Manchester Travel Guide
A city of swagger and spirit, heritage and hedonism, fashion and football, Manchester warrants its billing as England’s “capital of the north”. Best known for its industrial past and a near-peerless musical and sporting legacy, it has been transformed in recent decades to become somewhere defined by creative talent, fresh ideas and an international outlook.
In the late 1980s and 1990s, Manchester was arguably the centre of the British music scene, spawning The Smiths, The Stone Roses, The Happy Mondays and Oasis. But its bubble was shockingly blown apart in 1996 when the IRA detonated a bomb in the city centre, the largest ever on British soil.
Huge sums of money were subsequently pumped into rebuilding Manchester. New city and canalside developments sprung up and it went from strength to strength. Notable modern projects include Manchester City FC’s Etihad Stadium (initially built to host the Commonwealth Games) and the 47-storey Beetham Tower, the UK’s tallest building outside of London.
Elsewhere, eye-catching exhibition venue Urbis now plays home to the National Football Museum, while the new MediaCity UK complex on the banks of the Ship Canal has welcomed many of the BBC’s operations.
The city, which was at the forefront of the industrial revolution in the 19th century, now has a deserved reputation as a great place to shop, drink and eat. Many of the city’s most fashionable watering holes and eateries can be found in the Canal Street area, the Printworks district and the bohemian Northern Quarter.
Meanwhile, Manchester’s diverse ethnic mix is leaving its stamp on the city. The St Patrick’s Day parade is one of the largest in Europe, and there’s both a well-established Chinatown and a ‘Curry Mile’, named after the Bangladeshi and Pakistani restaurants stretching along Wilmslow Road in Rusholme.
Combine all this with art galleries such as The Lowry and some impressive Victorian buildings, and it’s easy to understand why Manchester has become such a beacon for visitors.
The beating heart of northern England’s industrial revolution, Manchester is a city built on the textile boom of that period.
Although a settlement has existed in this part of northwest England since Roman times, the arrival of Flemish weavers in the 15th century is said to have set about a train of events that would make Manchester one of the most famous cities in the world. Wool and linen were produced in large quantities from the start of the 17th century, but it was the conversion of locals rivers into navigable waterways in the 18th century that saw the start of Manchester’s fast–paced growth.
The opening of the Bridgewater Canal in 1761 helped bring coal directly into the city, while its extension to the Mersey made it easier than ever for goods to get out to the nearby port of Liverpool, with raw cotton coming the other way. The mechanisation of the textile industry led to the building of many of the stunning brick mills which still dominate Manchester’s skyline to this day. The first was built by Richard Arkwright in 1780.
With industry came urbanisation as rural workers flocked to the city in search of work. Its population boomed and with it the city became a blend of industrial wealth and grinding poverty. The infamous
Peterloo Massacre of 1819 (
Website: www.peterloomassacre.org ) saw 15 people die when the cavalry charged into protesters demanding parliamentary reform.
Manchester’s status as the city at the vanguard of technological development in the 1800s was reaffirmed after the world’s first intercity railway was opened to Liverpool in 1830, with Britain’s first telephones provided by a Manchester company in 1878. The Manchester Ship Canal opened in 1894, bringing huge vessels to the heart of the city.
Decline was sharp in the 20th century, as Manchester suffered at the hands of the German Luftwaffe and then experienced a marked decline in its textile industry. Following an IRA bomb in 1996
Website: www.en.wikipedia.org
The city centre was largely regenerated, many of its old mills now used as homes, offices and bars.
84,569 crammed into Maine Road for Manchester City v Stoke City in 1934, the largest ever crowd at an English football league game.
Karl Marx first met Frederick Engels at Chetham’s Library, the oldest public library in the English speaking world.
Charles Stewart Rolls and Frederick Henry Royce met at the Midland Hotel in 1904, leading to the creation of Rolls Royce.
Manchester experiences warm summers and cold winters. Typical summer temperatures average around 20°C (69°F) whilst
winters lows can fall to 2°C (35°F). There is also regular, but light rainfall throughout the year, so it always pays to take plenty of layers as well as an umbrella on a visit to the city. The best time to visit is
spring and
summer (May to August) when the sun should have its hat on and events like the music festivals and Manchester Pride take place.
