Revolucion De Cuba is new spin off concept by the team behind the popular Revolution chain of bars. Unlike the Vodka loving venues dotted around Manchester City Centre, this bar's loyalties are firmly in the Rum camp. Revolucion De Cuba’s huge red street canopy and large windows make it impossible to miss, so a year after it first opened, we headed in to find out what is keeping this Deansgate venue packed out every week.
The Venue
Inside there are booths along the wall with loads of seating throughout, ranging from long tables for big groups and cosy tables for two. The décor is noticeably Cuban, with a nod to the stylish rather then the sometimes cheesy tiki route. There is a huge oval bar and hidden behind this are even more booths for those of you looking for a more secluded evening. Downstairs hosts the infamous Havana Club Room, with a huge dance floor and private bar area - this is where the party lasts until the early hours of the morning.
The large ground floor area with plenty of tables for drinking and dining
The Clientele and Atmosphere
We arrived early on a Thursday evening and the bar was busy with a mix of young professionals who had stopped in after work to take advantage of the cocktail deals, a few couples on dates and small groups of friends catching up. We were greeted immediately and sat in one of the window booths while the friendly waitress explained the food and cocktail menu to us. There was live music in the corner playing well known classics and it really felt like the weekend had started early.
Just an average night at Revolucion De Cuba
The Food & Drink
With a noticeably large selection of premium rums available and a massive cocktail list the choice was pretty overwhelming. Luckily our waitress recommended some of the bar's most popular drinks and we opted for a 'Totally Tropical Punch' (Brugal Anejo Rum, pineapple and passionfruit topped with one of my favourites – Ting) and a 'Nuclear Daquiri' which mixed Wray Nephews with Barcadi rum and banana Liqueur. If shaken and stirred isn’t your thing the bar has a good choice of beers and spirits to keep you going. We opted for some nibbles from the Cantina menu and shared some cheese stuffed Jalepenos, honey roasted vegetables and chorizo. The food was served quickly and certainly hit the spot – I’d definitely head back for dinner to sample their range of burritos, burgers and sharing platters.
Summary
With its lively atmosphere Revolution De Cuba is perfect for a fun date or a big night out with your friends. With live music and the party going on till 2am every night (3am at the weekend!) it’s guaranteed to bring out the Cuban in you! Despite the bar being pretty busy when we visited the staff were attentive and friendly, putting a second visit definitely on the cards. Viva La Revolucion!
