Remember when it was all Aperol Spritz this and Negroni that? Well, the humble margarita saw them both off, and now sits atop the boozy chart of casual ways to kick off a brunch, a lunch or, for that matter, dinner. Any meal, though possibly not breakfast.
So of course it now has its own dedicated ‘day’, providing a fantastic excuse to wade into the tequila on a Wednesday. So with that, here are the best places in town knocking out the very best margs.
Ramona/The Firehouse
‘On yer margs, get set, go…’ was the slogan from Ramona and the Firehouse, as it announced it would be celebrating Marguary instead of January this year. That’s giving the margarita the respect it deserves. As you’d expect, they flow like water at this outdoors/indoors space on the cusp of Ancoats, and there are more varieties than Heinz has soups (well, there are nine, but that’s still quite a lot). Try frozen with blood orange and passion fruit, or one of its many, many tequila or mezcal shots to chase it with.
40 Swan St, Manchester M4 5JG
Picos
Not only does Picos do the best tacos in Manchester - hands down, they really are - it has a very, very good line in frozen margaritas too. Head its spots at either Altrincham Market or Mackie Mayor and you’ll find them serving up the margs from their slush machines, meaning they’re spot on every time. It’s one for £9 or two for £17.
Greenwood St, Altrincham WA14 1SA/Smithfield Market Hall, 1 Eagle St, Manchester M4 5BU
Hatch
To celebrate National Margarita day, Hatch will be doing £5 margs all day long from vegan street food bar Herbivorous. As well as your classic marg and your Tommy's marg (with agave instead of triple sec), there will be a special Vimto-flavoured marg, garnished with Vimto sweets, a hibiscus marg, a spicy and an extra spicy marg. Fill thine boots.
Hatch, Oxford Rd, Manchester M1 7ED
Barrio
Beech Road brunch-meisters Barrio have the margarita scene sewn up in this corner of Chorlton. You can have it straight up classic, or with mango, passionfruit, pineapple, ‘blue’, watermelon, or ‘Tommy’s’ style, with agave. Meanwhile, their frozen marg is mixed with strawberry beer and citrus, and 3pm to 7pm Tuesday to Friday is happy hour, so they’re only £6 a throw.
105 Beech Rd, Chorlton, Manchester M21 9EQ
Miami Ice
If only drinking your hard-earned margarita in a Miami-themed 80s disco joint in a lurid neon shipping container beneath the rumbling traffic of the Mancunian Way is an absolute dealbreaker, then you’re probably going to struggle to meet such specific requirements. Unless you try out Miami Ice, of course, which luckily ticks all of these boxes. Good margs too.
Unit D6 Hatch, Oxford Rd, Manchester M1 7ED
Nell’s
Yes, Nell’s is considerably better known for its giant, New York-style pizzas and slices, but its margaritas are really no slouch either. But still, the margs at Nell’s (frozen hibiscus, a Tommy’s or a frozen regular marg) are £6 at weekends, from 4pm to closing time on Friday and Saturday. All hail.
20 Minshull St, Kampus M1 3EF
Mule
This small but perfectly formed bar off Ancoats’ Cutting Room Square is a coffee, breakfast and brunch spot by day, before turning into a fantastic ramen, sushi, nigiri and uramaki joint from 5pm onwards. They also pour a superb marg - a sour cerise margarita, so be specific. It’s made from tequila, sour cherry, Cointreau and lime, with a rim of pink salt. Worth the trip for this alone.
13 Blossom St, Ancoats, Manchester M4 5AF
Liquor & Burn
Liquor & Burn does two for one margaritas all day, every day, and that’s what we call commitment to this most neckable of cocktails. One is a tenner, so go with a chum and pay a very reasonable fiver each. They do a classic, a Tommy’s and a frozen, the latter coming in classic, blue raspberry, strawberry, ‘exotic’ or sour apple varieties. They're a fiver all day on Margarita day too.
100-102 High St, Manchester M4 1HP
The Hillary Step
This excellent but unassuming Whalley Range watering spot might appear more beer-orientated on the surface, but they really do mix a mean marg. It’s a mezcal marg too, so it’s smoky and superb.
199 Upper Chorlton Rd, Manchester M16 0BH
Read more:
