IT'S easy to become blinkered if you live in central Manchester, where you can visit a different bar or restaurant every night for months, if the fancy takes you. But what about everybody else living in the suburbs or further afield?

The choices of where to eat or drink get fewer, especially if you crave the modern look Manchester has become synonymous with.

I live out in the sticks and, once in a while, I hanker for a bar where I can quaff a pint of Hoegaarden rather than a pint of mild. Similarly, modern décor would make a nice change from swirly carpets and knick-knacks on the shelves.

If I lived further round the M60 near Bardsley, Vibes would be my port of call. Marketed as an alternative to the slick Manchester bars for Oldham locals, it offers customers all the style of a city centre bar but without the travel and the city bar prices.

Minimal

It is a sleek affair - think more Cheshire set than Manchester minimal, with a fantastic illuminated bar and a neon floor strip that give the appearance of a floating stage in the middle of the bar space.

The standard leather sofas and huge cushions are particularly welcoming at any time of the day, and the separate dining area is a stark modern space, and although the seating wasn't to my taste, it was comfy, which is the main concern with fancy chairs.

If sleek and minimal are not your thing, Vibes also has enormous flat screen TVs and DVDs to keep you entertained. And when I say big, I mean BIG! Vibes look good, but also offers quality and variation.

Draught

There is a great menu of continental beers in addition to the draught, with offers on wine. Vibes customers travel from all over north Manchester to sample the food, which includes a separate vegetarian menu, starting at é11.95. The fare is a traditional selection of lamb, beef, pork, chicken and duck, but, as Gordon Ramsay would say, a simple menu but extremely well done.

There are no gloopy sauces or undercooked main courses, although there was a sweetened pear with strawberry stilton on the starter menu that sounded fairly exotic.

It is encouraging that the proficient kitchen team provides a quality dining service to match the bar's surroundings. Sunday lunch is quite a dining experience and a bargain at only é9.95 for four courses, so book early for a place.

Now if the Vibes team fancy opening another venue north of Bury, they will have at least one very happy customer to start off with.

Vibes, 896, Ashton Road, Bardsley, Oldham. Tel 0161 678 0113 ( www.vibes.co.uk). Wednesday-Friday 4pm-11pm. Saturday noon-11pm. Sunday noon-10.30pm.