Matt and Phreds

I can’t sing enough praise for Matt & Phreds. Quite easily one of my favourite music venues in Manchester. Been going for the last 7 years or so, since I was 18, and yet to have a disappointing experience.
I recently went this Monday (8^th Feb) for their monthly jazz jam. Each week M&P host a ‘jam’ night featuring a different genre of music. Jazz, blues, New Orleans etc. The second Monday of the month is their jazz jam, which is by far my favourite. They have their house band and invite spectators to join them on stage for some seriously incredible improv music. As a musician, it’s just simply amazing to witness.
I went with a friend a while back who complained that the booze was a tad expensive, however when I pointed out that entry is free for what is probably the best jazz music you’ll hear in the city, he changed his mind.
The venue is ace. Stereotypical jazz club. Small round tables, low red lighting. All that’s missing is a haze of smoke drifting through the room.
The jams run from 9pm-12.30am every Monday, and I suggest getting there earlier to secure a table. Online reservation is available however.
Really, really recommend going, something different to spice up your Monday nights.

We stopped by on a quiet Monday night for the happy hour free pizza when we bought two alcoholic drinks. The Cajun chicken pizza was ok but it was a weird deserted bar type of atmosphere.

A great LIVE music venue. I was there for a drink on a Thursday night and I loved the atmosphere. The band was also really good.

This atmospheric venue for live jazz is one of Manchester’s most popular live music venues. Laid out in cabaret style with about 20 tables in front of the performance stage, it fills up quickly! Open until the early hours it is a great place to spend an evening, and to encourage you not to leave there are free pizzas with a multi drink round — and good ones too! The Greek with feta, sun dried tomatoes and olives being my favourite. It’s reasonably priced for gigs, around £5, but if you plan to make an evening of it, call and book your table or your not likely to get a seat. It’s been around a long time and it’s eponymous owners are often present, welcoming and friendly. Great selection of well priced wines by the bottle to.

Excellent option for a fun night out in Manchester — I only went there once, but they had an awesome band (and I understand they are there every Thursday and Saturday). It was pretty crowded for a Thursday, and I can imagine there’s probably only standing room on Saturdays. Great beer selection, including several options on tap (ahem, River Grill, are you listening?) and pretty good liquor selection as well, nothing high end, but all the basics.

I have always had a soft corner for Matt & Phredd’s as a music venue. Music venues in the northern quarter have that special something about them that you don’t get anywhere else.
Seven days of live music, more or less and decent cocktails with a free pizza offer between certain hours on certain days of the week and you can’t go wrong.
We walked in and I felt I was being drawn in by the décor, the ambience and the general vibe of the place, which is always a good thing.
This visit of ours was to see a burlesque show by Cherie Babe and her group on Sunday night. I must say we thoroughly enjoyed the event. The seating was a bit cramped but it added to the character of that place.
What we liked also was the service of the bar staff. We ordered old fashioned, the cocktail and if you’ve ever made one of those or seen someone make one you know it’s a thankless job. We were quite impressed that the girl put in a lot of effort to ensure our cocktails turned out right and was very polite and friendly throughout. Like I’ve said before, getting a good level of customer service in these times is always a pleasant surprise.
We were also quite pleasantly surprised when the lead performer of the night, Cherie Babe actually spoke to us for a good few minutes on the way out and took the time to find out if we’d really enjoyed the show and so on and so forth.
All in all I had a good experience and would definitely go back again.
Only four stars and not a five this time because the seating for the actual show was cramped and my view of the stage wasn’t the clearest of all.
As always I hope they continue to maintain these high standards for a long time to come.

Matt and Phreds is definitely one of my favourite venues in Manchester. Firstly it only costs £5 to watch a fantastic jazz band, the atmosphere is second to none and the bar has a great selection of beers and spirits. I went last night and watched an amazing band called the Dub Jazz Soundsystem. They played for 2 had a half hours which makes the entry fee a bargain. Matt and Phreds does get busy so I suggest you get there early if you want a table. You can also book a table if you want to eat food there. They do an excellent selection of homemade pizzas and also that way you get a seat near to the front so you have a good view of the band. Can’t wait for my next visit.

I had a great Friday night here, really enjoyed myself. I came to see Frannie Eubanks sing and it was most definitely a 5 star experience. It was £5 to get in which isn’t bad for a Friday night. I liked the dive bar look with a black curtained stage, lurid red walls and a chalked sign on the wall pointing to the ladies loos. Unlike a real dive the crowd were enjoying the night and music rather than starting fights!
There was table service with the option of a tab or paying per drink. The staff were very attentive and pleasant. It was £4.50 for a large glass of house white. There was plenty of seating although I would recommend booking ahead. I’ve also been told the pizzas are good from a reliable source. A definite recommend from me!