Getting around Manchester
Due to its relatively small size, Manchester is a great city to explore on foot (good, free pocket maps are available from the Tourist Information Centre). However, the local travel network run by
Transport for Greater Manchester (
GMPTE)
Telephone: +44 161 244 1000
Website: www.tfgm.com offers a comprehensive range of city-wide bus, train and tram services.
Travelcards, including day passes, are available for use on all three from
System One (
Website: www.systemonetravelcards.co.uk ) The main bus station is at Piccadilly Gardens, to the east of the city centre.
Free Metroshuttle services operate along three circular routes in the city, linking the main attractions and the city’s four railway stations.
Metrolink trams operate through the city centre with services to Bury in the north, Altrincham in the south and Salford Quays (close to Old Trafford cricket and football grounds) and Eccles in the west. Nightbus services operate along the main routes on Friday and Saturday nights, regularly until 03:30.
There are two types of taxis: five-passenger black cabs operated through the local council and four-passenger private hire cars. Officially, you can only flag down black cabs on the street.
Alternatively, use one of the many taxi ranks located at all the major train and bus stations. Private hire cars are usually slightly cheaper than black cabs but should be booked in advance. To prebook a black cab, call
Mantax
Telephone: +44 161 230 3333
For private taxis, try
Street Cars
Telephone: +44 161 228 7878
Manchester can get grid-locked during rush hour and its one-way system may be confusing for drivers who are new to the city. On-street parking is available in the city centre every day between 8am and 8pm.
There are zoned areas of the city, permitting maximum stays of two or three hours. The Parker app lets you check where there are free spaces and pay by phone.
Manchester is a bike-friendly city.
Brompton Dock offers bike hire from outside Manchester Piccadilly railway station
Telephone: +44 20 8232 3931
Website: www.bromptondock.co.uk
Alternatively, try
Manchester Bike Hire
Telephone: +44 7523 092 285
Website: www.manchesterbikehire.co.uk which can deliver bikes to your hotel.
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Book popular activities in Manchester
Things to see in Manchester
Attractions
The Lowry is one of Manchester’s most renowned centres for arts and performance and is the architectural flagship of the redeveloped Salford Quays. Incorporating two theatres, a range of galleries, as well as restaurants, bars and cafés, the Lowry’s eye-catching architecture won it the 2001 building of the year award. The building takes its name from the celebrated painter LS Lowry (who died in 1976) and houses a permanent Lowry exhibition alongside displays of more contemporary artists.
Address: Pier, 8 The Quays, Salford, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 843 208 6000
Opening times: Daily 11:00-17:00.
Website: www.thelowry.com
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Housed in an old Edwardian hydraulic pumping station, the museum is the only national centre devoted to the history of working people in Britain, providing a fascinating insight into the often harsh working conditions of those employed in the city’s cotton industry. It has undergone a major renovation and a dedicated Archive and Study Centre, formerly separate, have been combined.
Address: Left Bank, The Pump House, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 161 838 9190
Opening times: Wed-Mon 10:00-17:00.
Website: www.phm.org.uk
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Dedicated to the world of football, this city centre attraction houses the world’s greatest soccer memorabilia collection, with over 140,000 different items, including trophies, medals, kit and photographs. There is also a Hall of Fame in honour of the best players, managers and teams, which changes every year, plus an interactive Discovery Zone aimed at the under-5s. Look out for rolling exhibitions throughout the year.
Address: Urbis Building, Cathedral Gardens, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 161 605 8200
Opening times: Daily 10:00-17:00.
Website: www.nationalfootballmuseum.com
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
- Imperial War Museum North
This museum is dedicated to how lives have been, and still are, shaped by war and conflict. The award-winning building, designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, is situated at Salford Quays, two miles from Manchester city centre. Enjoy dramatic displays of projected images and sound and thousands of objects ranging from a T34 Russian tank and Harrier jump-jet to clothing, diaries and works of art.
