LGBTQ+ cocktail den set to open in ‘historic warehouse’ location

A new cocktail den promising ‘dirty martinis under dim lights’ is set to open in a historic warehouse in the middle of the city. Red Light will be setting up shop on Little David Street, the newly renovated street running parallel to Canal Street, and part of the Kampus development.

The bar itself will be in Minshull Warehouse, the Grade II-listed Victorian shipping warehouse which played a key role in Manchester’s cotton industry, sending goods off to be transported along the Rochdale Canal.

The bar is being set up by Deana Ferguson. She said: “The bar we’re creating fits perfectly with the red brick of the stunning Victorian warehouse, opening onto Little David Street. The name is a nod to the fascinating history of the area, with the canals and warehouses once at the heart of the cotton industry, but then becoming a hidden red light district after the businesses wound down.

“Red Light will be a queer and inclusive space, where we’ll be mixing signature cocktails in a historic space that just draws people in from the street. It’ll be dimly-lit and intimate, a place to hang out with mates or simply while away the night in a refined setting.”

As well as top drawer cocktails served by award-winning bartenders, the space will be punctuated by ‘cosy corners and queer art’ and feature outdoor seating on the pavement outside. It will also boast a natural wine list and ales from the city’s best independent brewers.

The bar is among a host of new bars and restaurants heading for the Kampus neighbourhood. Ancoats bakery Pollen recently opened a new location, following the likes of Nell’s, which opened a bar there last year.

Also in the pipeline is a Manchester site for Liverpool’s taco outlet Madre, and a new bar from the