During the week there isn’t anywhere better to be if you like Jazz music. Came here on a quiet Wednesday and stumbled across quite an incredible Organ trio playing their entire album. There weren’t that many people there which was both fantastic and extremely sad. Fantastic, because my friend Ben and I had prime seats and rude back ground chatter was non existent. Sad, because there were so few people there to witness some really exceptional music. The band was called Svarc Henley Longhawn and they’d traveled all the way from Leeds to perform.
The particulars re drink prices and décor are monumentally irrelevant when it comes to utterly brilliant music such as this. Despite the lack of an audience the musicians never held back and gave it 100% which was not only admirable but inspirational. I made it a point to shake hands with all of three musicians and thanked them for an awesome performance. They were absolutely made up about that.
If Matt and Phreds put on acts like this even once during the week, It’s well worth a visit. I will definitely be returning on another dark stormy night, for some morale lifting Jazzy tunes.

Went here on Saturday night £5 cover on the door which for a great New Orleans style jazz band was pretty good. We had booked a table but as there was 9 of us we were right at the back near the main entrance so we couldn’t see the band as the bar area which was in front of us got really busy. If you are a smaller group then I would advise seeing if you can get a table near the stage — you won’t be able to chat as much but you will be able to see the band and be in the thick of it.
We did get up and get involved so a fun night was had by all.

Firstly, it’s great that Matt & Phreds has live music on every night. That’s in general something to be happy about. Also the bartender was super nice (because he was really impressed with my friend ordering dry Manhattans). However I was taken aback at the cost of the cocktails — two came to over £15. That’s quite a lot of money for somewhere that otherwise does not have a luxury feel or, in my humble opinion, much of an atmosphere. The red walls and bog standard furniture reminded me more of a student bar than a jazz club, and although I liked the way they had stacked blown up photographs on one wall, some of the subjects were pretty out of sync for the feel of the place. To be fair though I’m probably comparing this place to iconic joints such as Blues Alley and there was no cover at all that night. And I can’t complain about the taste of the cocktail although I think they would look more elegant in smaller glasses so the drink sits closer to the brim.
I didn’t think the band were very good although it was interesting to see jazz electric guitar and a hilariously enthusiastic drummer. I’d definitely go back to see more acts though.
Bear in mind of course that as there’s amplified live music this is not the place for a quiet chat, although there’s also plenty of tables at the other end of the bar where you can talk audibly without disrespecting the musicians.

Matt & Phreds is a jazz bar that (to my untrained eyes, at least) epitomizes what a jazz bar should be like. Dimly lit interiors, a collection of tables nestled around a small stage area and a general vibe of warmth that harks back to a time gone by.
There’s something incredibly romantic about sitting at one of those tables, watching a singer and backup musician do their thing. The alcohol is a nice touch too, we were lucky enough to stumble in on a Tuesday, so we partook of their very kind happy hours offer — a free pizza with two drinks. They were also doing 2 for 1 cocktails at £7.20 which seemed to be lower value, though.
They’ve definitely nailed the mood then — let’s spend a second discussing what doesn’t work as well — it’s quite small and definitely not private — every table is out in the open so there are no dark corners for canoodling. There is also a pretty jarring background CD that plays between acts (or when performers are taking a break.) Perhaps some thought might be given to making the background music fit the theme of the live performers.
If those seem like very mediocre cribs, its because they are. There’s very little wrong with Matt & Phreds and you should definitely not let these little things dissuade you from going there for a fun night of jazz music, alcohol and pizza.

Go here for some jazz, its amazing.

It is the only Jazz bar in Manchester where they have live jazz bands EVERYDAY of the week! It is free to enter (apart from special nights) and they do free pizza during happy hours (5 – 8) with any two alcoholic drinks (that sounds brilliant).
They also have salsa classes here every Tuesday with a live band, I love dancing and jazz so it was a perfect combination for me. The red interiors and décor gives the place a very retro feel. The crowd is usually decent and trendy (not seen any chavs here) usually get louder post midnight. The drinks are reasonably cheap and so is the food!
What I like most about this place is the chilled out and un-​pretentious vibe here!

I’ve been to Matt&Phred’s a couple of times, admittedly always as part of a company and never for a gig. Still, the atmosphere is arty, you can easily imagine yourself in a French or American bar, dark and oozing cool. The bar is great, I enjoyed their house white, and our company shared a pizza (it was in 2009). The club is ideally located in Tib St, close to other hip places, like Simple, Common, and The Northern, not to mention the bar galore down Thomas St. And you can never miss it the red lights are always on in the window on Oldham Road.

