Guidebook for Manchester

Sarah
Guidebook for Manchester

Arts & Culture

Massive gig arena
96 locals recommend
AO Arena
Hunts Bank
96 locals recommend
Massive gig arena
Great live world music.
30 locals recommend
Band on the Wall
25 Swan St
30 locals recommend
Great live world music.
Newly reopened after 4 years of careful refurbishment; the library is fantastic; both the living room and the study space for our city.
105 locals recommend
Manchester Central Library
Saint Peter's Square
105 locals recommend
Newly reopened after 4 years of careful refurbishment; the library is fantastic; both the living room and the study space for our city.
Independent cinema and exhibition space. Good coffee shop.
28 locals recommend
Cornerhouse
28 locals recommend
Independent cinema and exhibition space. Good coffee shop.
Easily walkable (20 mins) from the flat.
75 locals recommend
Palace Theatre
97 Oxford St
75 locals recommend
Easily walkable (20 mins) from the flat.
Home of Manchester's Halle Orchestra.
40 locals recommend
The Bridgewater Hall
Lower Mosley Street
40 locals recommend
Home of Manchester's Halle Orchestra.
Now called Manchester Central Convention Centre, locals frequently refer to this as its old name, GMex (in case you need to ask directions).
11 locals recommend
Manchester Central Convention Complex
Windmill Street
11 locals recommend
Now called Manchester Central Convention Centre, locals frequently refer to this as its old name, GMex (in case you need to ask directions).
Fantastic theatre-in-the-round in a glorious historical building. Locals-tip: They release limited amount of £10 banquette tickets 9 am each morning for that evening's performance.
58 locals recommend
Royal Exchange Theatre
Old Bank Street
58 locals recommend
Fantastic theatre-in-the-round in a glorious historical building. Locals-tip: They release limited amount of £10 banquette tickets 9 am each morning for that evening's performance.

Food Scene

Good burritos and cocktails
15 locals recommend
Luck Lust Liquor and Burn
100-102 High St
15 locals recommend
Good burritos and cocktails
Great pizzas, inc gluten-free bases. Usually buzzing even early on in the week.
9 locals recommend
Dough Pizza Kitchen
77 High St
9 locals recommend
Great pizzas, inc gluten-free bases. Usually buzzing even early on in the week.
BYO restaurant ten mins from the flat. Won a few Manchester cheap-eat awards.
9 locals recommend
Vnam
20-26 Oldham Rd
9 locals recommend
BYO restaurant ten mins from the flat. Won a few Manchester cheap-eat awards.
Honest. A real find. It'll surprise you.
18 locals recommend
Solita NQ
Turner Street
18 locals recommend
Honest. A real find. It'll surprise you.
Great traditional, non-traditional and veggie breakfasts. Good brown sauce. Not so-good coffee.
39 locals recommend
The Koffee Pot
84-86 Oldham St
39 locals recommend
Great traditional, non-traditional and veggie breakfasts. Good brown sauce. Not so-good coffee.
Primarily Malaysian with Vietnamese-influenced dishes and a cookery school.
7 locals recommend
Ning
92-94 Oldham Street
7 locals recommend
Primarily Malaysian with Vietnamese-influenced dishes and a cookery school.
Best Vegetarian restaurant in Manchester. Plays it a little safe perhaps. Book.
22 locals recommend
Greens Restaurant
41-43 Lapwing Ln
22 locals recommend
Best Vegetarian restaurant in Manchester. Plays it a little safe perhaps. Book.
Great pub and restaurant (watering-hole/ tavern) showcasing local ingredients. Vegetarian-friendly despite the name. Does not rely on its famed Lowry connections for its reputation.
Sam's Chop House
Back Pool Fold
Great pub and restaurant (watering-hole/ tavern) showcasing local ingredients. Vegetarian-friendly despite the name. Does not rely on its famed Lowry connections for its reputation.
Good traditional and friendly chippy. Only open in the day.
Kingfishernq Fish & Chips
43 Tib St
Good traditional and friendly chippy. Only open in the day.
Great Indian restaurant. 25 mins walk away.
21 locals recommend
Akbar's
73-83 Liverpool Rd
21 locals recommend
Great Indian restaurant. 25 mins walk away.
Day-time canteen selling Manchester traditional rice-and-three (types of home-made curry) for a fiver. A locals-favourite.
12 locals recommend
This & That
3 Soap St
12 locals recommend
Day-time canteen selling Manchester traditional rice-and-three (types of home-made curry) for a fiver. A locals-favourite.

