Promotion
WHEN you walk into a restaurant, the bar can often feel like an add on, somewhere to perch for ten minutes while you wait for a table. It's not like that at CAU. This is a bar with a real sense of fun where you'll always feel welcome. Cute white clouds hover above the bar as though they've just floated in from the Argentinian plain and comfy chairs dotted around low tables and invite you to sit down and settle in for the night.
But CAU doesn't take itself seriously; there won't be any avant-garde techno-fusion. You will hear all the songs you know and love
On a weekend, the candles come out and the place has a chilled out atmosphere. This isn't a bar for dancing on tables, it's a bar for interesting conversations and catch ups with friends. But CAU doesn't take itself seriously; there won't be any avant-garde techno-fusion. You will hear all the songs you know and love.
However, this is a bar so the drinks are the important part. CAU's new cocktail menu shows that this is one thing they are serious about.
Candyfloss Mojito
The menu takes in classics such as the Vanilla Espresso Martini which is creamy, rich and indulgent and also available in decaf form as well as CAU twists on cocktail staples such as A New Negroni, the Burbujeo, the Candy Floss Mojito and the Passion Fruit Caipirinha.
A New Negroni takes the cocktail of the moment and adds a bit of fizz. It's carbonated on site and given the CAU treatment with Kamm and Sons, a British aperitif that's packed full of botanicals. Containing ginseng, grapefruit and manuka honey, you could even pretend it's healthy if you want.
The Burbujeo is CAU's take on the Kir Royale. Portobello Gin, cassis, pomegranate and lemon are topped with prosecco and served in a coupe – premium ingredients come together to create a fruity drink with a real sense of celebration.
A New Negroni
The Candy Floss Mojito is sure to become an instagram favourite. Topped with a massive blue cloud of candy floss, it takes a mojito and sweetens it up with candy floss liqueur. The Passion Fruit Caipirinha, on the other hand, sounds sweet though it's anything but. It's a Mexi-tropical meld with a real sharpness and a devil of a kick.
There are also some pretty inventive cocktails on the menu with a standout being the Matcha Green Tea Martini. It's a velvety smooth drink with a clean, zen-like taste. The detox qualities of the ingredients (though not the Portobello Gin, mind) is one way to treat your body like a temple whilst still enjoying a tipple.
Matcha Green Tea Martini
With most cocktails priced at only £6.50 and a few at £7.50, these are serious drinks at silly prices. Of course it's not just about the cocktails at CAU. There is a good selection of mainly South American wines with a few old world classics thrown in for good measure. There are also CAU exclusives – bottles produced in Argentina and commissioned or even made by CAU's wine director Phil Crozier. CAU Didsbury is also the only CAU to serve draught lager – the La Gringa pilsener from Argentina – and at 4% it's a really pleasant easy-drinker.
CAU is open every day from midday until 11pm. Whether you're hoping to enjoy after-dinner drinks or just going in to check out the cocktails, CAU will take you away from the humdrum and make sure you have your head in the clouds.
For drinks at CAU just call in. To book a table, call 0161 448 1883 or click here.