Address: Trafford Wharf Road, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 161 836 4000
Opening times: Daily 10:00-17:00.
Website: www.iwm.org.uk
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
- Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester
This 2.8 hectares (6.9 acres) complex is set at the site of the oldest passenger railway buildings in the world. It’s a great place to learn more about the city’s industrial beginnings and amazing scientific achievements, brought to life through former factory buildings, machinery and historic locomotives. In addition to the permanent collections, there are frequent special exhibitions. There is a shop, a restaurant and a café too.
Address: Castlefield, Liverpool Road, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 33 0058 0058
Opening times: Daily 10:00-17:00.
Website: www.mosi.org.uk
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: No
UNESCO: No
This Cathedral is actually the third to have been built on the site since the 8th Century and boasts the widest nave of any church in England. In 1940 a bomb destroyed the entire north-east end of the cathedral. It underwent 20 years of restoration and then suffered more damage from an IRA bomb detonated in the city centre in 1996. A hi-tech visitor centre at the site includes interesting interactive displays covering the history of the Cathedral and mediaeval Manchester.
Address: Cathedral Yard, Victoria Street, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 161 833 2220
Opening times: Daily 09:00-16:00.
Website: www.Manchester_Cathedral.org
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Heading south to the edge of the city, Castlefield is Manchester’s regenerated canal-side district, transformed in the 1990s into a thriving bar, restaurant and cafe scene. As well as a mock-up of the original Roman Fort, the area is a fantastic testament to the city’s industrial age with labyrinthine canals, viaducts, iron bridges and revamped warehouses. It is surprisingly quiet during the day and a great place to escape the hustle of the city.
Address: Castlefield, Manchester.
Opening times: Daily 24 hours.
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: No
UNESCO: No
This landmark was due to shut in the early 1990s but was saved following appeals from the local community and an appearance in the BBC Restoration series. Today, it is open to visitors between April and October, with special tours available. This splendid building, dating back to 1906, features stained glass, terracotta tiles and mosaics, and was one of the finest municipal baths in the country.
Address: Chorlton-on-Medlock, Hathersage Road, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 161 224 2020
Opening times: Wed 14:00 (8 April-28 October).
Website: www.victoriabaths.org.uk
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Housing one of the country’s finest art collections, Manchester Art Gallery mixes spectacular Victorian surroundings with smart contemporary touches. Highlights here include pre-Raphaelite paintings and early 20th century British art, plus a renowned selection of 19th-century work.
Address: Mosley Street, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 161 235 8888
Opening times: Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00.
Website: www.manchesterartgallery.org
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Set up to showcase the visual arts, this university art gallery displays historic and contemporary collections, with over 50,000 objects, including collections of works on paper, wallpaper and flat textiles. Expect to find works by everyone from Manet and Renoir to Turner and Rossetti.
Address: Oxford Road, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 161 275 7450
Opening times: Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00.
Website: www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Tourist Offices
- Manchester Visitor Information Centre
Address: Central Library, St. Peter’s Square, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 871 222 8223
Opening times: Mon-Sat 09:00-17:00.
Website: www.visitmanchester.com
The main Manchester Visitor Information Centre can now be found in the foyer of the Mercure Hotel, with a new dedicated site currently in the works.
Things to do in Manchester
- Catch a gig in a famous Manchester venue
The ‘Madchester’ scene may have passed, but the city is still thriving musically. From classical concerts in a state-of-the-art setting at
Bridgewater Hall
Telephone: +44 161 907 9000
Website: www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk to the local showcases at the:
Night & Day Café
Telephone: +44 161 236 1822
Website: www.nightnday.org the city has still got it.
- Explore the reinvigorated quayside
Deprived of purpose, Salford Quays spent decades as wasteland but now culture and hyper-futuristic architecture has the area flourishing.
The Lowry Theatre
Telephone: +44 843 208 6000
Website: www.thelowry.com is its landmark arts venue and the
IWM
Telephone: +44 161 836 4000
Website: www.iwm.org.uk is an exceptional history museum.
