Feature: Leicester's Cultural Quarter - part 2

See The Cultural Quarter - part 1

In part 1 of our guide to Leicester's Cultural Quarter, we looked at the landmark venues which make the area what it is. This second part looks at the smaller venues and businesses which can be found around the Quarter.

On this page: Manhattan 34 | The Lanna Thai Restaurant | The Soundhouse live music venue |

Manic Music Productions ltd

Based at the Phoenix Film and Digital Media Centre, Manic Music Productions provides a range of services music related.

See our article on this busy and innovative company on our page on Leicester Music Services.

Manhattan 34

Opened in September 2011, Manhattan 34 bar in Rutland Street is styled around the theme of the prohibition era in the 1920s. Run by Roop Kahlon and Chris Baker, the venue has a ground floor bar area and a basement room downstairs. Roop and Chris say they are "two of Leicester's longest standing bartenders".

Chris the bartender

Open from 10 a.m. to midnight from Monday to Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 1.30 a.m. on Saturdays and is closed Sundays (except for private bookings and on Bank Holidays.) The bar offers a wide selection of drinks, a food menu and occasional sessions of live music. On tap are Mahou, Guinness extra chilled, Coors Light and Magners.

Roop the bartender

Rosie's cocktails menu include Basil Gimlet, gin, lime and sugar muddled with six fresh Basil leaves and served straight up. Or, you could try the Cilantro Cooler - fresh Coriander, lime juice and sugar, added to a large absolut citron and traditional lemonade. The extensive cocktails menu offers much more besides.

The ambience is fresh, clean and themed around the 'roaring twenties' in New York. Even the clocks are set to Manhattan Time. Hopefully they don't call time by them! "No, we open and close according to Greenwich Mean Time", Roop said.

The theme is celebrated by references to Rosie. The food menu, for example, offers Rosie's Daily Specials: soup, bagels and hot dogs. Customers can also drop in for a coffee.

The story behind the theme of the bar can be read on the wall. It says In 1920, America introduced prohibition. The sale and production of alcohol was made illegal and the liquor trade driven underground. As a result, 'the speakeasy' was born ... where people would meet in secret, drinking crude concoctions to the hip sounds of Jazz. In December 1933 prohibition was overturned. With the cocktail now the mainstay in everyday American life, from 1934 onwards, a new era of drinking is born.

Proprietor Roop takes pride in the fact that they use only fresh herbs in their preparations, these being grown by family members. "We make and cook everything ourselves, on the premises", Roop told me. On the menu are Manhattan Sharers. The savoury version offers options for 2, 4 or 6 people with Monteray Jack Cheese, Gherkins and Olives, Turkey, Crackers, Celery Sticks, Humous and Pitta, served with either coffee or root beer. The sweet version offers flavoured popcorn, Pancakes, Maple syrup, Chocolate dipping sauce, Marshmallows, Oreos and muffins and icecream soda float.

They plan to put on live jazz, in the basement area, where there is a convenient area for a small band to play. Motown will also featured on the bar's musical agenda.

Manhattan34 is at 34 Rutland Street, Leicester, close to CURVE and opposite the LCB Depot.

See Manhattan34 on Facebook

See the Manhattan34 blog to find out more about Rosie Manhattan

The SoundHouse

At the back of the Leicester Mercury building stands one of Leicester's new breed of live music venues. Occupying what used to be the old Queen Victoria public house, in Southampton Street, the SoundHouse opened in 2010 after an extensive refurbishment.

The old pub used to put on live music but the sound system and staging were less than adequate. The building stood empty for a couple of years, until new landlords moved in and invested in a considerable upgrade of the facilities, to turn it into the vibrant live music centre that we see today.

A new stage was built, new production lighting was was fitted and a permanent sound system was installed. Whilst the main body of the building still retained the ambience of the twentieth century (and in some aspects, Victorian) pub, the performance area took on a whole new lease of life.

Crucial to the rebirth of the venue was Mark Elliott, a local musician with a solid working knowledge of rock music, whose work in booking the bands and designing the programme was pivotal to its becoming successfully established as one of Leicester's new centres for live music.

Martin, Sue and Joel © Harjinder Ohbi

Another key feature of the new venue is that it is run by a family with plenty of experience in the licensed trade. Martin and Sue also run a venue in Narborough Road called Fubar. Their son Joel is the manager of the SoundHouse. The bar serves a rich variety of drinks, from established pump brands to some more exotic bottled varieties. During the summer they plan to offer a food menu.

Gig goers were skeptical at first about its location - a bit off the beaten track, some said. As more and people went there for enjoyable and successful shows, the venue has become much more widely known and its proximity to major bus routes and the availability of nearby parking has seen attendances gradually climbing.

Now, with its own well organised website and rich variety of bands and open-mic night, the venue has become an established part of the city's vibrant music scene.

Leicester's Ashdowe on stage at the SoundHouse © Harjinder Ohbi

See more on the SoundHouse web site.

See our article about the first year of the SoundHouse.

The Lanna Thai Restaurant

The Lanna Thai restaurant at 80 Rutland Street, opened in 2011. ArtsIn went down to see the new fine food venue and found some visual delights. The restaurant closed in March 2012; the premises now appear to be occuped by a new busines. Here is the article we wrote about the old restaurant.

The main room of the restaurant is light, airy and spacious. The decor makes use of rich and vibrant colours, which are used sparingly to offset the refreshingly white styling.

The tables are laid immaculately with a clean and simple style.

The restaurant is beautifully decorated with many fine art works that lend an authentic Thai imagery to the ambience.

Everywhere you look there are fresh flowers and beautiful works of art, inspired by the Thai Orchid.

There is a smart bar offering a range of refreshments.

Diners are seated in pleasing and well lit comfort. Whether at lunch-time or in the evening, the room is lit with a refreshing and calming atmosphere.

Converted from the Leather Factors building, right next door to CURVE, an iconic iconic Grade II listed building with a magnificently ornate facade, the upper floors of the project feature a media performance area and rentable apartments.

More Cultural Quarter attractions to follow soon.

Previous page: The Cultural Quarter - part 1