Overview
The Principal Manchester (formerly the Palace Hotel) is a Victorian Gothic behemoth on Oxford Street, built in 1891 as the headquarters of the Refuge Assurance Company. The main hall, vaulted ceiling, enormous arched windows, wrought iron balconies, is one of the most impressive Victorian interiors in the north of England, and it's been converted into a restaurant and bar called Refuge by Volta that makes the most of every inch of the architecture.
The kitchen operates from a wood-fired oven and the menu is built around sharing plates that are genuinely better than hotel food has any right to be.
What to Drink
The cocktail programme draws on the Victorian setting without becoming themed, there are classic-adjacent drinks, seasonal specials, and a serious commitment to vermouth and bitter spirits that suits the room. The wine list is wide-ranging and the staff will help you navigate it without making you feel ignorant.
On weekends the bar has a DJ programme that keeps things moving from early evening into the night. It's one of those spaces that transitions from dinner to drinks to late-night without feeling forced.
The Setting
The room is worth seeing for its own sake regardless of what you're drinking. The ceiling height, the ironwork, the warm light bouncing off the Victorian tilework, it's a Manchester original. The terrace outside on Oxford Street is usable in warmer months, though the interior is where you want to be.
Photographs work here. Everything in this room is a good photograph.
Practical Notes
- Walk-ins for drinks at the bar are usually fine; book for dinner.
- Oxford Road trams and buses stop outside; Piccadilly station is about 10 minutes on foot.
- Live music and DJ events on Friday and Saturday evenings, worth checking the events calendar.
- The hotel bar on a Sunday afternoon, when the room is quieter, is an underrated version of the experience.