- Hike high over the Pennine Hills
Located in the stunning
Peak District National Park
Telephone: +44 1629 816 200
Website: www.peakdistrict.gov.uk the Pennine Hills flank Manchester on three sides and are an easy train ride away.
The national park is wonderful for hiking and with abseiling, caving, climbing, windsurfing and canoeing, will tempt adventurers too.
- Join the revolution at the People’s History Museum
A museum dedicated to Britain’s 200-year struggle for democracy feels like a hard sell but the
People’s History Museum
Telephone: +44 161 838 9190
Website: www.phm.org.uk makes it anything but.
Interactive exhibitions are entertaining, the setting contemporary and bright, and the subject as pertinent as the struggle is still ongoing.
- Pick a team and support the beautiful game
Home to two of England’s most dominant teams, United and City, Manchester is a great place to catch a football match. For those who don’t want to choose sides, explore the history of the beautiful game at the
National Football Museum
Telephone: +44 161 605 8200
Website: www.nationalfootballmuseum.com instead.
Manchester tours and excursions
Manchester tours
It’s easy to pick up a free map from the Visitor Information Centre and discover Manchester’s rich history for yourself on foot on a self-guided trail. These are themed around museums and galleries, music, arts and theatres. Places need to be booked in advance. Visitors can also hire a personal tour with a Blue Badge guide and take advantage of their expert local knowledge.
Telephone: +44 871 222 8223
Website: www.visitmanchester.com
As the home to two outstanding football teams, Manchester is something of a Mecca for soccer fans. Manchester United, one of England’s most decorated teams, play at Old Trafford. Manchester City, who won the Premier League in 2012 and 2014, play at the Etihad Stadium, which was originally built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Walk in the footsteps of your favourite players and learn the history of your beloved teams on these fascinating behind-the-scenes tours.
Telephone: +44 161 444 1894
Website: www.manutd.com
Manchester excursions
Buxton is a major tourist attraction, thanks to its health-giving spa waters discovered by the Romans. Originating from an underground reservoir, its waters maintain a constant 28°C (83°F). The town also has many gorgeous buildings, including the Georgian Crescent, the Old Hotel dating back to the 16th century and once graced by Mary Queen of Scots, the Devonshire Hospital with its spectacular dome, and the elegant Edwardian Opera House, home of the annual Buxton International Festival.
Telephone:
+44 129 873 033
Website: www.visitbuxton.co.uk
Blackpool is within easy reach of Manchester. The seaside town has been a traditional holiday spot for people from the Midlands and the northwest since the Victorian era. By turns kitsch and classic, the beach resort offers its famed Blackpool Tower, renowned for its illuminations, The Pleasure Beach funfair, which boasts one of the biggest roller coaster rides in the UK, as well as the requisite candy-floss, burger bars, piers, amusement arcades and donkey rides.
Telephone:
+44 125 347 8222
Website: www.visitblackpool.comShopping in Manchester
Manchester’s shopping offers something for all tastes and budgets.
Befitting a city that oozes urban cool, Manchester offers visitors great shopping experiences with the main shopping area spreading out west from Piccadilly Gardens. Mainstream shops tend to be in the area around Market Street and the Arndale Centre on Corporation Street. For more alternative purchases, head back east towards the Northern Quarter, where most of the hip and fashionable stores can be found including the incredible Afflecks Palace – a labyrinth of independent shops offering four floors of fashion, accessories, homeware, vintage, memorabilia and cafés.
Manchester boasts the Arndale Market for food-lovers. Church Street Market offers fruit and veg, clothes and music, plus a vintage fashion market once a month. There’s a relatively new food market at Piccadilly Gardens in the city centre every Thursday, Friday and Saturday between 11am and 5.30pm, which coincides with the flower market. St Anne’s Square is also the location for themed markets throughout the year – look out for the vintage and fashion market in June, arts and crafts in August and Christmas markets in November and December.
Manchester’s flagship stores are Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, while the Manchester Arndale offers over 240 retailers.
Heading farther west towards Exchange Square and on to Deansgate are the designer shops, one-off boutiques and big department stores.
