JW Lees reopens Rain Bar in Manchester

Manchester family brewers JW Lees has reopened Rain Bar, unveiling a fresh new look for the venue it has owned since 1999. 

The £700,000 redevelopment has brought the Manchester pub up-to-date with a smart metropolitan style

Located on Great Bridgewater Street, the venue features a centre piece bar, open fireplaces and a choice of events spaces. 

The canal-side beer garden is popular with customers in the summer and now features new bi-fold doors to make it easier to access the terraces when the sun comes out.

"We first opened Rain Bar in 1999 when it was welcomed into Manchester's growing hospitality trade, winning Manchester’s City Life award for the best beer garden in central Manchester," says William Lees-Jones, managing director of JW Lees. "Now, 23 years and £700,000 later, we are re-opening ready to welcome guests old and new."

Outside the newly-refurbished pub

Rain Bar is just one of 144 venues that the brewer operates across a mix of managed, leased and tenanted operations. 

"I joined JW Lees five years ago and we’ve been planning the refurbishment and re-opening since then," says Alex King, general manager of Rain Bar. "Now that Covid is behind us we can’t wait for the summer. It’s a stunning site and I can’t wait to welcome everyone back."

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