Oi Polloi

Ian Jones, Food and Drink Editor

Visit now

Oi Polloi

63 Thomas Street, Manchester, M4 1LQ
0161 831 7870
This venue is permanently closed.
Oi Polloi
Book now

Oi Polloi is the Northern Quarter’s most high-profile men’s clothing shop, if not the North of England’s. It’s been kicking around for over 15 years, based in that classically Mancunian space on Thomas Street, all bare brick and pale wood, supplying the city’s style-conscious creatives with jackets, boots, shirts and everything else for the modern man’s wardrobe.

It has a certain kind of customer, and it isn’t the kind who flits between trends, fashions and fads. Oi Polloi’s forte is classics, both contemporary and time-honoured, from celebrated brands to obscure gems. The range is geared toward savvy shoppers who want sharp threads with an urban edge. It’s the place to go for those limited edition launches (the Ardwick Adidas launch has gone down in Manchester history) and British-made products – not to mention the finest menswear from across the globe.

For savvy shoppers who want sharp threads with an urban edge

Since setting up shop in 2002, it played a key part in the Northern Quarter’s ascendance, helping establish it as the cultural hub we know today. But their influence isn’t restrained to the North – 2015 saw the launch of their first London store – in Soho, naturally – and throughout all this managed to build a remarkable online presence.

Of course, online only goes so far. Nothing beats flicking through a rack of shirts waiting for that one item to pop out at you, one destined to become a regular fixture in your go-to outfits. And nobody gets this more than the staff at Oi Polloi. Smart, knowledgeable and eager to help, without any of the forelock-tugging you get at those personality-free chain stores.

Clued-in insiders have known for years that Oi Polloi is Manchester’s best pick for men’s clothes. With racks and shelves jam-packed with sharp garments from across the globe, it’s a one-stop-shop for any self-respecting shopper looking to upgrade their wardrobe.

What's on near Oi Polloi

MusicManchester
MF Tomlinson at The Castle

London-based, Brisbane-born singer-songwriter MF Tomlinson brings album number three, Die To Wake Up From A Dream, to The Castle Hotel.

From £11.00
LiteratureManchester
Nikita Gill at Feel Good Club

Enter the Underworld with internationally bestselling poet Nikita Gill as she discusses her “propulsive, electrifying and enraging” new book Hekate.

From £18.99
Rock and Goal
Until
ActivityManchester
Rock and Goal Tour

Join Joe Feeley a Mancunian through and through, who guides you into Manchester’s two pillars of cultural excellence with his Rock and Goal tour.

From £9.99
Craft Beer Tour Around Manchester
Until
ActivityManchester
Craft Beer Tour Manchester

Join Craft Beer Tour Manchester for a journey through some of the cities best local breweries and artisanal beer serving bars. Discover the personality of Manchester’s beer through a diverse

From £45

Where to go near Oi Polloi

Manchester
Shop
NOTE Thomas Street

The sister store to NOTE’s original Tib Street branch, here you’ll find footware, clothes and brands inspired by the skateboard scene. If it’s a new board you’re after, head to Tib Street.

Manchester
Gallery
Richard Goodall Gallery

There’s no better place in the country to find and buy examples of music-oriented illustration and photography than the Richard Goodall Gallery

Rivet and Hide
Manchester
Shop
Rivet and Hide Manchester

Manchester’s newest destination for denimheads, Rivet and Hide stocks a collection of quality, Americana-inspired men’s casual wear and raw selvedge denim – including prized Japanese brands like Momotaro, The Flat Head, and Pure Blue Japan.

Deadstock General Store
Northern Quarter
Deadstock General Store

This small shop has a well-curated range of stock that focuses on vintage homeware and gifts. From Japanese hemp socks to botanical paperweights and HAWS plant misters, each object is beautiful, practical and well made.

57 Thomas Street, Manchester. Courtesy 57 Thomas Street
Manchester
Bar or Pub
57 Thomas Street

57 Thomas Street is the third outlet belonging to Manchester’s best-known microbrewery, Marble Beers. Unlike the lavish decoration of the Grade II-listed Marble Arch (which also doubles up as a brewery) or the traditional pub layout of the Marble Beer House in Chorlton, this tiny Thomas Street digs has room for just two things: beer and food.

Fierce Bar
Manchester
Bar or Pub
Fierce Bar

Highly-rated bar based in Manchester’s bustling Northern Quarter, seconds away from Common.

Manchester
Restaurant
Home Sweet Home, Manchester

Home Sweet Home in Manchester’s Northern Quarter is a cafe and milk bar that does a mean line in cake, puddings and all things sweet – but its savoury menu isn’t half bad either.

Manchester
Bar or Pub
Cane & Grain

Essentially three bars under one roof, Cane & Grain encompasses a rib joint and tap room, hidden speakeasy, and Tiki-themed Liar’s Lounge.

Evuna in Manchester's Northern Quarter
Manchester
Restaurant
Evuna Northern Quarter

Somehow the only tapas bar in the Northern Quarter, Evuna is where it’s at for traditional Spanish grub and damn fine drinks.

Culture Guides

Exhibitions in the North

Galleries around the North are gearing up for a new season of exhibitions - from iconic art prizes to smaller, artist-led gems.

Cinema in the North

This month we recommend a season of Film noir, cult Australian movies and a huge celebration of DIY community cinema.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

This season’s theatre is gloriously eclectic: from radical cabaret and reinvented classics to new musicals and boundary-pushing performance.

Wisp Press Image
Music in the North

From corrupted shoegaze to experimental electronica, post-hardcore to Indian classical, these are the shows that should be on your radar.