The owners of Flight Club - Red Engine - run the shuffleboard-themed bar on Deansgate, and they have hit the nail on the head when it comes to bringing in crowds of people.
I’ve never tried shuffleboard before and, indeed, my first association with it was with pensioners’ cruises rather than a trendy bar set-up. As it is though, Electric Shuffle is beyond trendy.
The walls are lined with musical icons, and the shelves that are decked with records and cassette tapes offer a sense of privacy to little areas of the vast, vast space. The bar area is fun and brightly lit, with a bafflingly-well-designed retro feel to it.
I’m not a fan of the modern desire to have call buttons for waiters, which adorn each table in the main area, however, even this was done in a classy way that may allow me to look past my own biases. Three areas of the bar could double as event spaces. All have slightly different themes but fit within the retro vibe brilliantly.
The drinks menu is well-crafted with some good original cocktails, and the prices are around what you’d expect to pay, while the food options were impressively different from other bars with similar goals.
In a city that seems increasingly inundated with bars that promise entertainment as well as activities, there is enough that is unique about Electric Shuffle to guarantee that it will be competitive at the very least.
The shuffleboard itself was easy to pick up and less intimidating for unskilled players than the darts at Flight Club, the games were engaging and entertaining and the promise of a DJ at the weekend means that I will almost certainly be returning.
1. Electric Shuffle Manchester
2. Electric Shuffle Manchester
3. Electric Shuffle Manchester
