I wanted to savor the taste but it was so good I drank it almost instantly. This drink is something I would definitely go back for.

The other drink seen in the picture above was served in a bowl! We were very confused when the drink arrived as this is something we have never seen before when ordering cocktails. It had a cinnamon flavor with a nutty coffee after taste.

A miniature cinnamon doughnut was served on a the side of the cocktail, which added a fun twist to pair with the drink. Some of the other cocktails came with small treats too like alcoholic gummy bears!

The second drink I had was a sharp gin cocktail. The gin was botanical and fresh but a glass of water on the side is definitely necessary with this one as its quite strong!

As you can see in the image above, we ordered two other cocktails too, the one on the right was a bitter and citrus aperitif cocktail garnished with orange peel.

The cocktail at the top of the image was a milky cocktail, which we were expecting to be sweet but neither of us enjoyed it as it tasted like watery milk mixed with pure alcohol - definitely made for a specific taste palate.

As someone with a sweet tooth, I personally felt that the menu lacked some more sweet cocktails we often see on bar menus ... however, it allowed me to jump out of my comfort zone and try some more complex flavor pairings.

The menu format was so unique and interesting and added so much value to our experience in the bar.

Speak in Code was opened in 2018 by the founder Nathan Larkin with the original concept of the bar to be a pop up for just 5 days a week.

Image from @speakincode on Instagram

After a successful first year, the bar undertook renovations in 2019, leading them to later claim a spot as an official UK top 50 bar.

"Speak in Code means to speak the truth. We’ve always maintained as a team that we take an honest and transparent approach to everything we do."

"This transpires through how we operate on the floor, or slinging drinks behind the bar. We always aim to connect with people on a human level. This resonates through our team and allows us to be genuine with both guests and colleagues in our respected industry"

As most of us usually do, before attending the bar, I went on to TripAdvisor to see if there were any reviews available...

“Easily best cocktails in Manchester. Our go to place for special occasions. You need to book as unlikely to get a walk in at the weekend. Drinks are innovative without being pretentious and staff attentive but not over-bearing.” - Clare M from Macclesfield (TripAdvisor) 

Every single review is 5 stars with praising comments throughout. 

This illustrates my experience too as although I didn't love every cocktail, the experience was so unique and gave the perfect 'secret' bar experience in Manchester - 5 stars from me!