Manchester bar named amongst world's best in brand new prestigious bar guide

A brand new guide to some of the world's very best bars has been revealed - and a Manchester bar has made the cut. The Pinnacle Guide's inaugural list aims to champion 'bars worth travelling for' whilst celebrating their drinks, service and other credentials.

A bit like the Michelin Guide, but for drinks, bars can earn a PIN (or two or three) based on certain criteria. The bars self-nominate, sharing details of their drinks selection, staff, and the look and feel, before the list is pared down and then visited by anonymous inspectors including industry experts and renowned mixologists.

The new guide has been created by Hannah Sharman-Cox and Siobhan Payne - the duo behind London Cocktail Week - and Dan Dove from Global Bartending. It also looks as a bar's approach to 'craft responsibility', how they cater to today's drinkers and how their shaping the cocktail culture in their communities.

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“We’ve been overwhelmed by the incredible response to the first round of applications for The Pinnacle Guide," said co-founder, Dan Dove. “In revealing this first list, we have been able to realise our goal of celebrating the extraordinary range of cocktail bars the world has to offer - from tiny drinking dens to majestic hotel bars.

"We’re proud of our unique submissions process, which has allowed these deserving bars to shine - and we’re excited to shed light on many many more in the months and years to come.”

Globally recognised bars have made it into the new guide - some with one PIN such as Swift in London and The Dead Rabbit in New York City, while Origin Bar at the Shangri-La in Singapore and The American Bar at Gleneagles in Scotland have landed two.

Flying the flag for Manchester, and awarded one PIN, is the recently unveiled Sexy Fish in Spinningfields. The glamorous restaurant and bar was opened last October complete with Damien Hirst artworks, giant sea sculptures and its own mini waterfall bar feature.

The Spinningfields' bar is the third for Caprice Holdings - the people behind The Ivy Group - following launches in Mayfair and London, and has become a must-visit for celebs and well-heeled diners. Spread over three floors, it encompasses a restaurant, destination bar and a private dining space featuring a huge aquarium boasting tropical fish and its own mini coral reef.

Sexy Fish Manchester has been awarded one PIN from the new guide based on its extensive Japanese whisky range spanning 200 bottles, as well as its 'down-to-earth' hospitality style, and its commitment to queer representation in its management team.

The guide writes: "Located as this venue is in Manchester, the blend of Sexy Fish glamour with the down-to-earth hospitality style of the north England may feel incompatible but the staff here prove otherwise. In a venue that is all about opulence, they are committed to guiding guests through the offering and relaxing them into the high-energy venue."

It adds that there is 'strong' queer representation within the management team and the venue is 'committed to creating a safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community' with all team members given mandatory diversity training.

The guide also highlights how staff are actively encouraged to work towards WSET (Wine & Spirits Education Trust) at levels 2 and 3. There is also a Sexy Fish laboratory available for those members of staff who want to better understand the inner workings of ingredient production and cocktail research and development sessions.

It comes as Sexy Fish Manchester and it's two sister bars prepare to unveil the final instalment of its cocktail series with the arrival of ‘UNITY’ menu, set to launch on Friday, 17 May. The new list features 12 serves based on 12 core flavour profiles, with 24 cocktails in total including non-alcoholic options.

Guests can choose from the likes of Pineapple, Cacao, Honey, Sugar Snap Pea as core flavours before they're elevated into a handful of cocktails exclusive to each city such as Plum, Orange, Apple in Manchester, Fig, Barley & Raspberry in London and Lime, Goldenberry & Coffee in Miami. The new cocktails start from £12 and go up to £15.

The Pinnacle Guide opened applications in November 2023 and invited bars of any size, style or genre to enter. Hundreds of applications were received from the UK, Australia, Dubai, Mexico, Singapore, and Spain.

To be awarded a PIN, a bar must demonstrate ‘excellent’, ‘outstanding’ or ‘exceptional’ work on both sides of the bar. To gain a 3 PIN status, it must submit an 'exceptional' written application, and provide 'exceptional' service during the anonymous visits. This time around, no bars achieved 3 PIN status.

“The response we’ve received from bars in regards to our feedback, whether PINNED or not, has been extremely motivating,” says co-founders Hannah Sharman-Cox and Siobhan Payne. “Progress can only happen if we provide genuine, meaningful and reflective insight as to why these bars have or haven’t made it, and it’s been very promising to witness how applicants are taking this on board.”