When I’ve stayed at the Hilton (I promise you this is relevant) and looked out over this great city we call home, I’ve often cast my eye over Great Northern and wondered about that seemingly uninhabited walkway that sits so close to the hustle and bustle of Deansgate. But thanks to the brains behind previous operations such as Friday Food Fight, this dormant street is once again teaming with food, drink, music and people – welcome to B.eat Street people.
Considering the size of the space it really is a wonder why it lay dormant so long, but as of Thursday, this avenue situated slap bang in the middle of GN fired up the ovens and put the champagne on ice.
Now that I’ve got your attention, let’s get onto the grub. Those of you who’ve ever ventured into Piccadilly Street Food Market will be familiar with Big Grillie Style and their artery-clogging grilled cheeses sandwiches. Not your cup of tea? Well then how about Indian food from Chaat Cart or perhaps Caribbean delights from Jerk. The other stalls are occupied by Bali Beach Hut (Indonesian), Eat New York (think 80’s cop shows), Lekker (crepes) and Bart’s Dog Kart (self-explanatory).
Naturally you’re going to need something to wash that down, mercifully there are several options when it comes to beverages. There’s the Tokyo-inspired Lucky Lucky Late Bar which is the most spacious and therefore the spot for throwing some shapes, if you’d rather not break out the moves, try the more compact Kozel Lokal. If alcohol’s not on your agenda, Milk and Burgundy also caters for coffee loves – but it also does plenty of booze too.
So where does this sit in terms of a night out? Well if you’re feeling to old for nearby Venue and 42nd Street, this place is open till 2am on weekdays and 3am on weekends – an altogether classier affair but nevertheless, this place will get lively as the cocktails flow.
B.eat Street is a very welcome addition to Great Northern; previously your choices were limited to either a ridiculously messy burger or tickets to see the new Tom Hanks film, failing that GN wasn’t much of an evening destination. But now it offers a genuine alternative to the occasionally ‘too big for its boots’ Alberts Schloss and the craft beer haven that is BrewDog.
There are similarities to Friday Food Fight of course, but this incarnation seems a bit more permanent and a tad more polished. If you’re indecisive about where to eat in Deansgate, this place has an answer for everyone.