Set up a drink Tabb at this Northern Quarter bar restaurant and get a free G&T

Queuing at the bar for drinks can be a bit of a drag. Enter Tabb, an app where customers can choose, order and pay for drinks from their phone with a choice between having drinks delivered straight to their table or receive a notification to collect them at the bar when they are ready.

Created by solicitor Dan Sandler and software developer Joseph Clover, the use of this app offers a huge leap into the future for keen drinkers.

With its reputation for loving all things Manchester, Cottonopolis is supporting the local start-up by offering free premium G&Ts this month in association with Tanqueray and Fevertree.

The partnership hopes to make bar politics a thing of the past. No need for the friendly use of elbows or slyly catching the eye of the bartender you tipped earlier. Just kick back and browse the drinks menu on your phone.

We thought we’d give it a go when we popped in for a spot to eat this week. One of our favourite lunchtime destinations, the Japanese menu is an absolute delight of fresh Asian flavours and never too heavy in the middle of the day. The quality of each dish is reflected in the price, but you can’t go wrong with a mixed selection Bento Box at only £8, incorporating each of the sections on their menu Ice, Fire, Steam, and Oil.

Pushing the boat out on our visit, we opted to each order one of our favourite small plates from the main menu. Yellowfin Tuna Nigiri (£7) are some of the freshest we’ve eaten with fantastic rice. Broccoli and Peanut Salad (£7) suited the veggies and was clean and healthy too. And Gyoza Steamed Prawn Dumplings (£6.50) delicious mouthfuls of heaven stuffed with prawn, water chestnut and spring onion.

We also tried a couple of new ones. Soft Shell Crab Tempura (£9) are oh so lightly battered. Steak Bao (£12) are stuffed and steamed buns with beautifully grilled ribeye steak, crispy shallots, and pickled cucumber. And our pick of the day, Lamb Nasu (£12)  Robata grilled cutlets marinated in miso with smoked aubergine nasa, simply delicious.

But what about the Tabb app? It takes a few minutes to set up and you can use your email, Facebook, or create a new account. But once in, it’s really easy to peruse, choose your drinks, and place your order (not forgetting to claim your free G&Ts). Our drinks arrived at our table within a few minutes. It’s worth noting you can’t order your food on the App yet but this may be something that will be introduced once the system is tried and tested.

“We’re excited about this opportunity to really showcase Tabb in one of Manchester’s best and most forward thinking bars, Cottonopolis,” said Tabb CEO Dan Sandler. “We’d love to use this as a platform get Tabb into more venues where customers can benefit from  quicker and less stressful service when going out for a drink.”

If you’re only popping in for a quiet drink at lunchtime it might be quicker to order at the bar. But once you’re all set up and good to go it will definitely be of benefit to regular customers at busy times and a real plus for larger groups.

Free G&T anyone? Get to Cottonopolis before the end of the month to claim yours.

cottonopolis-nq.com