The Exchange Square development even contains a branch of one-stop luxury store Harvey Nichols.
Close by on Oak Street in the city’s Northern Quarter is the Manchester Craft and Design Centre, a series of studios and retail spaces for local craftspeople selling everything from jewellery, ceramics and textiles to furniture and clothing. Formerly the Smithfield Victorian fish market, it is topped with a striking glass roof.
On the outskirts of Manchester but within easy reach of the city centre is the Trafford Centre, offering over 200 stores, 60 restaurants plus cafes and bars. Combine shopping with a trip to the neighbouring Trafford Quays Leisure Village, which has an indoor ski slope, soccer dome and a golf facility.
Shops are open Monday to Saturday 09:30-18:00, with some open until 20:00. Many open Sunday 12:00-18:00. Late-night opening (usually until 20:00) is on Thursday.
Everything from vintage fashion to football memorabilia and arts and crafts is available in Manchester.
Restaurants in Manchester
Manchester has a rich and thriving food scene. South Asian cuisine is a big draw, especially along the curry mile in Rusholme. But beyond budget staples, you’ll find a city centre booming with excellent modern British options, some which have received Michelin recognition. Manchester isn’t the culinary backwater many used to insist. The restaurants below have been grouped into three pricing categories:
Expensive (over £30)
Moderate (£20 to £30)
Cheap (up to £20)
These prices are for a three-course meal for one, including half a bottle of house wine or equivalent, tax and service. A service charge of 12.5% will be added to your bill in most restaurants. If service is not included, 10% tipping is customary.
Expensive
Cuisine: Modern European
Housed in a former tool shed belonging to the owner’s uncle, this quality restaurant in the heart of trendy Castlefield triumphs when it comes to the delivery of hearty cuisine. Expect everything from fish stew and Italian penne to Lancashire cheese and onion pie to be on the menu.
Address: 18-20 Castle Street, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 161 839 9818
Website: www.albertsshed.com
Cuisine: Steak house
Prime cuts of matured beef, seafood & other British classics served in striking environs. This popular British restaurant enjoys an incredible setting with an open kitchen and sunken seats. Combine this with top-of-the-notch cuisine and an extensive menu and you simply can’t go wrong.
Address: 184-186 Deansgate, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 161 836 6980
Website: www.thehawksmoor.com
Cuisine: Australian
A stylish sanctuary, hidden under the heart of Manchester. Opened in 2011, Australasia is one of the city’s favourite restaurants. A place of relaxed elegance and laid-back luxe, where a good time is guaranteed. Bathed in the natural tones of the Pacific coastline, which sets a tranquil scene that’s adaptable to any occasion.
Address: 1 The Avenue, Deansgate, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 161 831 0288
Website: www.australasia.uk.com
Moderate
Cuisine: Indian
Akbars is the place to find a curry with class. It sets itself apart from the rest of Curry Mile (a long strip of Indian restaurants along and around Wilmslow Road in Rusholme) with contemporary furniture and an interior flush with bright colours – and that’s before you even taste the delicious food.
Address: 73-83 Liverpool Road, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 161 834 7222
Website: www.akbars.co.uk
Cuisine: Eclectic
Elegant, roomy hotel dining room with ceramic pillars, an atrium ceiling plus an international menu. stay all day, from eclectic small plates to hearty Sunday roasts, head down for a weekly catch-up, a gathering of your nearest and dearest or a night out on the town.
British ingredients, global influence. Using the best ingredients the North West has to offer, our food takes inspiration from around the globe – with a few stops closer to home.
Address: Oxford St, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 161 233 5151
Website:www.refugemcr.co.uk
- WOOD Manchester by Simon Wood
Cuisine: Fine dining
WOOD Manchester offers stunning, contemporary cuisine in the heart of Manchester city centre. Combining powerful flavours with Simon’s passion and creativity, our menu offers diners memorable dishes, served with style and enthusiasm from our dedicated WOOD team.
