MY MATE STEPEHEN BAILEY IS OUR London émigré. He’s been quietly working like a beaver in the big smoke in TV production, then honing his comedy act in his “spare time” (does no-one sleep down South?) and he’s actually really good.

Remember this time last year when I said he and I would rock up the Edinburgh fringe this time? Well… it looks like we’ve both found our niches: him in comedy, and me erm, still writing. Maybe we’ll team up in the future instead.

A night out with Stephen Bailey

– from GIRL ABOUT TOWN #33

The Bailey fella came back for a right proper Manc night out on the tiles – super exciting! Instead of doing a normal night out though, we decided to avoid the old haunts like Trof and Bluu, and head up to the Piccadilly side of Northern Quarter. We went to the club with the blacked out sign and squishy and sexy union jack sofas, spotlights and tattoo artwork over in Socio Rehab. Because it’s cool. And the guys behind the bar are probably hotter than you, too…

So there we were, a boutique cocktail bar for Stephen’s homecoming, the boy deserves no less. They are so good at creating cocktails there that most on the menu are bespoke or clever takes on old favourites. We all had some amazing fresh fruit cocktails with sliced pomegranates.

It’s worth going just to think you’re being healthy whilst snaffling so much liqueur and amaretto.

This truly is a fabulous bar and highly recommended, there really is nowhere in the city that can rival it in terms of quality and service – see if you can find it! (They even run mixology classes for us lot who keep chancing at making Black Russians but end up just making potent coffee…ahem.)

100-102 High Street Northern Quarter. Before drink detox: milk thistle nectar shot, £2.50.