Matt & Phred’s is the jazz club in Manchester. The only one.
You might get some jazz elsewhere.
Now, it’s a fine old place. Nice. Clean. Not sure about the tablehood up front (good for chin-​stroking nights, but on nights where people might want to, you know, dance, not so good, like when I was there).
It’s also blisteringly expensive. We paid a fiver to get in, then I think £3.40 for a pint of Boddington’s.
A generally decent crowd, though quite a few drunkens who thought that bum-​patting of the ladies was OK. (boys, this is NOT OK. Seriously.)
It’s nice, and I’d be happy to go back, in general.
(3 stars from me is a good, but not fab, review)

I was lucky enough to catch the Paul Farr band at Matt and Phred’s last night. It’s safe to say that I entered what Howard Moon and Vince Noir would refer to as a ‘jazz trance’.
My word, if you get the opportunity to catch these guys when they play again on the 17^th August (they play here quite regularly and it’s always free entry) or at the Cinnamon Club you really must — even non-​jazz fans would thoroughly enjoy their awesome musical prowess, it’s absolutely universal to appreciate the percussive banter between the awe-​inspiringly superb drummer and the creative percussionist armed with an absolute arsenal of unusual instruments. The guitarist has worked with the likes of Tom Jones and Lily Allen and along with the fabulous bassist, they’re all just mind-​bendingly supreme.
The pedant and I (have I introduced you to him before?) popped in for some cocktails while the Thursday salsa classes were still going on, and I tell you, if you’re remotely nervous about salsa you must join this group. Beginners are from 7 – 8, improvers from 8 – 9 and everyone was having an awesome time. The teachers seemed very sweet.
The pedant took on a Dave Walsh special pizza, a great combination of anchovies, chorizo and spring onions, and if you get the opportunity (and are comfortable in your masculinity) try out a Pixie’s Potion cocktail. It might look girly, but it contains absinthe. Talk about a kick and a half. As well as this, I had no idea Matt and Phred’s did fresh-​baked cakes — they look amazing. And the bar staff, as always, were truly magical.
There’s a wonderful cosy atmosphere to Matt and Phred’s, and had we not had any pressing errands the next day the pedant and I could have stayed there all night. It’s one of those places where whoever you’re with, you constantly find yourselves looking back and forth at one another and smiling in agreement at the joy of seeing incredible music in such a cool little place. I’m making a late New Year’s resolution. Visit Matt and Phred’s far more often. Like on a weekly or fortnightly basis perhaps? I’d best start saving up for all those caipirinhas…

I love Matt & Phreds. I’m actually surprised anyone hasn’t given it 5 stars, and for that reason I feel I need to add my opinions. I am not a big Jazz fan, though I do dabble in the odd Jazzy tune. However, as soon as I went here I knew it was a five star venue.
Located in the Northern Quarter, this cool retro bar is free to enter. They have a resident Jazz band playing unbelievable music that would take years and years of practice and performing experience to replicate.
Plus, its so nice to sit around a table with friends and listen to music. Its definitely the best way to do it. Forget moshing or seated areas, this should be the way all gigs are organized.
Given that its free to enter, and they could easily get away with charging a bomb, I don’t mind paying a little more for beers, which are still in line with prices in the area, at about three quid.
They also do some amazing pizzas, which though quite small, are inexpensive, and provide the perfect accompaniment to a cold beer and some quality jazz.
Amazing place to take visitors, especially parents.

I heard good things about this place, great things in fact, amazing things actualised it lived up to all my expectations!
Loved the crowd, really great people and fantastic atmosphere. I love Jazz so I was obviously a very happy lady!
I went allout and tried a few of their delightful cocktails, big selection that will keep you occupied all night.
Staff were fantastic, really friendly and obviously into he music themselves.
Cannot find one bad point… aside from the fact the cocktails gave me a nasty headache in the morning but I suspect taht was due to how many I DRANK!

Partial to the odd turtle neck? Groovy smoothie…
Own a berry and some turtle shell rims? Uptight and out of sight hip cat…
Want to know where you can keep it unstructured and cool?
If Jazz is your thing or you just wanna swing then head down to the Northern Quarters only dedicated Jazz bar Matt & Phreds daddio and keep it loose goose.
Right on…
Joking aside, this is a really top night spot. Completely free of the intimidating pretentiousness that has unfortunately become linked with Jazz bars and really accessible to anyone wanting to just try something new.
The décor and music combine to make this one of the most atmospheric small venues you’ll ever go.
Definitely worth a break from the norm.

Mein Lieblingsladen in Manchester!
Wer auf Jazz steht, und in Manchester ist, sollte — nach meiner Meinung — dringend das Matt & Phreds aufsuchen.
Die Atmosphäre, die Leute und die Musik passt perfekt zusammen.
Auf alle Fälle sollte man bei Livekonzerten auf die Kleidung achten. Nein, nicht der Türsteher könnte Stress machen, eher die Hitze vor der Bar — Puhhh.
Die Bedienungen hinter der Bartheke sind ganz nett (nicht nur zum anschauen) und die Preise bewegen sich im normalen Rahmen.
Der Laden ist in dunklen Holztönen gehalten (die Theke ist komplett aus Holz, der Boden aus Holzdielen) und die Toiletten waren bei meinem Besuch sauber.
Einziger Wermutstropfen: die mangelnde, oder nicht funktionierende Klimaanlage.