Mala secret garden cocktail bar interior, Manchester
Northern Quarter · Manchester

An escape from the city, within the city

A wood-built secret garden of craft cocktails, specialist beers and rotating street food — hidden beneath the fairy lights on Dale Street.

TonightOpens 8:00am
Find us8 Dale Street, M1
Rated4.5 ★ · 1,000+ reviews
Scroll
★★★★★
Loved on Google & Tripadvisor
4.5
average rating across 1,000+ reviews
#NQ
Manchester's original secret garden bar
7
days a week, open from 8am till late
As seen in Manchester's Finest Secret Manchester Confidentials Manchester Evening News
From behind the bar

Cocktails, craft beer &
whatever's cooking

Full menu
Fairy-lit garden cabin at Mala Manchester
“Mala” = gardenHawaiian for the place we built for you
Our story

A whole world, hidden down a side street

Tucked away on the corner of Dale Street and Lever Street — right by Chapter One Books — Mala is the kind of place you have to know about. Push past the green archway and the city falls away: a wood-built, outside-inside garden strung with fairy lights, trailing plants and individual cabins.

The look is part rustic retreat, part slightly-madcap tea party — think Wes Anderson with a DIY heart. Pastel booths, retro lampshades and greenery everywhere. It's somewhere to lose an afternoon over coffee, or a whole night over cocktails and a DJ set.

We named it Mala — Hawaiian for "garden" — because that's exactly what we wanted to give Manchester: a little escape, growing quietly in the middle of everything.

— The Mala family
Why Mala

More than just a bar

Four reasons the locals keep this one to themselves.

Bookable Garden Cabins

Cosy, fairy-lit wooden cabins you can reserve for birthdays, dates and semi-private parties — your own corner of the garden.

Cocktails Worth the Detour

A tight, characterful cocktail list mixed fresh — from frozen margaritas to our signature Summer of '21.

Rotating Street Food

Independent pop-up kitchens take over our garden each week, so there's always a new reason to come hungry.

Live DJs & Late Nights

Local DJs, acoustic sets and a madcap, Wes-Anderson-meets-tea-party atmosphere long after sundown.

In their words

The regulars say it best

★★★★★

Genuinely the prettiest bar in Manchester. You walk through the archway and forget you're in the city centre — fairy lights everywhere and the cocktails are unreal.

H Hannah R.Google review
★★★★★

Stumbled on this hidden gem in the Northern Quarter. Booked a cabin for my birthday and the staff made it so special. The frozen margaritas are dangerous!

J Jamie T.Tripadvisor
★★★★★

Best little secret garden in town. Different street food every time we go, brilliant DJ at the weekend and the Pornstar Martinis keep coming. Our go-to.

P Priya M.Google review
Good to know

Before you
come down

Everything you need to plan your visit to the garden. Still stuck? Drop us a line.

Mala welcomes walk-ins throughout the week, but weekends and our covered garden cabins get busy. We recommend booking ahead via Dish Cult to guarantee your spot under the fairy lights.
You'll find us tucked away in the Northern Quarter on the corner of Dale Street and Lever Street, beside Chapter One Books — 8 Dale Street, Manchester M1 1JA. Look for the green archway.
Mala hosts a rotating line-up of independent street-food pop-ups — from plant-based kebabs to Eritrean-Ethiopian feasts — so there's always something new to pair with your cocktail. Check our Instagram for this week's kitchen.
Yes. Our individual wooden cabins are bookable for semi-private parties and celebrations. Drop us a message on Instagram or give us a call to arrange group bookings and private hire.
Both — Mala is a wood-built "outside-inside" secret garden. It's covered and heated, with fairy lights and greenery all year round, so you can enjoy the garden whatever the Manchester weather.
We're open every day from 8am, serving through to late — until 10:30pm early week, 11pm midweek and 11:30pm on weekends. See the full schedule on our Visit section.
Find the garden

Hidden in plain sight

Reservations
+44 7310 052230
Opening hours
Monday 8:00am – 10:30pm
Tuesday 8:00am – 10:30pm
Wednesday 8:00am – 11:00pm
Thursday 8:00am – 11:00pm
Friday 8:00am – 11:30pm
Saturday 8:00am – 11:30pm
Sunday 8:00am – 10:00pm
Craft cocktails at Mala Manchester
Your table is waiting

Find your spot under the lights

Whether it's a quiet afternoon coffee or a cabin full of friends till close — the garden's open and the kettle's on (well, the shaker is).