NQ64: Manchester's new retro gaming bar is a hit

Photo by Sian McGuinness

The latest edition to Manchester's Northern Quarter is a retro arcade bar (or 'barcade' as some on Twitter are calling it).

Set in a graffiti-covered, underground space on Short Street, NQ64 boasts a range of retro arcade games and classic consoles, from Galaga to Crazy Taxi, and from SNS to Mega Drive.

On the bar side of things, NQ64 also serves craft beer and a unique range of game-themed cocktails, with names such as 'Princess Peach' and 'Bubble Bobble'.

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🍸I N T R O D U C I N G F I R S T ! ! 🍸 . The Galaga on the left with rhubarb and ginger gin, vodka, blue curacao and glitter tea syrup. . On the right we have the Bubble Bobble which is a mix of gin, white rum, Coconut , pomegranate, prosecco and finished with tapioca pearls. . . #nq64 #cocktails #cocktailtime #cocktailculture #drinkstagram #retrogaming #gin #vodka #rum #gaming #videogamecollection #videogames #oldschoolgamer #joystick #instadaily #staytuned #party #bar #drinkup #booze #goodtimes #mcr #ilovemcr #nq #northernquarter #latenight #mysecretmanchester

A post shared by NQ64 (@nq64mcr) on Feb 17, 2019 at 10:24am PST

And NQ64 Seems to be going down well. I visited on a Monday evening and the bar was full of drinkers and gamers alike, with the majority of games being occupied for the duration of the night.

Overall, if you're into videogames, NQ 64 will probably be a fun night out for you. If you're not a huge fan of gaming, the cocktails are interesting and unique, but you might find yourself losing interest after a while.

Photo by Niamh McGuinness

Drinks are a little pricey, at £8 a cocktail, but that's not uncommon for the Northern Quarter. Tokens are needed to play most of the games, starting at £5 for 15 tokens, although some of the consoles are free. There's even a free Bubble Bobble machine in the girl's toilets.

What a bar top!!!

This is at the new retro arcade bar NQ64 in Manchester.#arcade #arcades #amusementarcade #retro #retrogaming #retrogame #retrogames #arcadegames #videogaming #retrovideogame #videogames #nq64 #nq64mcr #exonumia #exonumismatics#tokens #coins pic.twitter.com/eeqNkloyXb

— Richard Gottfried (@putting_gott) February 25, 2019

I found NQ64 a lot of fun and I will definitely be returning in the future.

7/10