Drinks & Nightlife

Good local bar. Good disability access. Twice-monthly wed eve quiz.
16 locals recommend
Common
39-41 Edge St
16 locals recommend
Good local bar. Good disability access. Twice-monthly wed eve quiz.
Grade II listed-building, good beers and live music. Second-oldest pub in the NQ. Relaxed.
12 locals recommend
Castle Hotel
66 Oldham St
12 locals recommend
Grade II listed-building, good beers and live music. Second-oldest pub in the NQ. Relaxed.

Sightseeing

Based in the old Retail Fish Market so worth a visit for the building alone. The independent artists working and retailing here are diverse, skillful and it's easy to open your purse-strings.
27 locals recommend
Manchester Craft and Design Centre
17 Oak St
27 locals recommend
Based in the old Retail Fish Market so worth a visit for the building alone. The independent artists working and retailing here are diverse, skillful and it's easy to open your purse-strings.
Best example of gothic architecture in Manchester. Also, the first building with electricity.
107 locals recommend
The John Rylands Library
150 Deansgate
107 locals recommend
Best example of gothic architecture in Manchester. Also, the first building with electricity.
Free. interesting and Inspiring. Manchester is a radical city.
72 locals recommend
People's History Museum
Left Bank
72 locals recommend
Free. interesting and Inspiring. Manchester is a radical city.
Superb exploration of the history and development of science and technology. And you can ride a steam-train. And see great cars and planes.
284 locals recommend
Science and Industry Museum
Liverpool Road
284 locals recommend
Superb exploration of the history and development of science and technology. And you can ride a steam-train. And see great cars and planes.
Gorgeous stately home used in the Colin Firth TV production of Pride and Prejudice. Gorgeous grounds and easy hike in the beautiful Peak District. Easy to get to on train from Piccadilly to Disley.
115 locals recommend
National Trust - Lyme
115 locals recommend
Gorgeous stately home used in the Colin Firth TV production of Pride and Prejudice. Gorgeous grounds and easy hike in the beautiful Peak District. Easy to get to on train from Piccadilly to Disley.
Great experiential exhibition in 2014 and 2015 taking the stately home back to its wartime existence as an auxiliary hospital.
48 locals recommend
Dunham Massey
48 locals recommend
Great experiential exhibition in 2014 and 2015 taking the stately home back to its wartime existence as an auxiliary hospital.
Founded in 1653, this is the oldest library in the English speaking world.
19 locals recommend
Chetham's Library
Long Millgate
19 locals recommend
Founded in 1653, this is the oldest library in the English speaking world.

Shopping

Independent and quite famous vinyl shop.
6 locals recommend
Vinyl Resting Place
52 Church St
6 locals recommend
Independent and quite famous vinyl shop.
A graphic designer's dream.
Magma
24 Oldham St
A graphic designer's dream.

Everything Else

Yoga and meditation courses and drop-in classes, Vegan Earth Cafe.
6 locals recommend
Manchester Buddhist Centre
16-20 Turner St
6 locals recommend
Yoga and meditation courses and drop-in classes, Vegan Earth Cafe.
Station for more local trips inc Liverpool, York, Wales.
Victoria Station Approach
Victoria Station Approach
Station for more local trips inc Liverpool, York, Wales.
Manchester's main train station, for long-distance trips and the Peak District.
84 locals recommend
Manchester Piccadilly Station
84 locals recommend
Manchester's main train station, for long-distance trips and the Peak District.
40 minute walk or a bus-ride from Manchester Piccadilly Bus Station.
46 locals recommend
The University of Manchester
Oxford Road
46 locals recommend
40 minute walk or a bus-ride from Manchester Piccadilly Bus Station.
'The Met:' about a 30 minute walk from the flat or a bus from Manchester Piccadilly Bus Station.
15 locals recommend
Manchester Metropolitan University
15 locals recommend
'The Met:' about a 30 minute walk from the flat or a bus from Manchester Piccadilly Bus Station.
The nearest place to my flat to have a picnic or bbq on a sunny day. Friendly.
St. Michael's Flags & Angel Meadow Park
Old Mount Street
The nearest place to my flat to have a picnic or bbq on a sunny day. Friendly.