My love affair for margaritas began pretty recently. After getting over some previous tequila trauma, I have discovered the simple joy of the margarita. Strong, sweet and sour, not to mention the endless ways to elevate them, they really are some of the best cocktails.
Last week was Margarita Week, a festivity I was more than happy to celebrate, and Manchester’s Finest facilitated the celebrations with the Margarita Mile: a 15-bar crawl around the Northern Quarter to celebrate some of the city’s best variations on the classic cocktail – each for just a fiver!
In the spirit of this brilliant offer, I dragged my tequila-fearing housemates along to try as many margaritas as we could. Here are my top picks from the Margarita Mile, and also a special mention for my favourite tequila bar a bit closer to home in Withington.
Ramona is one of the coolest spots in town for both margaritas and Margheritas. A dazzling pairing that definitely delivers. The atmosphere was eclectic and fun, and so were the margaritas. We tried the Blood Orange and Passionfruit Frozen Margarita and the Classic Margarita, in both its frozen and non-frozen forms. All three were delicious, but the Blood Orange and Passionfruit were the standouts if you are looking for a classic with a twist. The spicy tajin dusting on the rim really took it to the next level.
Also good news: Ramona has extended their Marguary deal indefinitely, meaning you can grab a Margherita slice for just £1.23 and a margarita cocktail for £6 from 4-7pm Wednesday to Friday.
Next up we headed to The Smithfield Social to try their take. With five special margaritas to try, we went with the Blueberry one, and the Strawberry and Lime. My housemates enjoyed the Strawberry and Lime Margarita, commenting that it was sweet, foamy, and really good, “even for a margarita.” The Blueberry Margarita was also great, well-balanced with the mixture of the sweet blueberry combined with the salty rim. The atmosphere in The Smithfield Social is always top-notch, with great tunes and lowlighting, making the margaritas taste even better!
We then popped across to Wolf at the Door to try their offering: a Tommy’s Margarita. A classic by all accounts, and a personal favourite of mine, Wolf at the Door’s version was everything we hoped it would be. The flavours were well-balanced and not too strong so that even a margarita novice could enjoy it. Small but delicious, this margarita was a great iteration of a classic. The temptingly cheap tacos and bao buns on offer here also elevated the experience.
Our last stop on the Margarita Mile was Almost Famous, to try their Ice Cream Margarita. While we were slightly disappointed to find out that it did not actually contain any ice cream, the presentation almost made up for it. We were sold a dream of creamy goodness, but alas, there was only blue foam, which had quite a synthetic taste. Overall, the cocktail was nice and fondly reminiscent of the £3 cocktails from dearly departed The Font, but, as my housemate put it, it was “all style and not much substance. “
And finally, this could not be a roundup of the best margaritas in town without a special mention for Southside Tequila Joint. Nestled in the heart of Withington, this place is no secret amongst the student population, but their margaritas are some of the best I’ve tried. Eye-watering strong and delightfully moreish, Southside’s 2-4-1 margaritas are the perfect way to spend an evening with friends. Their changing specials are also reason enough to head down at least once a month and see what’s new.
We are really spoiled for choice in Manchester, with a wealth of incredible margaritas on offer in the Northern Quarter and beyond. Save this list for the next time you are deciding where to go for a casual (or not) drink in the city.
