With the start of outdoor socialising, the Manchester institution O’Sheas had an idea. Why not grab a site just outside of the city, fill it with tables and a stage for live music, a drinks hut and the peeps from Eat New York to sort a menu?
When I say O’Sheas are just outside of the city, they are a 10 minute walk from Piccadilly. It takes me longer than that to get down Market Street at times, so not that far to travel. The tables are socially distanced with some undercover to escape the elements. All ordering is via an app that you can scan directly from your table. Being an Irish bar, you can expect a decent pint of Guinness, hell there are baby Guinness shots as well if you are that way inclined. If a pint of the dark stuff is not your bag, there are a few cocktails on tap too. The Espresso Martini is surprisingly good, I tried a few just to be sure.
The Pornstar Martinis aren’t bad either. You don’t get the bells and whistle garnishes that you would get in a cocktail bar but at £6 a pop, these are most definitely not to be sniffed at.
The music is loud and Irish. Just the way I like it. The band are really good and I would be lying if I said singing along at the top of my voice did not make me a bit emotional. Over 12 months of lockdown has taken its toll on so many of us and to sing along to live music with a drink in hand is just awesome, I can’t really describe it.
There’s a food menu supplied by Eat New York with a selection of bagels, burgers and fries to dig your teeth into. Trust me, you’ll need it to soak up all that booze. We tried the Salt Beef Bagel and the Danny Boy Double Burger.
As with the drinks, the food is delivered straight to your table via the app and arrives really quite fast! The bagel was delicious with lashings of American mustard to contrast against the soft hot beef. My friend’s burger also looked epic with a ‘proper’ patty and fresh salad.
The table is yours for a 4 hour period and everything feels super safe. Tables are socially distanced, you scan the Track and Trace app on the way in and all staff wear masks, despite being outside. Security are on hand to make sure everyone stays safe and it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
There was a delay with some of our drinks and some teething problems with ordering via the app, but it was the first day and I’ve heard of a few venues who have struggled in the same way. Be patient, be kind and I’m sure they have ironed it all out already.
O’Sheas will be there throughout the summer with plans for outdoor football showings and much more. Grab a pew for a cold one.