Address: Jack Rosenthal St, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 161 236 5211
Website: www.woodrestaurantgroup.com
Cheap
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Dishes take their inspiration from the whole region, from Turkey to Spain, at this relaxed venue. Olive & Thyme is a cafe, bar and restaurant in the heart of Chorlton on Barlow Moor Road offering the simple essence of home style cooking. Healthy, fresh, delicious, and of course best enjoyed al fresco! Take a peak to our mouthwatering menus or pop by to get a delicious taste!
Address: Barlow Moor Rd, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 161 881 6695
Website: www.oliveandthyme.uk
Cuisine: Delicatessen
This bustling little deli offers friendly, efficient service and serves up reasonably priced sandwiches, soups, salads, pastries and cakes. Lilting towards Greek and Mediterranean favourites, the beef sizzler and paella are both top choices.
Address: 113 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 2BQ.
Telephone: +44 161 819 1260
Website: www.katsourisdeli.co.uk
Cuisine: Korean
With legions of regular customers, this restaurant offers stylish but unpretentious Korean food, including noodle soups, dumplings and Korean specialities such as kimchi itself – spicy pickled cabbage.
Address: 275 Upper Brook Street, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 77 4552 7603Manchester Nightlife
Manchester has long been famed for its nightlife. The Northern Quarter is a hip area, attracting alternative, creative types. Deansgate is a lively shopping district and has a more mainstream vibe. To the west, Castlefield is a great spot for canal-side drinking. Centred around Canal Street, Manchester’s renowned Gay Village is also popular.
Bars in Manchester
This stripped back American–style bar has garnered a big reputation in recent years. Its frontage looks like an old–style pawn shop, but push open the door to find a cool spot that serves some of the city’s best cocktails.
Address: Northern Quarter, Stevenson Square, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 161 236 5355
Website: www.dusktilpawn.co.uk
Welcome to Lock 91, a historic venue in Manchester’s city centre, where our 19th-century Lock Keeper’s cottage offers a unique atmosphere with exposed brick walls and wooden beams. We create a warm, welcoming environment, with friendly staff ready to provide personalized service, from drink recommendations to engaging conversations. Our talented mixologists craft exquisite cocktails using fresh ingredients and top-quality spirits, offering classics like the Manhattan and unique creations like our Lock 91 Sour. Our extensive menu also includes a wide range of wines, beers, and spirits to cater to every preference.
Address: 9 Century St, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 161 819 5444
Website: www.lock-91.co.uk
This lively, spacious Via Manchester bar with dark-wood decor features drag shows & DJs. Opened since 1995, Via is the ‘grande dame’ of the world-famous Canal Street. This icon of the Gay Village is Manchester’s best live cabaret venue, showcasing an extravagant weekly array of the UK’s most fabulous cabaret artists. Catering to your every desire, Via is a bar, a club and a restaurant, dedicated to delivering a sensational experience for every visitor to Manchester.
Address: 28-30 Canal St, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 161 236 6523
Website: www.viamanchester.co.uk
Clubs in Manchester
Come and get a taste of your new favourite social spot in the heart of Spinningfields, Manchester. With an alfresco all day menu, craft beers and multiple bars, we’re the perfect bar and restaurant for lunch time bites, after work drinks and special occasions. Join us for seasonal highlights throughout the year, including an open-air lawn space with bookable huts and BBQ in the summer, and our heated winter yurt covered in lights throughout the winter.
Address: Hardman Square, Spinningfields, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 161 513 3030
Website: www.thelawnclub.co.uk
Lively destination with a soundtrack of indie & Manchester favourites, plus regular events., Venue attracts a well-dressed and well-heeled crowd of celebrities and wannabes keen to hang out in decadent surroundings, Venue Manchester Located in the heart of Manchester. Authentically Mancunian. No dress code. Great music.
Address: 29 Jackson’s Row, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 161 834 3793
Website: www.thevenuenightclub.co.uk
An exclusive nightclub in the heart of Manchester city centre, with an over 25s door policy on weekends, this friendly and popular club tends to attract people who want a moment of fun and relaxation. Fridays and Saturdays offer a mix of Motown, soul, funk, rock and roll, pop, disco and even jazz and country – they play just about anything to get people on the dance floor.
