YES

YES is the kind of place where you can start the night with a slice of pizza and end it dancing in a basement full of strobes. Spread across four floors just off Oxford Road, this Charles Street favourite is part bar, part live music hub, part rooftop hangout – but when it comes to club nights, it really knows how to bring the heat.

The action usually kicks off downstairs in the low-lit, high-energy Basement, or upstairs in the neon-hued Pink Room, where DJs and live acts span everything from house and disco to post-punk, electro and leftfield pop. It’s loud, it’s sweaty, and it’s got that sweet spot of feeling both DIY and finely tuned – thanks to a NASA-grade sound system and Now Wave’s knack for booking the next big thing.

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Review by Anne-Marie Pattenden:

Famous for live music and events both here and at their other venue, New Century Hall, (plus all over the city via their Now Wave brand), the YES team has just launched a new Greek-style kebab concession at the ground floor bar: We Can Be Gyros. 

They’re also promoting a new summer drinks menu with a great selection of quaffable cocktails. At £6.95 each they’re dangerously easy – on both lips and wallet. The Blood Orange Paloma is delightfully pretty, while the YES Rum Punch is reminiscent of blue ice-pops, but the classy elderflower-scented gin cocktail Hugo, and sweet and sour tasting Kiwi Go Again are similarly excellent choices. 

The Blood Orange Paloma is delightfully pretty

The first kebab to arrive, the vegan Lady Stardust, is the stuff that dreams are made of, and we’ll bet the plant-based farm that you’ll love the chick’n texture: chewy, juicy, and flavoursome with a crispy fried spiced crust. Rainbow coleslaw and sriracha vegan mayo complement the dish. “I’ll be dreaming of this tonight, and if I could have one tomorrow too, I would,” is the glowing report from our impressed guest.

On the other side of the culinary coin, Live Lamb Love is a heavenly carnivorous creation. It consists of juicy smashed lamb and beef chargrilled koftas that have a perfect balance of fat to lean, resulting in an excellent meaty flavour. Must-try enhancements include cool and creamy tzatziki, scotch bonnet mayo, and pickled red cabbage.

The Live Lamb Love kebab is a heavenly carnivorous creation

Both kebabs are beautifully presented in a sturdy cone of fluffy flatbread (also available gluten-free), giving enough structural integrity to avoid making a huge mess in the final bites. They also come stuffed with hot crispy Firecracker Fries, tomatoes and the loveliest pickled pink onions you could possibly imagine. 

And don’t miss out on the veggie option, Karen From Accounts, which comes with halloumi and sriracha-dusted deep-fried courgette ribbons. Finishing off this impressive line-up, there’s The O.G., a spicy chicken gyros with honey mustard sauce, crumbled feta and smoked garlic aioli. The standard and vegan chicken options are available in platter form heaped with goodies. 

Thanks to pocket-pleasing offers such as gyros and free fries for £8.95 at lunchtime (£10.95 after 3pm), and 2 for £10 cocktails 12-6pm every day (and all day and night Sunday and Monday), it won’t be difficult to say YES to a boozy lunch or pre-gig dinner at this popular multi-purpose destination.

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The apple of Now Wave’s eye, YES is a music venue located in a former auctioneers house on Charles Street. It boasts four floors for live music and DJs, two food outlets, plus an outdoor roof terrace.

Some of the city’s best gigs happen in the Pink Room, the venue’s main, 250-capacity event space, while up-and-coming artists find a snug, slightly sticky home in the basement, which accommodates 60 people.

The main, ground-floor bar is often frequented by caffeinated freelancers during the day. By about 4pm, the coffees littered on these tables magically turn to pints of craft beer, and a few hours later, DJs start spinning everything from dance music to funk and soul.

Head skyward, and the roof terrace is a great place to sup a happy hour cocktail overlooking the Manchester skyline.