MAYBE if you don't know who Foo Foo Lammar is, you don't know anything about Manchester - or at least its drag scene.
It is safe to say that Foo Foo's counts itself among the Bloom and Richmond Street massive. Bars, pubs and clubs that are making it their mission to inject a little extra gay into the Village.
An institution in herself, Foo Foo is and will forever be Manchester's best-loved and most famous Drag act. After a 25-year stint of entertaining Manchester from her legendary Foo Foo's Palace on Dale Street in the Northern Quarter, Frank 'Foo Foo' Lammar died in 2003.
With friends among the stars, and the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson contributing a foreward to her Autobiography I Am What I Am, Foo Foo was an indelible part of showtime Manchester.
Three years after her death, Foo Foo's nephew opened Lammar's on Hilton Street to continue Foo Foo's legacy with a new kind of venue. Fast-forward a few years and the legend has been brought to Manchester's Gay Village with the launch of the new bar, Foo Foo's on Bloom Street.
Bloom Street borders the north side of the Village and hosts a of venues from take-aways to taxi offices - needless to say it doesn't have much of the charm of Canal Street.
However, Foo Foo's takes the place of the former Jacklyn's opposite New York New York and gives Bloom Street a much-needed face-lift. (Gordo informs me that Jacklyn's used to be a knocking shop and before that it was Russian Dave's, another knocking shop, so Foo Foo's has an appropriately sybaritic past. Ed)
Under the blue neon fascia one can expect to find a boutique style bar perfect for starting or ending your night.
Not small, but certainly compact, the bar comprises an adequate seating area and a small snug around the corner, an ample bar, clean toilets (a rarity in this part of town) and even a much larger cellar bar downstairs for when the occasion calls.
Foo Foo's
The décor theme is ‘boudoir’ featuring faux French Empire furniture by way of silver and velvet embossed armchairs, decorative mirrors and side tables. Although, one shouldn't expect a look reminiscent of Napoleon’s palace, Foo Foo's is slightly more to Dame Edna's tastes. Glossy black coffee tables make for neat little spaces to sit and the plush pink leather quilted bar gives a hint of kink.
One of the most impressive features is the ceiling. Making do with what they had the team have painted polystyrene ceiling tiles black and pierced blue LED lights through them at random intervals. The effect is fantastic and proof that when start-ups start up it's all about a hands on attitude and a little DIY know-how.
Now, the drinks, priced somewhere between the Village's bargain booze hot-spot, G-A-Y and the pricier Brewery-owned establishments one can expect to pay £2.50 on selected draughts, £7 for a house bottle of wine and £2.95 for house spirits and mixers from 6pm 'til 9pm during Happy Hour Sundays to Thursdays.
It is safe to say that Foo Foo's counts itself among the Bloom and Richmond Street massive.
Bars, pubs and clubs that are making it their mission to inject a little extra gay into the Village. Years of recession have left bars to compete for a cheaper clientele and when hen parties arrive the cobbles are awash with feather boas and Alco-pop vomit.
All may be fair in bars and war but when a few streets build a reputation for being a safe space for LGBT people and their friends, it's important to keep hold of that heritage. Alongside the likes of Molly House, Icon and The Richmond Tea Rooms, Foo Foo's seems set to become quite the addition to the city's bar scene and one that counts class a little higher on the list of priorities than crass.
All rated reviews are paid for by Manchester Confidential and impartial.
You can follow him @jordanjmcdowell
Foo Foo's, 51 Bloom Street, The Village, City
Rating: 14/20
