Manchester – Eating & Drinking – Cafes & Coffee Shops
If the Queen of Chinatown could have a residence anywhere in Canal St, it would certainly be Via Fossa (that’s Canal Street in Latin, if you didn’t know). Amanda Lear should definitely love the place. And if you’re wondering as to what the atmosphere is like, then I can tell you that “it’s just a noisy hole where there’s a nightly brawl, and all that jazz”. (Any puns are unintentional.)
The truth is that Via Fossa is one of the best and characteristic places in the Gay Village. There are three levels to sit at, you enter the middle level from the street and go straight to the bar. From there you can either go to a cosy sitting room on the same floor, or walk along a small loggia to the well-hidden seating area above, or plunge in the depths of the place by taking the steps downstairs.
There is a plenty of cheese and kitsch all around, starting from dark velvet curtains through to themed pop evenings featuring a Whitney Houston double. From what I’ve seen, the double does a better job at being Houston, and there was no annoying talk about God. Needless to say, the place is very popular, is nearly always crowded, and is particularly packed during the annual Pride parade.
The old fans of Canal St and Via need no persuasion to visit the place. And if you’re new to Manchester, regardless of whether you are gay or straight, Via Fossa should be a must on your “to visit” list. In the best sense, it epitomises the Gay Village to me.
