Trafalgar Buttery Bar, York Street

Trafalgar, York Street, 1990. (c) deltrems at flickr.

The Trafalgar was known as the Trafalgar Buttery Bar in the 1970s, was a small, quiet bar situated in the basement of the Trafalgar restaurant on York Street in the financial heart of town.  The decor was modern and tasteful with marble bar and high tables with stools around the walls; no fruit machines or jukebox either.  The Buttery Bar had pictures hung of a nautical theme - diving helmets, ships helms, etc.  Beer was reasonably priced with Tetleys, Double Diamond, Skol and Guinness on offer.  Amusingly, the 1975 pub guide compares the tasteful Traflagar with the garish Crown & Anchor on Hilton Street, which, 35 years on, is still moaned about by Manchester drinkers for its bizarre decor.  The Buttery Bar sounded like the place to go in the '70s for "the discerning drinker who wants a modern, pleasant place to sit, talk and drink without any distractions [1]."

1. The Manchester Pub Guide, Manchester & Salford City Centres (1975).