For some of our attendees it’ll be their first time in Manchester. Others, you’ve been here a thousand times over, sure, maybe you want to see something different? Even if you were born here, there’s always something you haven’t done.
Whether you’re travelling down on the Friday, fancy continuing the event on into the evening with your new acquaintances or you want to make the most of your relaxed journey home on the Sunday, there’s a whole scope of interesting ways to spend your time.
Places to Visit:
Maybe you fancy something classy and cultured…
Get your brain in gear and keep the thoughts whirring. There’s dozens of museums, galleries, theatres and independent film houses to keep you suitably entertained:
National Football Museum – City centre – Everything Football.
John Rylands Library – City centre – One of the world’s finest collections of rare books and manuscripts.
Manchester Museum – just outside of city centre – Dinosaurs, mummys, need we say more?
The Lowry – Salford (a short tram ride away) – The famous art of L.S.Lowry and a theatre
The Cornerhouse – City centre – Contemporary visual arts, cinema and restaurant
Perhaps something a little more fun…
Relax and enjoy with your new acquaintances, it is the weekend after all:
The Comedy Store – City centre – Live stand-up comedy every weekend
All Star Lanes Bowling – City centre – Bowling and burgers
AMC – City centre – 16 screens and over 3,000 seats, there will be a film for you
Gigs in Manchester – you could celebrate Halloween in style with a rock gig!
Shopping:
Forgot something or promised the kids a Mancunian treat?
The main city centre shopping centre is the Arndale Centre, which is the third largest city-centre shopping centre in Europe. It is located on Market Street, which extends from Piccadilly gardens and, you guessed it, is the main high street in the city centre.
At the bottom of Market Street you’ll find Exchange Square / Cathedral Street, which is an area of upmarket stores including: Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Marks and Spencer. If you happen to wander towards the Town Hall you will undoubtedly cross King Street, which is the top designer road, make sure your wallet is full that day.
You could also jump on a bus or Metro over to the Trafford Centre, the second largest shopping centre in the UK and more than everything you need, shopping, cinema and eateries. Popularly known for its vivid and quirky rococo/late baroque architectural style.
Eating Out:
Everybody needs food and drink to survive, but why only survive, let’s live!
You can go up market, greasy spoon, Chinese, Indian, Italian, independent or chain! To start off with there’s some different ‘quarters’ of town, which have their own life and soul. Within the areas there, still a rather large range on offer.
China Town: Pretty much in the city centre, we recommend that you go just to take some beautiful photos or try out your chopstick techniques.
Curry Mile: In Rusholme, less than a ten-minute drive from the city centre. The main street is lined with Indian and Middle Eastern restaurants, take-aways and shisha cafes.
Spinningfields: An upmarket area of town. Full of ‘suits’, a place for fancy shopping. Food, wine and cocktails aplenty.
Castlefield: An inner city conservation area. A relaxed and classy area with a range of: waterside pubs, bars, barges and beautiful scenery.
Deansgate: One of the cities oldest thoroughfares, runs from the South of the city centre to the north. High-street bars, pubs, restaurants and shops of every style. There are also the locks if you fancy some waterside drinking, usually pretty lively.
Northern Quarter: Hipster chic, vintage shopping, real ales and quirky cocktails, relaxed and cool. If you like your music this is the place to get those rare vinyls.
Now for a few hand-picked restaurants:
Both of the below restaurants are in the Midland Hotel and are run by Simon Rogan who is something of a celebrity chef in Manchester and the North!
The French – 2 AA rosette fine-dining restaurant.
Mr Coopers House and Garden restaurant – (modern British)
Some more classy digs include:
Afternoon Tea at The Midland Hotel – City centre
The Restaurant Bar and Grill – City centre
Want to get your hands dirty, fancy something with a bite?
Red’s BBQ – near the Town Hall
SoLita – Nothern Quarter/city centre
Home Sweet Home – Northern Quarter
Croma Pizza – Near the Town Hall, central
Almost Famous – City Centre
Bars:
There are simply too many…
Independent, traditional, innovative and quirky drinking holes to pick from. The locals and bar staff are friendly so you can always ask for a tip of the next best place to go to. A rough guide would be as follows:
If you like your wine, then you might want to swing by the Bakerie which offers a wide range of wines and even some freshly baked bread and soups to keep your appetite sated. You could search out the discreet Corbieres Wine Cavern, which really is a cavern. To be honest, nowadays I think they serve less wine and more beer but it is a gem and has, reputedly, the oldest juke box in Europe. You could also pop by Rosylee for a glass of the red, white or pink stuff.
If you fancy something a little more tropical, then you can scintillate your taste buds at the Liar’s Club? Beware, this is not for the faint hearted or the hard to hear but their zombie packs a punch! You could be on top of the world, almost literally at Cloud 23. They offer ‘cocktails with a view’ at the top of the Beetham Tower. Or perhaps the cheekily named Dusk Til Pawn, which offers innovative house infusions, a bar so disguised many walk straight past. Check out the top 10 here.
Ale lovers out there you’ll want to stay clear of Port Street Beer House (Northern Quarter), just in case you drink them dry. You could pop into the small but perfectly formed 57 Thomas Street (Northern Quarter), which offers not only their own brews (the local Marble Beers) but also a delicious range from around the world. You could even try 57’s older sibling, a little further out but worth the wander, The Marble Arch. Last but by all means not least and there’s definitely more around, we have the Knott Bar. Right on the edge of Deansgate and with Castlefield right behind it, the Knott offers a wide range of cask ales and a fridge full of craft beers.
Not a fan of alcohol? Don’t ya worry; there is Rosylee, which also serves a range of teas and soft drinks. You could pop by Home Sweet Home for a coffee, soft drink or glass of sheer indulgent nostalgia in the shape of a milk shake. For coffees (they also serve teas etc.) you can’t really get better than the new developer/writer/designer’s hangout, Takk. Only open during office hours, they offer a fantastic place to sip and work. You may have heard of the crafty Mancunian DJ Mr Scruff, either way, he has a little (rather large) teahouse in the Northern Quarter aptly named Teacup, which serves up a range of infusions.
If you get bored on the Mage-Titans’ weekend, you’ll have to tell us how!