Address: 111A Deansgate, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 739 216 6456
Website: www.clubliv.co.uk
Live music in Manchester
Part of the University of Manchester complex, the Academy plays host to the larger bands passing through the city, as well as holding regular, riotous club nights. This cavernous sweatbox has seen everyone from the Arctic Monkeys to Prince pass through its doors, with Academy 2 and Academy 3 providing a platform for fresh meat.
Address: Oxford Road, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 161 275 2930
Website: www.manchesteracademy.net
Claiming to be the largest indoor arena in Europe, the Manchester Arena (formerly known as the MEN Arena) has staged a number of big bands, from U2 and The Rolling Stones to Madonna and Take That.
Address: Victoria Station, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 161 950 5229
Website: www.manchester-arena.com
This well-established Manchester venue hosts bigger bands passing through the city as well as local acts, such as Elbow, that are looking to play smaller venues after touring the arena circuit. Buy tickets before attending though, as gigs often sell out.
Address: Stockport Road, Ardwick Green, Manchester.
Telephone: +44 161 273 6921
Website: www.academymusicgroup.comManchester Food and Drink
Food In Manchester
A delicacy typically associated with Bury, black pudding is a dark sausage made from pig’s blood and fillers such as barley, oats and suet.
The cakes are named after the town Eccles which is about 2 miles west of Manchester city centre. It is believed that they were made to celebrate St Mary’s day. The church of St Mary in Eccles used to hold large festivals in those times. They were called the Eccles Wakes and it was here that the Eccles cake was born.
The original Manchester tart is a variation on an earlier recipe, the Manchester pudding, which was first recorded by the Victorian cookery writer Mrs Beeton. Robinson’s Bakers of Failsworth advertises itself as the home of the Manchester tart.
The pasty barm consists of a buttered barm cake with a (standard meat and potato) pasty as the filling. A pasty barm ready to be eaten. The snack was supposedly invented by Bolton schoolboys in the 1950s as a “cheap dinner”. In 2010 it was voted as Bolton’s favourite snack in the local newspaper Bolton News.
In the “world famous” Bury Market and in Preston, parched peas are sold ready-cooked and served in brown-paper bags or in plastic tubs, as an autumn delicacy. They are also sold at the Manchester Christmas markets.
Chances are, you’ve never heard of rag pudding, unless you’re familiar with the area around Manchester, specifically Oldham. Rag pudding is a lot like steak and kidney pudding. Except it’s steamed in a cloth (or rag, hence the name) rather than a bowl or basin.
Using only three natural ingredients of pure cane sugar with raw cane molasses, cream of tartar and the finest oil of peppermint Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls are hand cooked on open fires to caramelise and offer a truly unique mint taste.
Drink In Manchester
Vimto is a soft drink with an indescribable flavour that brings unique refreshment to people around the world. It was invented in 1908 by John Noel Nichols in Manchester, England. Created as a healthy pick-me-up tonic it comprised a blend of fruits, herbs and spices to give ‘vim’ and ‘vigour’ to its consumers.
It’s no surprise that the favourite drink as voted by 16.5% of Manchester residents was beer, given its booming beer scene.
In its purest form, the Daiquiri is a delicate balance of rum, fresh lime juice, and sugar. This trinity of ingredients form the basis of the sour category of drinks, which includes other iconic drinks like the Whiskey Sour, Margarita, Sidecar, Gimlet, and countless more.
A drink consisting of sweetened lime juice and gin or vodka and sometimes carbonated or plain water.
The Manhattan has managed to remain one of the most popular cocktails in the world for well over a century. A combination of whiskey, sweet vermouth, bitters, and a maraschino cherry garnish, this drink embodies the classic, spirit-forward, and aromatic school of cocktails.
A classic negroni is the original 1:1:1 cocktail (equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari).
The Old Fashioned was first created in the 1800s, so dates back to the earliest days of cocktails. Although, then it was known simply as Whiskey Cocktail, a drink which followed the basic formula for cocktails which included a spirit, sugar, water and bitters.